Guides
Evergreen explainers on how federal contracting actually works — certifications, contract types, protests, and compliance.
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Guides
CMMC Compliance Explained: The Three Levels, the Phase-In Timeline, and What Affirmation Actually Means
CMMC's Phase 2 deadline hits November 10, 2026, when DoD's plan calls for Level 2 third-party certification to become the standard condition of award. A practical guide to the three levels, the four-phase rollout under 32 CFR Part 170, and the annual affirmation requirement that trips up contractors who are otherwise fully certified.
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Guides
CPARS Ratings Explained: How Past Performance Follows You From Contract to Contract
Every federal contract over $350,000 generates a CPARS evaluation that source selection officials read for the next three years. Here is how the ratings work, the 14-day comment window that actually matters, and what you can — and cannot — do about an unfair one.
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Guides
NAICS Codes and SBA Size Standards: How the Government Decides Whether You're Small
One NAICS code on a solicitation decides whether you can bid a set-aside at all. Here is how size standards actually work — the 5-year receipts average, the 24-month employee count, affiliation traps, the new recertification rules, and the 5-day window to protest a competitor's size.
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Guides
Post-Award Debriefings: Your Rights, the Enhanced DoD Process, and the Protest Clock That Starts Ticking
You have 3 days to request a debriefing, and what happens next controls whether a protest can stop the award. A practical guide to FAR 15.506, DoD's enhanced debriefings at the new $15M threshold, and the timeliness traps that kill protests before they start.
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Guides
SAM.gov Registration: The Complete Guide — and the Rule Change Most Guides Still Get Wrong
SAM.gov registration is free, mandatory, and easier to fumble than it should be. A practical guide to UEI, entity validation, the 365-day renewal — and the 2024 rule change that means a mid-evaluation lapse no longer kills your bid.
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Guides
How FAR Rules Are Made: A Contractor's Guide to the Rulemaking Process
FAR and DFARS rules move through a legally prescribed notice-and-comment cycle — ANPRMs, NPRMs, final rules, interim rules, and class deviations — with mandated review periods contractors can use to shape requirements before they lock into solicitations.
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Guides
How to Read a Defense Contract Announcement
Defense contract announcements follow a rigid format under DFARS 205.303 — ceiling value, obligated amount, contract type, and appropriation code each carry distinct intelligence for contractors tracking programs and positioning for follow-on work.
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Guides
IDIQ Contract Vehicles Explained: GWACs, MATOCs, and MACs
A practical breakdown of IDIQ vehicle types — GWACs, MATOCs, MACs, and single-award IDIQs — covering FAR structure, active ceilings, and how to position your firm for task order revenue.
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Guides
Undefinitized Contract Actions Explained: A Contractor's Practical Guide
Before signing a letter contract or starting work under an undefinitized order, understand the 180-day definitization clock, the 50-percent obligation cap, and why incurred costs will compress your profit if definitization drags.
