USFCR Blog

Is Federal Contracting Really 'All About Relationships'?

Sep 30, 2026, 10:30:00 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Registration & Compliance Management

Quick Answer

Relationships can help you get noticed before a contract is competed, but they won't decide who wins it. Once a solicitation is out, federal agencies have to score every proposal against the exact criteria they published in that document. So the strongest proposal usually beats the strongest relationship, not the other way around. The practical move is to build visibility and connections before a solicitation drops, then win the actual competition with a proposal built around exactly what the agency said it would judge.

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Building Your FY2027 Pursuit Team

Sep 29, 2026, 10:30:00 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Federal Spending, Registration & Compliance Management

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.

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Disaster Recovery Contracts: What the Nor'easter and Hurricane Polo Mean for You

Sep 24, 2026, 10:30:00 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, News, Disaster Relief

Quick Answer

This week's nor'easter brought coastal flooding from Virginia to Massachusetts, and both New Jersey and New York declared states 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 weakened from a Category 5 to a Category 3 hurricane before approaching Mexico's Baja California peninsula, well south of the U.S. border, though its moisture brought flash flood watches to parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Texas. Confirm your SAM registration is active and opt into the Disaster Response Registry.

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CPARS Updates: How Performance Reviews Changed

Sep 24, 2026, 10:29:59 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Federal Spending, Registration & Compliance Management

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.

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Hurricane Season 2026: What the Forecast Means for Contractors

Sep 22, 2026, 10:30:01 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Disaster Relief, Federal Spending, Registration & Compliance Management

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.

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What to Expect When FY2027 Opens Under a Continuing Resolution

Sep 17, 2026, 10:29:59 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Federal Spending, Registration & Compliance Management

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.

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How to Request (and Actually Use) a Federal Contract Debriefing

Sep 16, 2026, 10:30:00 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Registration & Compliance Management

Quick Answer

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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FY2027 Kick Off: What Agencies Are Buying First

Sep 15, 2026, 10:30:00 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Federal Spending, Registration & Compliance Management

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Working Capital for Government Contracts vs. Commercial Work

Sep 10, 2026, 10:30:00 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Federal Spending, Registration & Compliance Management

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.

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End of Fiscal Year: The Busiest Month in Federal Contracting

Sep 3, 2026, 10:30:00 AM / by Kyle Hayes posted in Guides, Federal Spending, Registration & Compliance Management

Quick Answer

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.

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