DOD Prioritizes Prototyping in $1.4B Research Contract Recompete
The Department of Defense is preparing a recompete for its Research, Development, Test, Evaluation, Engineering and Technical Services (RETS) contract, which carries a $1.4 billion ceiling for up to five‑and‑a‑half years. The new solicitation will emphasize prototyping and experimentation, seeking industry expertise in AI/ML, ISR, electronic warfare, counter‑C5ISRT, information operations and hypersonics. To date, DOD has obligated about $458 million on the existing contract, with American Systems accounting for roughly $296 million (64% of spend). The draft RFP does not yet include a final release date or comment deadline.
How 20 Airports Are Avoiding Spring Break Security Lines
A federal government shutdown has delayed TSA paychecks, prompting many officers to miss shifts and creating security lines of two hours or more at numerous airports. Meanwhile, twenty airports participating in the TSA Screening Partnership Program (SPP) rely on private...
Growth, Tech and Operations Leadership Moves Across the Market
A wave of senior leadership moves is reshaping the government‑technology and AI market, with executives from defense, commercial, and research backgrounds taking new roles at firms such as Abt Associates, Sierra Space, and IonQ. The appointments emphasize growth, AI, quantum...
Antaris Closes $28M Series A Capital Round
Antaris, a five‑year‑old AI‑driven software startup for satellite manufacturers, closed a $28 million Series A round. The round was led by Westwave Capital and included Lockheed Martin’s venture arm among other new investors. Funds will accelerate development of Antaris Intelligence, a digital‑twin...
Army Launches $50B IT, Professional Services Solicitation
The U.S. Army has issued the final solicitation for a potential $50 billion, ten‑year contract that merges information technology and professional services into a single vehicle called MAPS. The contract will award up to 350 positions across five domains—engineering, management, R&D,...
Startup Debuts Agentic AI Assistant for War
Edgerunner AI unveiled WarClaw, a custom AI agent built for military tasks and trained by former operators, capable of running offline and integrating with Microsoft Office tools. The Pentagon’s new Agent Network signals a shift toward bespoke, controllable AI for...
Agency CIOs Must Supply Top-Down IT Contract Information, OMB Memo States
The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo requiring chief information officers at large federal agencies to report every IT contract they approve each month from May through October. The directive, signed by OMB director Russ Vought, also obliges...
Special Operations Command Opens Proposal Window for $2.6B Services Contract
SOCOM has opened the proposal window for the new SOF Global Services Delivery contract, a seven‑year, $2.6 billion multiple‑award vehicle that will replace the 2020 Core Services Support Contract. The solicitation, due May 13, will award positions to the 15 highest‑scoring small‑business...
Judge Sides with VA in T4NG2 Protest Case
A federal judge has dismissed the remaining 18 protests against the Veterans Affairs Department’s T4NG2 IT modernization vehicle, clearing the way for the $60 billion contract to move forward. The ruling follows a series of delays and a July 14 deadline that...
NIH Opens the Bidding for $3B Professional Services Recompete
The National Institutes of Health has launched a new five‑year, $3 billion Professional Scientific and Technical Support Services (PSTSS) recompete to back intramural and vaccine research. The solicitation, due by 3 p.m. ET on April 27, seeks multiple awardees with expertise in microbiology,...
State Starts to Set up Global Logistics Recompete
The U.S. State Department has launched the recompete for Diplomatic Platform Support Services II (DiPSS II), issuing a request for information that must be answered by April 16. The original DiPSS contract, awarded in 2019 and expanded in 2023, has generated roughly $2.5 billion...
Defense Tech Startups Raise $405 Million in New Funding Rounds
Defense technology startups collectively raised $405 million in recent financing rounds. ORAN Development Company (ODC) secured $45 million in a Series A to build an AI‑native, open‑architecture platform that turns cell sites into distributed compute hubs, a step toward the 6G era. Performance...
Protests Force the Army Into a Second Redo of $237M Soldier Gear Contract
The U.S. Army is re‑opening the competition for a $237 million contract to upgrade soldier clothing and individual equipment after two separate protests. Amentum, which won the award twice, faced challenges from MAG Aerospace and incumbent DCS Corp., prompting the Army...
KBR Loses $1.8 Billion NASA Contract Challenge to Ascend JV
KBR’s protest of NASA’s $1.8 billion COSMOS contract was rejected by the Government Accountability Office, leaving the award to the Ascend joint venture of Amentum and Aerodyne. The five‑year contract, with two optional extensions, supports command‑and‑control systems for Orion, the Space...
