Intel Briefs
November 2025 GovCon Intel Brief from GovDash
Stay Ahead in Federal Contracting with the GovDash Monthly Intel Brief
The GovDash Monthly Intel Brief is your trusted source for federal contracting intelligence. Designed for growth-focused government contractors (GovCon) teams, this monthly briefing provides market insights and actionable data. Each edition is curated by our GovCon experts to help you move faster, target smarter, and act on intelligence that drives contract wins.
GovCon Market & Spending Trends
CMS Accelerates Fraud Detection Investments: Contractors with real-world fraud reduction results should be cultivating past performance now. CMS is moving fast, & data-proven vendors will dominate FY26.
Treasury Shutters OSDBU by Dec 13: The “one-door” model is gone. Capture teams must go bureau by bureau, building micro-relationships that mirror how Treasury actually buys. Those who adapt will own the small biz channel.
Shutdown or Not, Congress Pushes a $925B Defense Budget Forward: This signals acq reform won’t pause for politics. Contractors should expect tighter reporting, faster timelines, & renewed pressure to prove ROI under a leaner, compliance-heavy framework.
USAF Rethinks Software Acq: Vendors must show they can deliver speed & control: pitch modular architectures & continuous ATO readiness as the bridge between agility & compliance.
Shutdowns Separate the Ready from the Reactive: Use the downtime to pre-position intel, update pipelines, & rehearse orals. The first 30 days post-shutdown will belong to contractors who never stopped moving.
How Fed Budget Dynamics are Reshaping Policy & Strategy: After years of record growth, FY25 spending plateaued as agencies pivot toward efficiency & data-driven modernization priorities.
Capture Management During a Shutdown: Shutdowns don’t stop capture; they expose who’s serious. Use the lull to tighten pipelines, lock teaming, & deepen agency intel.
A Call for Empathy During the Shutdown: How you lead now defines your culture later. Calm, credible leaders retain trust, both on contract & in capture.
Army Secretary Unveils Bold Overhaul of Tech Procurement: The Army’s done waiting on red tape. Expect faster buys through OTA & middle-tier routes, get positioned, or get left behind.
Industry Thought Leadership
“The Rule of Two Is Dying” Sparks New SB Strategy Debate: Lynette Stevenson warns that FAR Part 19 protections are eroding in practice, narrowing the path for automatic set-asides.
FY26 Set-Aside Hotspots: Dr. Harkins spotlights emerging growth areas across VA modernization, CMS data transformation, DHS cyber resilience, & DOD logistics automation.
Winning the FY26 Pipeline: OASIS+, AI Gold Rush, Roadmap to Success: The latest GovDash analysis shows spending concentration in modernization, automation, & multi-agency contract consolidation.
SBA’s Small Business Playbook Simplifies the Path to Compete: The SBA launched a unified resource hub combining access to capital, training, & market intel for small contractors.
Why Federal Buyers Can’t Find You on LinkedIn: McDonnell reveals that unclear NAICS codes, missing keywords, & under-optimized profiles are blocking BD visibility.
Adapting to FAR Overhauls & NDAA Updates: LeJeune urges GovCons to strengthen compliance agility & real-time rule tracking as legislative & regulatory shifts accelerate.
Don’t Confuse Effort With Results in Capture: Hitchcock challenges BD leaders to stop glorifying activity metrics that don’t convert to wins.
Veterans Experience Office Codification Expands CX & AI Demands: Joe Punaro highlights how codifying the VA’s Veterans Experience Office (VEO) elevates CX to a mission-critical discipline.
OpenAI Launches gov Division: The Public-Private AI Era Begins: Signals a new era of public-private AI collaboration as commercial AI governance enters federal policy.
Alliance for Digital Innovation Expands with Cohesity & ServiceNow: The Alliance’s newest members bolster its clout in data resilience & zero trust advocacy.
How GD4A Will Buy From Industry: The $151B SHIELD & NOBLE Playbook: Lindholm details MDA’s dual contracting model for the Golden Dome for America (GD4A) initiative, which rewrites the rules of defense procurement.
Key Awards & Takeaways
GDIT Wins $1.5B USSTRATCOM IT Lifecycle Support Task: Expect a surge in subcontracting tied to mission software, network ops, & zero trust. Mid-tiers with proven delivery in defense IT should position for niche integration & sustainment support.
Eight Firms Join NIH NIAID $1.1B NEAT BPA: Competition in biomedical IT just intensified; firms with niche data, informatics, & analytics capabilities should pre-align with NEAT primes before the first wave of task orders drops.
DOS Finalizes EVOLVE CEUSS Awards Under $10B IDIQ: This marks the global IT & end-user support foundation of State’s next decade. Non-primes should pursue sub-roles or prep for on-ramp access as CEUSS tasking accelerates in FY26.
Leidos Secures $570M in New DHA MHS GENESIS Tasks: Expect rapid follow-on opportunities in cybersecurity, data migration, & interoperability. Capture teams should monitor DHA tasking cadence.
XTEC Wins $238M DHS HSPD-12 Next-Gen Identity Contract: Vendors supporting identity lifecycle management should align around interoperability & FedRAMP-certified security solutions.
L3Harris Positions for GD4A Dominance: Competitors should prep post-award teaming & tech alignment for SHIELD & related C2 modernization programs.
USSF Awards 7 NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 Launches to SpaceX & ULA: Downstream payload & mission-support work incoming. Align early with primes for subcontracting under the 54-mission pool.
VA Awards $385M NCVAS Platform Contract to Palantir: Signals VA’s enterprise data push. Position for analytics, cloud, & AI integration sub-work.
DOD Phase III SBIR/STTR Awards Still Moving During Shutdown: SBs retain a rare execution window. Capture teams should leverage active Phase III pathways to transition prototypes into production & build IP-backed prime opportunities.
NGA Taps Planet Labs for $12.8M AI Maritime Surveillance Contract: Expands AI-driven ISR capabilities across maritime operations. Contractors in geospatial analytics & data fusion should target integration roles & follow-on analytic task orders.
Top Forecasted Opportunities
NASA TEST4 Signals How the Agency Will Buy Innovation: NASA’s $480M TEST4 will reset how the agency sources multidisciplinary engineering & safety talent. Expect tougher technical thresholds & faster delivery expectations.
OPM’s Unified HCM System Could Rebuild Federal Workforce Tech: A gov-wide HR SaaS platform is in motion to replace legacy systems by 2027. Teams with FedRAMP HR tech should be aligning now.
DOD WHS Cybersecurity RFI Opens the Door for Mid-Tier Entrants: Cyber support for Defense agencies is back on the table. RMF & FedRAMP credentials are key to early positioning.
USDA STRATUS Cloud On-Ramp Still the Core of Federal Data Modernization: Despite protest noise, STRATUS Pool 2 remains USDA’s flagship cloud integration vehicle. Hybrid & multi-cloud expertise will win here.
USCG COMPASS Delay Masks a Broader Modernization Shift: The $700M program is evolving toward deeper app modernization. Staying engaged now means first-mover advantage later.
CISA DTSS BPA Will Anchor DHS Cyber Modernization: CISA’s $500M BPA will anchor zero trust, automation, & cyber service delivery across DHS. Expect steep competition.
MDA SHIELD IDIQ Extension Reopens the $151B Defense Prize: Deadline extended for the defense mega-IDIQ. Primes & tech partners have a window to refine teaming & pricing.
Kessel Run PRIME Will Rewrite How the Air Force Buys Software: USAF is locking in modular, DevSecOps-driven IT buys. Agility & continuous delivery are now table stakes.
DHS USCIS ODOS IV Becomes the $410M DevSecOps Showdown: The largest upcoming agile/DevSecOps vehicle; primes & mid-tiers already jockeying for position.
DARPA HARQ Quantum Research Opens a Door to the Future: Open door for quantum & simulation innovators as DARPA accelerates next-gen compute research.
Policy & Compliance Updates
WOSB & EDWOSB: Refine Targeting & Team Composition: Use SBA’s eligible NAICS list to refine pipeline focus & boost win probability. Combine with DLA’s WOSB training to prep certification for upcoming defense health & logistics work.
8(a) Program Remains Intact Under FAR Overhaul: Recent FAR changes won’t reduce 8(a) participation authority. The shift streamlines documentation & eligibility, keeping FY26 pursuit strategies on track.
AI & Automation Policies Expand Procurement Flexibility: New federal guidance expands room for AI experimentation through OTAs & pilot contracts. Capture teams should track these as fast-entry vehicles for emerging tech.
