Although most government contractors may be focused on what will happen in the 4^th quarter, there is plenty happening now that will shape both that time and the time ahead.  Here are three things happening now that all of those who sell to the federal government need to know:

1.  A Lot of Work Is Happening On FY’25 Appropriations:  While Congressional leaders acknowledged this week that FY’25 will (surprise!) start under a CR, the House hopes to markup either all or most of its appropriations bills by the end of June.  Any contractor, therefore, interested in shaping next year’s market had better act quickly to ensure that their priorities and issues are known.  While final passage may not happen for some months, most key details will be set long ahead of time.

2.  The Clock Is Still Ticking for Alliant3:  GSA has promised to release the Alliant3 RFP in the 3^rd quarter, which is now more than half over.  That leaves scant time to meet its goal and companies are starting to wonder what the hold up is.  The tight time frame to get Alliant3 in place before the current contract reaches its ceiling does not leave a lot of slippage time.  While Alliant2 can always ask GSA Acquisition Policy for an extension, the process is not automatic and can be laborious.

3. The Army, Navy, and Air Force all told Congressional appropriators last week that they need to add people to their acquisition workforces to keep up with demand.  Even though DOD’s acquisition workforce has expanded since 2006, Army acquisition chief Doug Bush said that his workforce has doubled its workload and that additional personnel resources are needed.  Contractors should take note of this for both the opportunity to provide supporting technology and to ensure that their key projects aren’t held up by acquisition bottlenecks.