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.

Federal law does not establish the broad checklist of automatic disqualifiers commonly found online. What it establishes is narrower: 50 U.S.C. § 3343 sets out one non-waivable statutory prohibition and three waivable statutory disqualifications, and the three waivable ones apply only to specified categories of access.

Two qualifications belong up front. That statute is not the complete universe of restrictions, and other authorities can impose limits it does not list. And none of these provisions is self-executing. Each still requires a factual determination reached through administrative review.

With that framing in place, here is what the statute actually contains.

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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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Tropical Storm Edouard made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border on September 1, 2026, and has since weakened to a tropical depression, producing ongoing flooding in southeast Texas. Jefferson County, Port Arthur, and Beaumont have already issued local disaster declarations. No federal disaster declaration has been issued yet. Contractors should confirm an active SAM registration and disaster-response NAICS codes now, while the response is still local and the federal contracting picture is still forming.

Quick Answer

The rules that govern how federal contracts are closed out are being simplified as part of a government-wide overhaul of acquisition regulations that began in 2025 and is rolling out through 2026. The core actions a contractor is responsible for at closeout have not changed. What is changing is the regulatory framework around them, and because agencies are adopting the changes on different timelines, the exact process can vary by agency right now.

Quick Answer

If you win a small-business set-aside, there's a rule that limits how much of that work you can hand off to a subcontractor. For most services and supply contracts, you can't pay outside subcontractors more than 50% of what the government pays you for the job. A lot of contractors have heard this as "51%." That's not right, and getting it wrong can put your award at risk. The good news: once you understand how it's actually calculated, it's very manageable to stay on the right side of it.

The FAS Catalog Platform, or FCP, is the system GSA Schedule holders use to keep their contract catalog current and compliant. It's replacing SIP and EDI-832, and GSA is moving contractors onto it in waves.

If you hold a Schedule, you'll end up on FCP. The question isn't whether. It's when, and what you should be doing until your turn comes.

GSA eLibrary is where you check who holds a GSA Schedule and what that contract covers. It's free, it's public, and it's the fastest way to find out whether a company is actually on Schedule before you do business with them.

It's also the tool most contractors misunderstand. eLibrary answers a narrow set of questions extremely well. Ask it anything outside that set and you'll come away with the wrong answer, or no answer at all.

Here's what it does, what it doesn't, and where to go for the rest.

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Trade Agreements Act compliance means that, on covered federal contracts above a set dollar threshold, the products you offer must be made or substantially transformed in the United States or a designated country. What is new for 2026 is a routine update to those dollar thresholds, effective March 13, 2026. The core compliance rules are unchanged, and because the thresholds adjust on a regular cycle, the practical step is to verify the current figure for a given contract.