A recent executive order marks a significant policy shift in federal procurement by directing agencies to default to fixed-price, performance-based contracting. Framed as an effort to promote fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability, the order reflects concerns about cost overruns and inefficiencies associated with cost-reimbursement models. This post examines the order’s key provisions, its legal and
The Army’s Marketplace for the Acquisition of Professional Services (MAPS) procurement represents one of the most significant professional services contracting opportunities in recent years. MAPS, the $50 billion, 10-year IDIQ, is replacing both RS3 and ITES-3S, and is expected to shape Army services acquisitions for the next decade and serve as a critical gateway for
Government contracting can feel like learning a new language. Even sophisticated commercial vendors often struggle with the rules, acronyms, and procedural traps that come with selling to federal agencies.
Below are 25 of the most common questions contractors search online — along with short, practical answers designed for business owners, compliance teams, and government contracts
Federal contractors are often familiar with the well-defined bid protest processes at the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and agency-level forums. But contractors pursuing state and local government work quickly learn that bid protests at the state and local level are a different animal entirely.
Instead of one uniform set
In Kansas, vendors dissatisfied with the conduct of a competitive procurement — whether due to an award decision, solicitation specifications, or other irregularities — must understand how to navigate the state’s bid protest process.
This guide provides an overview of the Kansas bid protest framework and a detailed explanation of the Vendor Bid Protest Procedure
Bid protests in Maine are governed by a relatively structured administrative framework that provides disappointed bidders and other “aggrieved persons” with a defined right to challenge contract and grant award decisions. Unlike more informal state procurement protest regimes, Maine law — particularly 5 M.R.S.A. § 1825-E — establishes mandatory procedures, strict deadlines, and a formal
Alaska’s bid protest framework provides an administrative process for challenging solicitation terms, proposed awards, and awarded contracts — but it is highly procedural, fast-moving, and strictly deadline-driven. As a result, involving experienced legal counsel early in the process is often critical to preserving protest rights and positioning the contractor for a meaningful remedy. Below is
On April 15, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a significant decision in Life Science Logistics, LLC v. United States, No. 2024-1522, clarifying the legal standard governing judicial review of agency overrides of automatic stays under the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA). While the court addressed jurisdiction under
In a decision that underscores the limits of “speed” in federal procurement, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently sustained a bid protest by Effective Communications Strategy, LLC (EFS) challenging a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ contract award.
The case is a cautionary tale for both agencies and contractors. While streamlined acquisition methods are designed to
We previously published an update on the bid protest procedures in the state of Alabama, discussing the revised statutory and regulatory processes and procedures implemented effective October 1, 2022. Certain of these statutes have since been updated again, effective June 1, 2025. This article provides a brief update on those revised statutory processes and procedures