Not everything in government contracting must cost a lot of money. Although there are plenty of subscription services available to help government contractors predict their federal future, some of which have well-earned reputations, this can often result in companies overlooking free resources. There are multiple websites and news sources that cover the “Who”, “What”, “When,” “Where”, and “Why” of the federal market. All that’s required is a little bit of your time. A few popular sites include federalnewsnetwork.com (also available on 1500 AM in the Washington, D.C. area), govexec.com, fedscoop.com, and nextgov.com. Each of these sites covers what’s happening in the federal IT and service market and, in some cases, the entire Read more
Hopes for having FY’25 appropriations measures passed by the end of this calendar year are fading with more budget watchers expecting final action only in the late winter/early spring of 2025, similar to what was seen for this year. One factor driving at least part of this belief is that any measures passed now would be seen as a “Biden budget”. As there will be no Biden Administration after January 20th, both presidential candidates and their Congressional supporters may want a chance to craft spending bills that more closely align with their priorities. Another factor is time. There are only three weeks remaining to pass even a continuing resolution, let alone make progress on permanent spending measures. Although subject to change, the House and Senate calendars currently forecast no October session. This means that the earliest FY’25 appropriations work could take place would be in the lame-duck session in November and December. While cutting the fiscal year in half is inherently a less efficient way to run the government, political realities may cause it to happen in successive years. Contractors and their federal customers should prepare for this possibility now. Lessons learned during the FY’24 appropriations process should be applied to avoid the most damaging outcomes. Contractors may also want to talk with customers about whether at least some planned projects could technically be started now, allowing work to continue under a CR. There is currently no indication of a government shutdown this year but keep in mind that delaying the FY’25 appropriations process into next year may bring the debt ceiling issue back to the forefront of discussions just as a new president and new Congress try to get to work.
The small protégé of a small mentor in a mentor-protégé joint venture would be required to have a certain amount of past performance of its own and not just rely on the past performance of its mentor under a proposed rule released in late August. This provision is just one of several proposals issued by the Small Business Administration that would tighten some small business rules while relaxing others. Contractors of all sizes may want to review the changes contained in SBA Docket Number SBA-2024-0007. Other modifications to the “all small” Read more
Industry news outlets have buzzed this week with the story that the Department of Justice is pursuing a False Claims Act case against Georgia Tech for alleged cyber fraud. This suit is apparently not tied to Tech’s upset victory over Florida State but is rather something that all contractors should follow. Government contract lawyers say that DOJ’s intervention in the previously filed whistle blower case could serve as a warning to contractors about the risks of ignoring federal cybersecurity requirements. The complaint alleges that Georgia Tech’s Read more
Contractors of all stripes should be seeing increased business levels with essentially one month left in the 2024 federal fiscal year. The next month will literally be a sprint to the finish, though one that could look more like the high hurdles for some contractors. Here are three things to focus on now to finish the year strong: 1. Communicate: Make sure that you’re in consistent communication not only with potential federal buyers but industry partners as well. Never assume that either of these important targets remember you or your solutions. Don’t just Read more