TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) On March 17, the U.S. House of Representatives passed S. 3971, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act under suspension of the rules, sending the legislation to the President’s desk for signature. The bill represents the long-awaited reauthorization of the federal government’s flagship small-business innovation programs—the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small…
Brian Kolbay
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) In early February 2026, the National Institutes of Health IT Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) formally cancelled the long-anticipated Chief Information Officer – Solutions and Partners 4 (CIO-SP4) Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), closing the chapter on one of the most contentious federal IT contracts in recent memory. The suspensions, part of a sweeping compliance…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) In a move that has reverberated across the federal contracting landscape, the U.S. Small Business Administration recently suspended more than 1,000 firms participating in its flagship 8(a) Business Development Program for failing to submit required financial data by a January deadline. The suspensions, part of a sweeping compliance push tied to a broader audit…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) The General Services Administration (GSA) is moving forward with a broad update of its government wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) and multiple award contract vehicles, with a target to complete the effort by the end of January. According to Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Deputy Commissioner Laura Stanton, this initiative will embed recent Federal Acquisition Regulation…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is responding to budget pressures and a growing mission scope by placing data and artificial intelligence (AI) at the heart of its modernization efforts. According to Brad Bunn, DLA’s Vice Director, the agency is emphasizing workforce data fluency, adopting AI tools, and integrating previously discrete supply-chain systems to drive…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) In a fiery keynote at the Association of the U.S. Army conference, Secretary Dan Driscoll launched a blunt attack on the Army’s sluggish acquisition system — calling it a threat to warfighter readiness. “We cannot f-ing wait to innovate until Americans are dying on the battlefield,” he warned, urging the service to abandon outdated…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) The Department of Defense today formally published the long-awaited Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Acquisition Rule in the Federal Register, marking the final regulatory step in bringing the program into force. The rule, codified under Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations, establishes how and when CMMC requirements will appear in solicitations and…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) This month, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council unveiled substantial revisions across six key sections specifically Parts 4, 8, 12, 38, 40, and 51 as part of a sweeping push to simplify and modernize federal procurement rules. These changes mark another milestone in the White House’s broader campaign to remove unnecessary bureaucratic burdens and return acquisition processes to a more…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) The House Appropriations Committee recently advanced a fiscal year 2026 funding bill that would slash federal discretionary spending by $45 billion below FY2025 levels—excluding defense, homeland security, and veterans affairs. Civilian agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) would face significant cuts of 23% and…
TAKE NOTE (Insights and Emerging Technology) The U.S. Army has pledged to deliver a comprehensive transformation roadmap to Congress within 10 days, after lawmakers demanded more clarity on how sweeping changes will affect programs, partnerships, and particularly the defense industrial base—where many small and mid-sized businesses operate. Congressional Pressure Triggers a Response During a June 18 Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee…