Cash Flow and the Reemergence of Prompt Payment Penalties
A prolonged shutdown has revived Prompt Payment Act interest penalties, exposing cash-flow vulnerabilities across the federal contractor base. This article analyzes why prompt payment rules, invoice “acceptance,” and rigorous documentation are now critical risk-management tools for vendors doing business with the U.S. government.
Why the New AI Buying Playbook Matters for Federal Government Contractors
This article summarizes Kathrin Frauscher and Kaye Sklar’s Open Contracting Partnership analysis on how governments are buying AI and explains why these shifts in off-the-shelf tools, centralized procurement, and “shadow AI” are strategically significant for federal government contractors.
DoD’s New Portfolio Scorecards: Why Federal Contractors Should Pay Attention
The Defense Department’s new portfolio scorecards will track time-to-capability, production ramp speed, commercial content, and modularity across entire portfolios. This article explains how those measures will shape incentives, funding decisions, and competitive advantage for federal government contractors.
Past Performance at a Crossroads—An Update to Our “Negative-Only CPARS” Analysis
Congress continues to consider “negative-only” CPARS for DoD, while the FAR Overhaul broadens past-performance use beyond source selections starting April 1, 2026. Here’s what this tension means for award fees, options, and proposal strategy—and why contractors must build a portfolio of verified performance evidence now.
Why the 2025 World Energy Outlook Matters for Federal Contractors
The IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2025 maps an “Age of Electricity,” concentrated critical-mineral supply chains, LNG expansion, and rising grid risks—trends that directly affect U.S. federal procurement. For contractors, it spotlights resilience, origin controls, microgrids, storage, and data-center loads as core to pricing, compliance, and best-value strategies.
Peraton at the ASBCA: Fixed Fee, Level-of-Effort, and the Risk of Underutilization
The ASBCA’s Peraton decision clarifies how fixed fee is paid under CPFF level-of-effort service task orders: fee is earned per hour actually performed unless the CO modifies the LOE. Negligent-estimate theories don’t rescue contractors under IDIQ cost-reimbursement awards. Key takeaways for service providers: ask questions, avoid unilateral fee changes, and plan for under-utilization.
Treasury Launches Department-Wide Probe into Fraud Risks in Preference-Based Contracting
Treasury announced a department-wide investigation into potential fraud across $9B in preference-based contracts, spotlighting 8(a) misuse and pass-through risks. New staffing-plan and monthly workforce reporting requirements aim to detect non-performance. Here’s why this matters for federal contractors: tighter eligibility scrutiny, higher proof of prime performance, and greater exposure in teaming models.
Making AI Work for the Public: Why the ALT Framework Matters for Federal Contractors
A New America/RethinkAI report urges governments to move beyond AI “efficiency” toward an ALT framework—Adapt, Listen, Trust. For federal contractors, that means proposals must forecast demand surges, build institutional context, and prove trustworthiness with measurable public outcomes, aligning solutions to tightening state guardrails and CIO-led enterprise adoption.
Why MAS Refresh 30 Matters: Interpreting GSA’s RFO-Aligned Clause Overhaul
GSA’s MAS Refresh 30 implements the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul for schedule holders, replacing legacy clauses with RFO-aligned deviations, revising SCP-FSS-001 and I-FSS-644, tightening UAS security prohibitions, and streamlining OLM rules. Federal contractors must rebuild compliance matrices, update proposal templates, and realign supplier controls to remain award-ready under the new regime.
From Uncertainty to Enterprise Value: Insights from WorldCC on the Quality of Contracting
Based on a World Commerce & Contracting (WorldCC) presentation, this article explains how “quality of contracting” turns uncertainty into enterprise value. Learn the operating playbook, capability gaps to close, and why AI magnifies the advantage of organizations that align people, process, and systems.
