Opinion

Why some organizations accelerate while others stall

Under the Pentagon's new Portfolio Acquisition Executive model, success depends on relationship intelligence and workforce capability—not just technical prowess, writes BD and capture expert Nic Coppings.

The hidden risk in the Army’s new ‘speed to capability’ doctrine

Most defense contractors have aligned their pipelines to the Warfighting Acquisition System but almost none have prepared their program managers, writes Nic Coppings, BD and capture expert.

Find opportunities — and win them.

When it comes to Feds, LinkedIn is much more than a Rolodex

With 2.7 million federal employees on the platform, contractors who treat agency pages as intelligence feeds can grab a decisive advantage, writes marketing expert Mark Amtower.

The CMMC compliance gap is now a competitive risk

As enforcement ramps up and primes tighten supplier requirements, contractors face a choice: prepare now or lose access to DOD work.

The irrefutable connection between agency modernization and FedRAMP cloud adoption

Vendors must embrace security from day one as FedRAMP 20x and multi-cloud strategies gain momemtum, writes Irina Denisenko, CEO of Knox Systems.

The marketing lessons learned for government contractors in year 1 of Trump 2.0

After a year of evidence, the winning message is clear: outcomes over features, efficiency as strategy, and AI as a practical tool, writes Sean O’Leary of Susan Davis International

OPINION: Federal equity investments raise troubling questions about picking winners and losers

From L3Harris Technologies to Intel, the Trump administration is taking stakes in defense companies with little transparency and no clear conflict-of-interest safeguards.

AI agents are ready for government work – if agencies are ready for them

Agentic systems can handle complex tasks end-to-end, but industry must help agencies build the governance frameworks and adoption strategies to scale responsibly, writes Tria Federal’s CTO Murali Mallina.

Slapping ‘commercial’ on a contract does not make it so

A new Air Force sources sought notice on supporting nuclear missiles highlights gaps between rhetoric and reality.

Securing Golden Dome: tackling cyber vulnerabilities in a ‘system of systems’

Contractors must demonstrate how their solutions contribute to integrated domain awareness across the Pentagon's most complex missile defense effort.

A Self-Funded Path to IT Modernization

Federal agencies are flipping the script on federal IT spend to achieve technological transformation, writes Miguel Sian of the Merlin Group.

DOGE was government contracting's biggest story of 2025 — and it's not close

Contract cancellations, exaggerated savings claims and consulting contract reviews dominated our most-read stories of the year.

Bid protest system working as intended, GAO data shows

Despite NDAA's "loser pays" provision, fiscal 2025 statistics reveal fewer protests, higher effectiveness rates, and agencies increasingly willing to take corrective action, writes a trio of attorney's from Covington & Burling LLP.

If, Then: 2026's key pathways, questions and scenarios for GovCon

The covers are off for edition number six of this annual exercise to start a new year by looking at major signposts and the directions they point us to.

How your PMs are killing deals without knowing it

Federal turnover created a generation of leaders without mentors. The contractors who help them will own the next decade. The ones who pitch them won't.

How small businesses can adapt to new 8(a) and procurement realities

Understanding contracting officer motivations and pressures and strategically aligning your interests with theirs is more important than ever, writes BD and capture expert Ezekiel Russell.