USFCR Blog

Quick Answer

Government buyers care about incurred cost submissions because on cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contracts, the government pays a contractor's actual allowable costs, and the annual submission is how those costs get verified and settled. Commercial buyers rarely look inside a supplier's books, while a federal buyer paying actual costs must. The submission is due within six months of the contractor's fiscal year end, and being ready for it signals readiness for cost-type work.

Updated October 9, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. CDT) with the latest National Hurricane Center forecast and emergency declaration status.

Quick Answer

If you want to help with recovery work after Hurricane Isaias, confirm your SAM registration is active and join the Disaster Response Registry now. Florida has asked for a federal emergency declaration, but none had been approved as of Friday afternoon, and the federal preference for local businesses only applies once one covers your county. The earliest work moves quickly, so getting ready now makes sure buyers can find you.

Quick Answer

The biggest change to procurement forecasting heading into FY2027 is standardization, not full consolidation. In November 2024, OMB directed agencies to standardize forecast data and centralize it on GSA's Forecast of Contracting Opportunities (FCO) tool, with alignment due by the end of Q3 FY2026. That deadline has passed, but adoption remains uneven. Treat the FCO tool as a starting point for FY2027 research, not the only stop.

Quick Answer

Building an FY2027 pursuit team means assigning, before the year's opportunities arrive, who covers each part of winning federal work, from finding and qualifying opportunities to writing proposals, keeping compliance current, and delivering after award. For most small contractors, that team blends internal roles, teaming partners, and outside support, and naming who owns each job is what keeps pursuits from stalling against a deadline.

Quick Answer

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.

Quick Answer

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.

Quick Answer

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.

Quick Answer

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.

Quick Answer

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.