From OODA to GDSD: Why Federal Contractors Should Rethink Data, Decisions, and Risk
A new framework—Goals, Decisions, Signals, Data (GDSD)—shows federal contractors how to cut through data saturation, align analytics to mission outcomes, improve supplier risk detection, and justify contractual decisions with targeted, audit-ready signals. Learn why replacing OODA with GDSD can boost performance, compliance, and resilience.
Big Contract Compliance Burdens Aren’t Just a Problem for Contractors
Federal News Network’s interview with Aron Beezley, hosted by Terry Gerton (with questions from Jared Serbu), explains how FAR-driven requirements now burden agencies and contractors alike—especially as universities move into traditional procurements. For vendors, “compliance by design” and standardized evidence reduce oversight friction, speed evaluations, and protect margins.
Public AI, Private Opportunity: What Multilateral AI Means for Federal Contractors
Public AI—shared, government-aligned AI infrastructure—is moving from idea to policy. Here’s what it means for federal contractors: multilateral frameworks (GPAI, G7 Hiroshima), compliance-first engineering, and capture strategies that emphasize interoperability, governance, and measurable public value.
When Washington Rethinks FEMA: Why Potential Reforms Matter for Federal Contractors
A policy push to reform FEMA can reshape disaster funding, acquisition rules, and mitigation priorities—directly affecting federal contractors across logistics, construction, IT, and resilience. Learn how potential shifts in Stafford Act thresholds, cost shares, emergency flexibilities, and domestic preference could alter pipelines, compliance duties, and performance expectations.
Part 52, Recast: Why the FAR Overhaul’s Clause Architecture Matters for Contractors
The FAR Overhaul rewires Part 52, reserving many legacy clauses and introducing the 52.240 series tied to new Part 40 security policies. Learn what moved, what’s new (e.g., 52.204-90/-91, 52.207-6), and why contractors must update clause matrices, proposals, and subcontracts now as agencies implement model deviation text across solicitations and awards.
Inside GSA’s Playbook for OMB M-25-21—and Why It Matters to Contractors
GSA’s strategy for implementing OMB M-25-21 details how federal agencies will scale AI through a tiered use-case model, USAi shared services, FedRAMP “20x,” CAIO-led governance, and public AI inventories. For contractors, it foreshadows evaluation artifacts, telemetry expectations, and acquisition pathways (e.g., OneGov) that will shape requirements, compliance, and competitive advantage.
The Federal Playbook on Project Labor Agreements: What Contractors Need to Know
Federal Acquisition Institute’s PLA training outlines the post-EO 14063 framework requiring Project Labor Agreements on most $35M+ federal construction. Key points include inclusive market research, timing and clauses (FAR 52.222-33/-34), IDIQ treatment, narrow SPE-approved exceptions, and fast OMB reporting—vital guidance for contractors pursuing large federal builds.
What’s Your Form? Why the Evolution of Government Service Delivery Matters for Contractors
A summary of “What’s your form? The evolution of government service delivery,” explaining how forms evolved from paper to AI-enabled platforms and why this shift matters for U.S. federal contractors. Learn how to turn compliance into measurable value—improving CX, equity, security, and outcomes—by treating the “form” as a policy instrument and a trust interface.
States Most & Least Affected by the Government Shutdown: A Summary of WalletHub’s Findings
WalletHub’s “Government Shutdown Report” ranks how the 2025 funding lapse affects every state and D.C., blending five metrics—federal jobs, contract dollars, real estate dependence, SNAP participation, and national park access. D.C., Hawaii, and New Mexico face the greatest strain, while Minnesota is least affected. Here’s what the methodology and early economic estimates signal.
Helping the J&A Without Crossing the Line: How Federal Contractors Can Support a Contracting Officer’s Justification
How federal contractors can (ethically) help contracting officers with J&As: strengthen market research via detailed RFI responses, offer open interfaces and data-rights paths, provide audit-ready price evidence, propose bounded bridge solutions, and execute roadmaps that restore competition—improving the accuracy and defensibility of noncompetitive actions.