SBIR/STTR Phase III Still Open for Business: While new topics are on hold, Phase III awards remain authorized. Now is the time to position commercialized tech for direct Phase III transition awards.
CMMC Compliance Officially Takes Effect Nov 10, 2025: DOD confirmed the start date. Small primes should finalize C3PAO assessments & NIST 800-171 documentation before FY26 proposals.
White House Backs 10-Year CISA Reauthorization: Long-term funding stability will power sustained cyber modernization. Contractors in zero trust, identity, & risk analytics should build multi-year pursuit strategies around this mandate.
FAR Overhaul Ends WOSB Subcontracting Self-Certification: SBA certification will now be mandatory for WOSB subcontracting credit. Primes should audit subcontracting plans & confirm valid certifications to avoid compliance gaps.
Many Once-Large Contractors Will Requalify as “Small” by 2026: Acq strategist Jason Whetsell flags a major compliance risk. Firms should plan early for re-representation & review teaming & pricing strategies now.
Upcoming GovCon Events
FORUM Shaping Tomorrow (Nov 3, VA): Gov & industry leaders unpack what’s next in modernization, workforce transformation, & emerging tech policy.
ACT-IAC R&D Exchange (Nov 4, VA): Explore how federal R&D investments are driving AI, quantum, & climate innovation, & what that means for future teaming opportunities.
ChatGPT for gov 101 (Nov 4, Virtual): Explore practical use cases for generative AI in gov operations, insights for GovCons embedding AI into service delivery.
Impact & Inspire Women’s Networking Luncheon (Nov 4, VA): Connect with top GovCon & agency women leaders driving change in tech, acq, & mission outcomes.
November GovDash Live (Nov 5, Virtual): Join our monthly webinar series for proposal, capture, & growth pros in gov contracting.
APMP Winning AI25 (Nov 5-6, Virtual): Join GovDash’s session, & gain strategies for using AI in govcon.
GovAI Coalition Summit (Nov 5-6, CA): Discover how agencies are operationalizing AI governance & ethics, a must-attend for GovCons integrating responsible AI into solutions.
AFFIRM 2025 Leadership Awards Celebration (Nov 6, DC): Honors top federal IT & acq leaders, a premier networking opportunity for GovCon executives shaping agency modernization.
Veteran SB Advocate Awards (Nov 6, VA): Recognizing leaders shaping veteran entrepreneurship & federal small business policy, a pulse check for FY26 inclusion priorities.
GovDash Webinar: Competing on OASIS+ (Nov 12, Virtual): Join Brittany Winkler for a tactical session on how to position your firm for FY26 wins.
DARPA BTO Innovation Opportunity (BIO) Fair (Nov 12, VA): A rare window for GovCons to engage directly with DARPA’s Biotechnologies Office, fueling defense health, biosecurity, & human performance pipelines.
OrangeSlices Engage DOD Defense Innovation (Nov 13, Virtual): Arming GovCon teams with strategies to align, adapt, & deliver measurable results.
Fedsgiving 2025: A Feast of Gratitude & Community (Nov 16, VA): A lighthearted networking tradition uniting GovCon & public service leaders before FY26 pursuits heat up.
Defense One State of DOD Business & Acq Summit (Nov 18, DC): Get an inside look at how DOD’s FY26 acq priorities & reforms will reshape competition for primes & subs.
GovTech Connects VA Roadshow (Nov 18-19, CO): VA procurement & IT leaders outline FY26 priorities in CX, cloud, & health modernization, direct insight for capture & partner planning.
Army Industry RAPTER Industry Day (Nov 19, MD): Learn how the Army is advancing rapid prototyping & digital engineering, key intel for firms competing in AI, C5ISR, & advanced modeling.
OrangeSlices Elev8 & Engage GovCon (Nov 19, DC): Celebrate GovCon brands driving measurable mission, workforce, & citizen impact across gov, & explore what’s next for leadership, growth, & innovation.
ATARC Workforce Modernization Summit (Nov 20, VA): Learn how automation & hybrid workforce models are redefining federal talent & mission delivery, essential for human-capital contractors.
ACT-IAC Cybersecurity Summit (Nov 21, VA): A must-attend for those tracking EO-driven cyber policy execution & vendor opportunities.
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