USFCR Blog

Quick Answer

This week's nor'easter is creating coastal flooding from Virginia to Massachusetts, and New Jersey has already declared a state of emergency. Most immediate response work goes to contractors that hold emergency contracts, so small businesses usually get in by subcontracting now and competing for recovery work later. Hurricane Polo isn't forecast to hit the U.S. mainland, but it's now a Category 5 storm forecast to approach Baja California Sur, and its moisture could bring flash flood risk to the Southwest and elevated surf to Southern California next week. Confirm your SAM registration is active and opt into the Disaster Response Registry.

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CPARS still uses the five-point adjectival scale. The negative-events-only model that circulated widely in late 2025 was proposed in both chambers of the FY2026 defense authorization but was dropped before the bill was signed on December 18, 2025. What did change is where past performance gets used. Under the FAR overhaul, evaluations on contracts awarded on or after April 1, 2026 can inform decisions across the full contract lifecycle, not just source selection.

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NOAA's 2026 Atlantic hurricane outlook calls for a below-normal season, with 7 to 13 named storms, 2 to 6 hurricanes, and 0 to 2 major hurricanes as El Nino conditions strengthen. The outlook measures overall activity, not landfalls, and a single landfall creates the same federal response needs as a busy year. For contractors, readiness decisions belong on their own schedule, ahead of the August-to-October peak, regardless of the seasonal numbers.

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FY2027 begins October 1, 2026, and as of September, Congress had not enacted full-year appropriations, so the year will most likely open under a continuing resolution rather than final funding. That typically means slower new-award activity, cautious handling of option years, and continuity purchases moving first. Contractors who confirm their SAM registration, track expiring contracts, and watch the simplified acquisition lane can still compete in this window.

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You get a federal contract debriefing by emailing the contracting officer a written request within 3 calendar days of the notice telling you who won. Miss those 3 days, and you lose the debriefing for good. What the agency has to tell you depends on how the contract was bought, and the debriefing date also kicks off two protest deadlines you'll want to know about.

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The biggest working capital difference is timing. The government is a reliable payer and owes interest on late invoices, but it generally pays after you perform the work and submit a proper invoice, which means you often need capital to cover costs before payment arrives. Commercial work varies more in payment reliability but is often more flexible on terms. Planning for that gap is the key to taking on government work without straining cash flow.

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On September 10, 2026, a final rule revises 13 CFR 124.103 and removes the 8(a) program's race-based presumption of social disadvantage. Individually owned applicants must now show evidence that a policy or practice discriminated against their group, then self-certify group membership and material harm. SBA has said it will return pending individual applications so applicants can meet the new test.

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FY2027 begins October 1, 2026, and with it the federal funding cycle resets, opening a fresh year of contracting opportunities. Several known developments shape the new year: cybersecurity certification requirements continue expanding for defense work, higher simplified acquisition thresholds keep more buying in the faster lane, and the federal acquisition rules continue to be streamlined. The practical takeaway is to start the year ready and positioned.

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September is the busiest month in federal contracting because the fiscal year ends September 30, and agencies work to put the funding available to them to use before it expires. That concentrates a large share of the year's contract activity into the final weeks, with more awards, faster timelines, and more lower-dollar, quick-turn buys. For contractors who are ready, it is one of the most active opportunity windows of the year.