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Department of War Releases Letter to Defense Industrial Base and Acquisition Stakeholders Seeking Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Phase 2 Input
On February 10, 2026, the Department of War released a letter to the defense industrial base and acquisition stakeholders announcing issuance of Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Phase 1 class deviations and requesting substantive input to help shape Phase 2 regulatory reforms. This release demonstrates the remarkable progress made to date in reducing regulatory burden while highlighting the Department’s commitment to collaboratively and transparently transform the warfighting acquisition system.
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GAO-26-107955 Report to Congressional Committees - DEFENSE CONTRACTOR CYBERSECURITY.
What GAO Recommends: GAO recommends that DOD document key external factors that could significantly affect the CMMC program and develop approaches to address these factors. DOD concurred with the recommendation.
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Project Vault and the U.S. Strategic Critical Mineral Reserve
On Monday, February 2, EXIM, in coordination with the White House, announced the launch of Project Vault, an unprecedented and uniquely American decentralized approach to strengthen U.S. critical minerals supply chains. Backed by a $10 billion EXIM loan and nearly $2 billion in private-sector investment, Project Vault establishes the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve, an independently governed public-private partnership that will store essential raw materials in secure facilities across the United States.
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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**
Learn more at https://dodcio.defense.gov/CMMC/ or contact Matt Frost, Government Contract Specialist, MattF@wispro.org
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US Army; Source: SAM.gov – Notice type: Special Notice
Title: U.S. Army Enterprise Strategic Capital Partnership
The U.S. Army cannot rely solely on annual congressional appropriations to solve its critical modernization requirements. We must unlock the overwhelming advantage resident in American industry and capital markets by deploying private-sector financing and expertise against the Army’s longstanding challenges and projects critical to Army priorities …
Therefore, the Army invites leaders from the finance, technology, and industrial sectors to co-create a new public-private partnership frontier centered around capital markets to unlock the full potential of the Army’s vast enterprise.
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Federal Grantees Get Preview of Draft ‘Illegal DEI’ Statement and Other New Certifications - February 27, 2026 By Joseph E. Ashman and Cameron W. Ellis
On February 18, 2026, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) released a draft revised Supporting Statement providing the text of this proposed certification, which would be added to the registration process for the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), the federal database where entities must register to receive federal funding.
The certification requirement implements Executive Order (EO) No. 14173, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” and the U.S. attorney general’s July 2025 memorandum, “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination” (AG Memo). While this proposal targets financial assistance recipients, a similar certification for federal contractors is expected in the near future. Public comments are due by March 30, 2026.
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Tariff Takedown: Implications of Tariff Refunds for Government Contractors - By Peter B. Hutt II, Elizabeth Witwer, Peter Terenzio, Robert Huffman & Victoria Skiera on March 12, 2026
On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down an extensive series of tariffs imposed last year by President Trump, holding that they were not authorized under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). And on March 4, 2026, the United States Court of International Trade began the process of refunding certain of “the millions of entries that were subject to IEEPA,” through a process known in the international trade context as liquidating.
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US Department of Labor proposes rule clarifying employee, independent contractor status under federal wage and hour laws
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division today [Feb 2026] announced a proposed rule designed to help workers and employers better understand how to determine when a worker is an employee and when the worker may be classified as an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act and related federal laws.
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GSA’s New Proposed “American AI” Clause for Schedule Contracts: What Contractors Need to Know
On March 6, 2026, GSA dropped a surprising new proposed GSAR clause it plans to roll into GSA Schedule contracts in the next MAS refresh (Refresh 31, expected late March or April). The clause—GSAR 552.239-7001, “Basic Safeguarding of Artificial Intelligence Systems”—is a big deal for any contractor selling through the Schedules program, and potentially for their subcontractors and “service providers,” too.
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Modernized Reps & Certs Coming to SAM.gov on March 24th, 2026
SAM.gov will release the modernized FAR and DFARS Representations and Certifications on March 24th, 2026. This update streamlines data collection and improves the user experience. For more details on the changes, read their blog.
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Register Now for the
Evening FAR Virtual Sessions
6:00-7:30 pm
This 8 part series is designed specifically for current Federal contractors. In addition, these sessions will help you prepare for the NCMA CFCM certification exam.
Click on the below dates for more registration and more information
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Announcing New Sessions
Federal Market Insights is an informal podcast designed to provide valuable information about the government marketplace for businesses interested in government contracting. Each episode is a concise 30-minute session, scheduled at the end of the week. We review noteworthy items published during the week, delve into key topics, and offer background information and perspectives relevant to the government contracting landscape. Stop by, settle in and take-in the conversation.
- March 10 – Federal Contracts for Real Estate and Leasing Opportunities
- March 17 – Government Property Programs
- March 24 – OTAs and Consortiums
- March 31 – CRADAs: Cooperative Research and Development Agreements
- April 7 – Does Your Business Specialize in Critical Technology Areas?
- April 14 – Unlocking DoD Opportunities for Nontraditional Contractors
- April 21 – Is It Possible to Create Your Own Contract? Let’s See What FAR 15.6 Says
- April 28 – Broad Agency Announcements – Seeking Innovative Research and Development (R&D) Ideas
- May 5 – SAM Data Bank – Follow the Data to Identify Customers
- May 12 – Navigating the Federal Laboratory Consortium: A Guide for Small Business Innovators
- May 19 – Federal Innovation Sites Every Inventor Should Know
- May 26 – IP, Data Rights, and Federal Awards: What Every Company Should Know
- June 2 – Unsolicited Proposals & NSF Project Pitches: Paths Beyond SBIR Topics
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USACE Chicago Industry Open House
April 1
Noon- 4:00 pm
USACE Chicago District Headquarters
231 South LaSalle Street (Basement Level) | Chicago, IL 60604
This event is open to businesses of all sizes interested in partnering with the Chicago District. Attendees will receive strategic updates from District leadership and have the opportunity to engage directly with program and acquisition personnel, as well as industry partners. The Open House provides an ideal forum for organizations to present their capabilities and gain insight into upcoming projects and contracting opportunities.
This is an in-person event, and advance registration is required.
To register, please complete the attached invitation. Firms are also encouraged to submit their capability statement in advance to support meaningful engagement discussions.
Registration materials and capability statements should be submitted to LRC.SBO@usace.army.mil with the subject line: “Industry Open House Registration.”
Registration Deadline: March 31, 2026
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