USFCR Blog

Mike Goetz

Security Clearance Levels Explained: Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret

Jul 22, 2026 3:02:09 PM / by USFCR posted in News, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)

T here are three security clearance levels. Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret. Almost everything else you have heard called a "clearance level" is either an access program layered on top of one of those three, or a different kind of vetting entirely.

That distinction trips up more people than any other part of this topic. So let's start there.

What the three levels actually are

The federal government classifies national security information based on how much damage its unauthorized disclosure would cause. The three clearance levels map directly to those three damage categories.

Confidential: Disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause damage to national security.

Secret: Disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to national security.

Top Secret: Disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security.

That language is not marketing copy. It comes from the executive order governing classification, and adjudicators apply it literally. The escalating adjectives are the whole distinction: damage, serious damage, exceptionally grave damage.

The Mega-Event Contracts Most Federal Contractors Are Sleeping On

May 7, 2026 11:22:22 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in News

You probably saw the headlines about the FIFA World Cup coming to 11 U.S. cities next year, or the LA28 Olympics in two summers. Maybe you thought, sure, big events, big spending, but that's for the giant primes who handle stadium security and broadcast infrastructure. Not for me.

Federal Contracting in the Age of AI: What Every Contractor Needs to Know

Apr 8, 2026 9:30:00 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in News, cmmc

If you've been watching AI take over one industry after another, you might be wondering where federal contracting fits into that picture. It's a fair question, and the honest answer is that the federal market moves differently than the private sector. Procurement has always had its own pace, its own rules, and its own culture. But that doesn't mean AI is standing at the door waiting to be let in. It's already inside.

Federal Work Slowed Down. Here's When It Picks Back Up.

Apr 3, 2026 10:15:50 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in News, cmmc

If your federal contracting pipeline has been quiet since October, you are not doing anything wrong. The slowdown is real, it is systemic, and it has a specific cause. More importantly, it is ending.

What Happens After You Respond to an RFI (And Why Going Quiet Is the Worst Move You Can Make)

Mar 4, 2026 11:47:31 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in USFCR Academy

You found an RFI on SAM.gov. You spent two days pulling together a thoughtful response: your capabilities, your experience, your interest in the requirement. You hit submit.

And then nothing.

No confirmation. No follow-up. No "thanks for your input." Just silence.

SAM.gov Just Absorbed Two More Federal Systems: What Contractors Need to Know

Feb 25, 2026 10:05:24 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in News, Registration & Compliance Management

If you tried to log into eSRS.gov in the last few days, you already know something changed. The site is gone. And if you use FPDS.gov to research federal contract data, that's shutting down tomorrow.

Where Small Businesses Are Actually Winning AI Work

Jan 15, 2026 8:00:00 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in News, Tech, AI

Every time the Pentagon announces another massive AI contract, I watch contractors scramble in the wrong direction.

Last summer, the Department of Defense awarded contracts to Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and xAI. The headlines were everywhere. Contractors saw those numbers and started asking, "How do we get in on that?"

Prime Contractor vs. Subcontractor: The Federal Contracting Decision That Actually Matters

Oct 29, 2025 9:15:00 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in News, Subcontracting & Teaming

You've been winning commercial contracts for years. Partnerships form naturally, project structures shift as work evolves, and teams come together based on whoever's available and capable. It works.

Then you bid your first federal contract using the same approach, and everything breaks.

The government rejected your prime contractor bid. Not because your solution wasn't good. Not because your pricing was off. Because you couldn't prove you'd done this exact work before, at this exact scale, under these exact circumstances.

17 Federal Contract Types Explained: How Each Impacts Risk, Pricing, and Profit

Oct 23, 2025 8:15:00 AM / by Mike Goetz posted in USFCR Academy, Guides, News

Government contracts come in various forms, each designed to fit specific needs. Whether you're new to federal contracting or an experienced supplier, knowing the differences between contract types is crucial for success in this complex industry. In this guide, we break down the most common types of government contracts and how they might impact your business.

Firm-Fixed-Price Contracts (Learn more)

Firm-fixed-price contracts are the most widely used in government procurement. In this type of contract, the contractor agrees to deliver goods or services for a set price, regardless of actual costs. It’s often used when the project scope is well-defined and the risk of cost overruns is minimal.

Why It's Used: Fixed-price contracts offer predictability for both parties, making them ideal for projects with clear deliverables.

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Do I Qualify for Federal Set-Asides?

Feb 14, 2025 12:00:00 PM / by Mike Goetz posted in USFCR Academy

The federal government continues to reserve approximately 23% of its contracting budget specifically for small businesses - that's over $178 billion in opportunities annually. These set-aside programs aren't just compliance checkboxes; they're your business's pathway to consistent federal revenue and sustainable growth.