Teaming agreements open doors that are closed to contractors working alone. A small IT firm partners with a construction company to pursue a complex base modernization contract. A certified WOSB adds a cybersecurity specialist to its team and qualifies for a solicitation it could not win independently. The principle is straightforward: the right partnership expands what you can pursue.
But teaming in federal contracting comes with rules. The SBA's affiliation and ostensible subcontractor regulations got meaningful updates in 2025, and contractors who have not revisited their teaming documentation since then may be carrying compliance gaps they do not know about.
Here is how teaming agreements work, what compliance requires, and what changed.
If you work for a federal contractor and your contract is coming up for recompete, someone in your office is probably nervous. Maybe that someone is you. You've heard the term "recompete" and you know it means something is changing, but you're not sure what it actually means for your paycheck, your clearance, or whether you'll still have a job in six months.
