Policy
FAR and DFARS rulemaking, executive orders, and acquisition policy shifts — explained in plain English.
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Policy
Trump Executive Order Makes Fixed-Price Contracts the Default, Directs Agencies to Renegotiate 10 Largest Cost-Type Deals
An April 30 executive order directs federal agencies to default to fixed-price contracting, submit written justifications for any cost-reimbursement arrangement, and renegotiate their 10 largest non-fixed-price contracts within 90 days — with FAR amendments required within 120 days.
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Policy
DoD Proposes FOCI Disclosure Requirements for 40,000 Unclassified Defense Contractors
The Defense Department published a proposed DFARS rule on May 7 that would require any contractor or subcontractor holding a DoD contract over $5 million to disclose foreign ownership, control, or influence status to DCSA — expanding FOCI requirements far beyond classified work. Comments due July 6.
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Policy
SBA's Social Disadvantage Narrative Requirement for 8(a) Participants: Understanding the Ultima Services Corp. Ruling and Crafting a Compelling Narrative
Following the Ultima Services Corp. v. USDA ruling, the SBA now requires 8(a) participants to submit an individual social disadvantage narrative. This guide covers what reviewers look for, common rejection reasons, and deadlines for current participants.
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Policy
Five Eyes Allies Accelerate AI Warfighting Infrastructure at Combined Digital Leadership Summit
The U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand convened the Combined Digital Leadership Summit 26.1 on May 8–11, agreeing to operationalize Project Arcadia — a shared AI and command-and-control data infrastructure designed to build a Common Operating Picture across the Five Eyes alliance faster than adversaries can act.
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Policy
FY2026 NDAA Doubles CAS Threshold to $100M and Quadruples Certified Pricing Threshold, Effective June 30
Two major acquisition cost thresholds change for defense contractors after June 30, 2026: full Cost Accounting Standards coverage rises from $50M to $100M (Section 1806), and the certified cost or pricing data disclosure requirement under TINA rises from $2.5M to $10M (Section 1806a) — the largest threshold increase in decades.
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Policy
Raytheon and Nightwing Pay $8.4M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Over Cybersecurity Failures on DoD Contracts
Raytheon, RTX, and the Nightwing successor entity settled DOJ False Claims Act claims over NIST SP 800-171 non-compliance on unclassified DoD contracts, paying $8.4M in the latest Civil Cyber Fraud Initiative action — with the whistleblower walking away with $1.5M.
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Policy
Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Stalls at OMB as Phase 2 Rulemaking Falls Behind Schedule
Final rules under the administration's sweeping FAR rewrite have hit delays at OMB, leaving contractors navigating a patchwork of interim class deviations while the formal notice-and-comment process lags its original timeline.
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Policy
IBM Pays $17M in First False Claims Act Settlement Under DOJ's Civil Rights Fraud Initiative — DEI Hiring Practices at Issue
IBM resolved allegations that race- and sex-conscious DEI employment practices on federal contracts violated anti-discrimination requirements, marking the first settlement under DOJ's Civil Rights Fraud Initiative launched in May 2025.
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Policy
DFARS Final Rule Bars DoD From Requiring Greenhouse Gas Disclosures of Nontraditional Contractors
A May 7 DFARS final rule implementing Section 318 of the FY2024 NDAA prohibits contracting officers from requiring nontraditional defense contractors to disclose GHG emissions inventories or considering those disclosures during source selection.
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Policy
Trump's Fixed-Price Contracting Mandate Puts $10M Threshold on Non-FFP Awards — What Agencies and Contractors Must Do Now
The April 30 executive order directing agencies to default to firm-fixed-price contracts sets agency-head approval thresholds, a 90-day review of top non-FFP contracts, and a 120-day FAR amendment deadline.
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Policy
GSA Restructures the Federal Acquisition Service Into Five Portfolios as Procurement Consolidation Drive Intensifies
GSA's Federal Acquisition Service replaced its FAS 2.0 structure with five named portfolios and a new AI-focused Transform office, with leadership explicitly tying the change to Trump's procurement consolidation executive orders.
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Policy
June 30 Deadline Looms: FAR Overhaul Quintuples TINA Threshold and Doubles CAS Coverage Floor
The most consequential FAR changes in 40 years take effect June 30, 2026. Certified cost/pricing data threshold jumps from $2M to $10M; full CAS coverage threshold doubles from $50M to $100M. Contractors near the old lines need to act now.
