Category Archives: Federal Government Contracting

SmallGovCon Week in Review: July 20-24, 2026

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Happy Friday! It’s that time of year when many in our office, and in the federal contracting world, are finding some time for a vacation to reconnect with family and friends. We hope our readers are able to take a break and get some R&R this summer. This weekend, try and find some time to rest, relax, and perhaps enjoy some summer activities.

This week in federal government contracting saw interesting stories including Congress working on some important procurement-related legislation, increased focus on supply chain safety, and steps to enhance whistleblower protections.

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BREAKING: Department of War Suspends Introduction of Phase Two of CMMC

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Last year, we noted in a couple posts that the federal government had finally began implementation of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program. Apparently, however, the government has concluded that a pause is needed on further implementation due to what it describes as structural issues with the program. On July 13, 2026, the Department of War (DoW)[1] announced that it is suspending the introduction of Phase Two of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program. We explore that decision in this post.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: July 13-17, 2026

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Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through July! We hope your summer has been filled with meaningful hangouts with family and friends, vacation adventures, and a little extra time to enjoy the season. As we head into the second half of summer, we’re grateful for your continued support of SmallGovCon and look forward to sharing more tips, updates, and resources to help your contracting business thrive. Have a great weekend.

This week in federal government contracting saw articles on pausing parts of CMMC and the role of AI in federal procurement.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: July 6-10, 2026

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Happy Friday! The 4th of July weekend was a great chance to slow down, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy some good food and fireworks (or drones, in our case). The only downside? The weather has been incredibly hot and humid but that’s typical for summer here in Kansas.

We hope you had a great week and are staying cool. Here’s what is happening in federal government contracting this week. Key stories include GSA AI proposed rules, and Congress having a lot to do this summer.

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SAM Registration: Defining “Immediate Owner” and “Highest-Level Owner”

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SAM.gov is something every federal government contractor has to deal with for actions like searching solicitations and registering to be a federal contractor. As every federal contractor wanting to do business with the federal government has to register on SAM, the questionnaires on SAM must cover a wide array of different possible businesses and business structures. As much as SAM tries to make sure to cover all the possibilities, inevitably, there are some questions that could have so many answers that contractors will often have their own questions about how to answer them properly. One of the most common questions that come up from contractors during SAM registration is “what do I put for Immediate Owner on SAM?” or “what does Highest-Level Owner mean?”

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Event Announcement: GovCon Roundup Live, July 15, 1:00pm EDT, Expanding VOSB and SDVOSB Opportunities & Navigating the SBA Certification Minefield

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Please join me on the GovCon Roundup Live, with Carroll Bernard and Steven Koprince to discuss several important developments affecting veteran-owned small businesses in federal contracting, including

  • The bipartisan Contract Our Veterans Act of 2026.
  • Critical compliance issue for veteran-owned businesses pursuing VA set-asides: the frequently overlooked limitations on subcontracting certification requirement under VAAR 852.219-75.
  • Why SBA’s strict “unconditional control” rules make certification extremely difficult for franchises
  • Why a veteran must be listed as the company’s highest officer, such as CEO, in the governing documents
  • What “fatal flaws” can undermine an appeal after a certification denial

Here are the details:

  • Wednesday, July 15, 2026
  • 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern
  • Free to attend

Here is the link for registration.

COFC: Limitation on Subcontracting Certification Trips Up Contractor Where Solicitation Requires it to be Signed and Attached

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When it comes to federal contracting, there are parts that are very detail-oriented.  Countless signatures for countless certifications. We certainly empathize with contractors on this aspect of federal contracting. But just because we are empathetic does not mean that a contractor can ignore such requirements. In a recent decision, Revelations Counseling & Consulting, LLC v. United States, 180 Fed. Cl. 721 (2026), the Court of Federal Claims (COFC) made it very clear: Where the solicitation says sign the certification and include it in the proposal, sign it and include it in the proposal. Anything less and not only should you expect a rejection, the agency is often required to reject the proposal. In this case, the certification was a VA limitations on subcontracting clause that has cropped up multiple times lately in our practice and is an important part of small business contracting. We look at that decision today.

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