RES 2026 Conference: Rising Together, Las Vegas, NV, March 23-26, 2026

The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is Rising Together for the 2026 Reservation Economic Summit. The event features tribal leaders, members of Congress, federal agency representatives, state and local officials, and top CEOs on a national platform.

Our very own federal government contracts attorney and SmallGovCon contributor, Nicole Pottroff, is scheduled to be a panelist on the topic of Navigating the New Regulatory Landscape for Native-Owned Federal Contractors, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 3:30 p.m.-4:20 p.m. – Milano Ballroom II, Caesars Palace. This panel will discuss ways organizations can navigate the changing regulatory rules in federal government contracting. If you are planning on attending this conference, please stop by and say hello to Nicole. Please use this link for more information about the conference and registration.

Department of the Interior Proposes Rules to Remove Barriers in Buy Indian Act Contracting Opportunities

The Department of the Interior (DOI) proposes to revise regulations implementing the Buy Indian Act, which provides the Department with authority to set aside procurement contracts for Indian-owned and controlled businesses. The proposed rule is to revise current procurement regulations that have created barriers to Indian Economic Enterprises (IEEs) from full participation in the DOI’s procurement process. The proposed rule is here.

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Buy Indian Act: New Policy Memo Aims To Increase Set-Asides

Buy Indian Act set-asides might increase following the Department of the Interior’s recent release of a Buy Indian Act National Policy Memorandum.

In the January 2016 Memorandum, the DOI establishes a policy of maximizing the use of the Buy Indian Act and increasing the number of Buy Indian Act set-asides.  The Buy Indian Act Memorandum comes in the wake of a GAO Report issued last summer, which criticized the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service for their implementation of the Buy Indian Act.

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