Just like the changing seasons in nature, federal buying cycles have distinct government contracting seasons that contractors should know.  Being aware of this seasonality allows contractors to be better prepared for any weather and avoid being left out in the cold.

At Collaborative Compositions we love fall. Not just for the corn mazes, the pumpkin patches, or the warm apple cider. We love the colors of changing foliage (which you can scope out nationally here thanks to our friends at thefoliagereport.com) because it reminds us of the changing seasons of government contracting. Perennial contractors recognize the signs of the changing government contracting seasons but what about new market entrants? Those who are unfamiliar with the nuanced dependencies of the government buying cycles are likely to be surprised by the seasonality of the federal market. To avoid getting lost in the corn mazes of contracting, contractors must do more than shift to pumpkin spice and sweaters. Successful government contractors must come to truly understand the federal buying seasons.

It’s that time of year again; we’re talking about the federal budget. Ensuring our armed forces are ready and modernized requires a hefty and well-allocated budget, which makes the ongoing challenges posed by the Planning Programming Budgeting Execution (PPBE) process to Department of Defense (DoD) critical to address.

The PPBE process acts as the DoD’s internal process for allocating resources. It results in the Defense budget request, which is included in the President’s Budget (PB) that is submitted to Congress. The PB is submitted generally by the first Monday February for use during the next fiscal year which starts October 1 of that calendar year…

Goldilocks Government Contracting Equation (GGCE) helps companies find a balanced fit in terms of agencies, partnerships, and contract access to effectively compete for and execute government contracts, without being overwhelmed or overlooked. By looking at these factors during the 4th Quarter instead of chasing everything that pops up, small and new government contractors can set themselves up for success in the next fiscal year that starts in October.

For a quick refresher, the famous children’s story Goldilocks tells a tale of a young girl who ventured into three bears house and sampled their porridge, chairs, and beds until she found the ones that were “just right”; for her. Recall, the bears had options that were too hot, too cold and just right, too hard, too soft, and just right, and too big, too small, and just right.

Government contracting can be a lucrative and rewarding avenue for businesses of all sizes…

Following article appeared in Bloomberg Government  March 23, 2023

From SAM to SCAM? Trouble with Procurement Site
Author:  Chelsea Meggitt

The alert read, “March 8th SAM.gov Emails Not Malicious.” Chelsea Meggitt talks about the strange emails that went to contractors from the government contracting web site in the most recent saga of SAM.gov technology woes.

The latest hit to the troubled SAM.gov, or System for Award Management (SAM) Government Point of Entry (GPE), came when masses of users recently received suspicious emails that appeared to be phishing attempts from that email address.

The following article appeared in Bloomberg Government November 4, 2022, Author Chelsea Meggitt

There’s a better way for small business to win big government contract money.  Chelsea Meggitt talks about joint ventures, a trending type that small contractors are using to size up the large competition.

Who is the prime, you ask?

“We are” is an increasingly common answer. It might confuse some who are versed in other well-known types of “Contractor Teaming Agreements” (CTAs) such as the prime contractor/subcontractor structure.

Government Marketing Best Practices 2.0:  What You Need to Know for Accelerated Success – Kindle Edition

I am pleased to announce the release of Government Marketing Best Practices 2.0 –  What You Need to Know for Accelerated Success.
Click here to view on Amazon Kindle.

I am proud to have a chapter in this book,  Creating Buzz and Building Relationships Through Events: Chelsea Meggitt

– Chelsea Meggitt –