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Drone Dominance
The Department of War (DoW) announces Drone Dominance, an iterative $1 billion plan to purchase small, lethal drones over the next two years. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's intent is to accelerate growth of the U.S. industrial base and rapidly arm combat units with low cost, consumable drones at scale.
Drone Dominance is designed with the principles outlined in Secretary Hegseth's acquisition strategy: a steady demand signal and a commercial competition that leverages private capital, dropping prices while boosting lethality across the ranks.
PARTICIPANT SELECTION PROCESS
Selected companies will be invited to participate in Prototype Gauntlet events. Victorious vendors will be selected at each event to receive orders. At Gauntlet I in February 2026, the DoW expects to order 30,000 drones with deliveries to be fulfilled by July 2026.
By 2027, Drone Dominance intends to purchase over 200,000 drones that can produce lethal effects in the toughest battlefield environments.
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FPDS ezSearch and FPDS ATOM Feed Decommissioned in 2026!
FPDS.gov search application feature, ezSearch, to be decommissioned second quarter of FY 2026 and the ATOM Feed later in FY 2026. Users should conduct all searches in SAM.gov. For more information regarding the FPDS transition and instructions on searching FPDS data in SAM.gov, please visit sam.gov/fpds.
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The War Department Strengthens Measures to Protect DOW‑Funded Research.
January 8 2026, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, Emil Michael announced new actions to protect Department of War (DoW)-funded research from malign foreign influence, intellectual property theft, and other forms of exploitation that threaten the security and economic interests of the United States. The Fundamental Research Security Initiatives and Implementation memorandum reflects the Department's commitment to strong research security and close alignment with congressional oversight efforts, including the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
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DPA Title III FOA submission date has been updated
The following DPA Title III FOA submission date has been updated. The Updated Response Date is Jul 12, 2026 03:00 pm EDT. Defense Production Act Title III Expansion of Domestic Production Capability and Capacity - Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)
See: https://sam.gov/opp/d0b10a464d504995897aa0c93ec24815/view The Attachment/Links sections provides requirements such a – Sample Technology Investment Agreement, Business Plan and other requirements.
To learn more about DPA Title III please contact Marc Violante at MarcV@wispro.org
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Phased Implementation of CMMC Requirements Has Begun!
CMMC Phase 1 Implementation (Nov 10, 2025 - Nov 9, 2026) to focus primarily on CMMC Level 1 and Level 2 self-assessments **Reminder to submit AFFIRMATIONS with your CMMC assessments in SPRS**
Need assistance in understanding the requirements and next steps – contact Matt Frost at WPI – MattF@wispro.org
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MMSD Changes
On December 15, 2025, MMSD implemented policy changes to its supplier development program that may impact certified firms to ensure continued compliance with recent federal court decisions affecting public contracting. MMSD will now operate a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) program, replacing the former Small, Women-, Minority-, and Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (S/W/MBE) program. As part of this transition, firms currently certified as MBE or WBE are encouraged to apply for SBE certification with MMSD. Firms currently certified as SBE or VBE do not need to recertify. All forthcoming Bids and Requests for Proposals will include a 20% SBE participation goal until further notice. Existing contracts are not expected to be impacted by this change.
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SBA Program Update
On January 21, 2025, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a program update to firms participating in the Woman-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program (WOSB Program). The announcement provided SBA certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) an additional one-year of eligibility to those firms whose three-year certification renewal date occurs between June 1, 2024, through May 31, 2025, and an initial one-year eligibility extension to those firms whose three-year renewal date occurs between June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026.
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SBA Finalizes SBIC Reforms to Fuel Private Investment in Critical Industries
Final Rule Removes Red Tape, Incentivizes Investment in American Industrial Dominance - Published on January 14, 2026
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GSA to Enhance Purchasing Efficiency through Expanded Transactional Data Reporting
GSA seeks to leverage data to support government and industry efforts, ultimately driving greater efficiency in federal procurement. TDR is how GSA gathers data on prices paid for products and services sold through the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). It also removes the burden of traditional sales reporting and tracking practices, while enhancing data capabilities to improve service and reduce costs to the government.
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Interested in learning more about GSA Schedules – contact WPI at apexaccelerator@wispro.org
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January 28, 2026
Pewaukee, WI
Are you CMMC ready?
The NDIA CMMC Academy is your roadmap to staying eligible for federal and Department of War (DoW) contracts. Phase 1 implementation is underway, and new clauses are moving into prime and subcontractor agreements. If you touch federal work in any part of the supply chain, now is the moment to act.
Join NDIA’s Cybersecurity Division and the Great Lakes’ Chapter for a practical briefing on what the regulation includes and what you must do to bid, win, and perform under DoW solicitations.
What you’ll learn:
- The evolution of CMMC and why it matters now
- The three certification levels and which one fits your business
- FCI vs. CUI: how to identify the data you handle
- What a C3PAO is and how to select one
- When a self-assessment is sufficient versus when a C3PAO certification is required
- How DoW and federal agencies are enforcing the new requirements
- Trusted resources to accelerate your CMMC journey
Get clear on the requirements. Protect your eligibility. Move forward with confidence.
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18th Annual
End of Year Federal Contractor Update
January 29, 2026
Pewaukee, WI
Join Wisconsin’s Federal Government contractors and subcontractors for this annual event. Briefings during the event will provide an overview of the current Federal contracting environment as well as highlight up and coming trends for future business opportunities.
SCHEDULE
8:00 AM – Light Breakfast and Registration
8:30 AM – Welcome and Introductions
9:00 AM – Program
12 NOON – Lunch
4:00 PM – End of Program
4:30 PM – End of Event
CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS
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Sean Ketter – Vice President, Global Procurement & Supply Chain, Oshkosh Corporation – LinkedIn
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David Zvenyach – Founder, Tandem – CEO, MakeGov – LinkedIn
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Nathaniel Millsap – Vice President, Security & Compliance, Fincantieri Marinette Marine – LinkedIn
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Baly Ambegaoker – CEO and Corporate Director, BTMS Breakthrough Technologies for Mission Success – LinkedIn
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Brian Waagner – Partner, Husch Blackwell – LinkedIn
- Jason Rathsack – NCMA WI Chapter Board Member
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Samuel Jack – Senior Counsel, Husch Blackwell – LinkedIn
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Frank Demarest – Wisconsin State Deputy District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) – LinkedIn
- Shane Mahaffy – Lead Business Opportunity Specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
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James Pitcher – Director of Strategic Contracts, Gallatin AI – LinkedIn
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Daryl Zahn – Sr. Manager, Contracts & Compliance, DRS Naval Power Systems, Inc. – LinkedIn
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Ben Blanc – Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI) – LinkedIn
- Matt Frost – Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI)
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Aina Vilumsons – President-Executive Director, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI) – LinkedIn
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WPI 10437 Innovation Dr. Suite 320, Milwaukee, WI 53226 414-270-3600
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