ROC Goes Public to Support Its Expansion Push
Rank One Computing Corp. (ROC) went public on February 23, raising $24 million in its Nasdaq IPO. Approximately $10.8 million will fund hiring engineers and scientists, $3.2 million will expand neural‑processing infrastructure, and $7.6 million will support working capital. Federal government contracts, which made...
Coast Guard Details Its Plan for a New 'Acquisition Superhighway'
The Coast Guard announced its Acquisition Superhighway initiative, a blanket purchase agreement to procure an AI‑enabled procurement and acquisition system. A solicitation is due in the second quarter with a performance period through April 2028. The effort focuses on automating...
Striveworks Completes Series B Capital Raise to Scale Operational AI Tool
Striveworks announced a Series B round led by Washington Harbour Partners, building on a $33 million 2023 raise. The company’s no‑code operational AI platform, designed for government and highly regulated sectors, provides continuous model monitoring and edge‑ready deployment. Striveworks also joins...
Space Force Opens $981M Competition for Test and Training Infrastructure
Space Force issued the final solicitation for the $981 million NITE STAR contract to modernize its test and training infrastructure. Proposals are due April 17, with awards expected by July 1, and the contract spans a five‑year base period plus a five‑year option....
Army Blacks Out Large Portions of $50 Billion Strategy
The Army unveiled a procurement strategy for a potential $50 billion Marketplace for the Acquisition of Professional Services (MAPS) contract, but roughly 80% of the document is blacked out. MAPS will merge the RS3 and ITES‑3S vehicles and aims to award...
How Smart GovCons Increase Win Probability Before the Draft RFP Drops
Government contractors are shifting from post‑RFP hustle to disciplined pre‑RFP marketing, embedding capture, business development, and proposal teams months before a draft solicitation appears. By monitoring agency signals such as RFIs, industry days, and policy trends, firms craft win themes...
PSC’s Kostro on the FAR Overhaul, Anthropic, DHS Shutdown and More
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) overhaul, launched last year, saw the GSA and OMB issue nearly 50 master deviations and strip more than 2,700 pages from the rulebook. However, the promised final rules have not materialized by the September 30...
FAA Picks 8(a) Firm for $295M Technical Center Support Contract
Quecon, an 8(a) service‑disabled veteran‑owned firm, secured a potential $295 million, seven‑year Second Level Engineering Support contract for the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center. The award, selected from three proposals, covers a broad portfolio including engineering studies, system assurance, safety...
Five IT Security Priorities Shaping Federal Procurement in 2026
Federal agencies are converging on five security priorities—AI security, post‑quantum cryptography, zero‑trust architecture, edge security, and data‑security posture management—to shape 2026 procurement. New NIST, CISA, NSA, GSA and DoD directives turn these topics from research into contract requirements. Vendors must...
Redhawk Federal Solutions Acquires SETA Outfit
Redhawk Federal Solutions announced the acquisition of Twenty8 Technology, a small business that provides systems engineering and technical assistance (SETA) services. Twenty8 reported roughly $8.1 million in unclassified prime contract revenue over the past year, primarily from DARPA, the Air Force...
Merlin Labs’ Public Offering Collects $200M to Build an AI Autopilot for Any Aircraft
Merlin Labs secured $200 million in fresh capital through a SPAC merger, valuing the company at $800 million. The funding will support development of Merlin Pilot, an AI autopilot claimed to operate on any aircraft from takeoff to landing. The...
How Knox Systems Helps Others Crack the FedRAMP Bottleneck
Knox Systems, fresh from a $6.5M seed round, announced a $25M Series A led by B Capital, with participation from Microsoft Ventures, Okta Ventures and others. The startup launched a FedRAMP authorization platform that can secure ATOs in 90 days,...
SAIC's CEO Highlights Mission IT, Engineering Work as Priorities
Jim Reagan, now SAIC's full‑time CEO, is steering a strategic reassessment that emphasizes mission‑focused IT and engineering over traditional, cost‑plus enterprise contracts. The shift leverages the recent $205 million SilverEdge acquisition to embed artificial‑intelligence capabilities into defense and national‑security solutions. SAIC...
DOD's New CIO Headlines Our First Power Breakfast of 2026
The Department of Defense introduced its new chief information officer, Kirsten Davies, at the inaugural Power Breakfast of 2026. Davies outlined a roadmap for IT transformation, cyber resilience, and aligning the CIO office with the Pentagon’s “Arsenal of Freedom” strategy,...
DHS Chooses Small Biz for $178M Enterprise IT Contract
The Department of Homeland Security awarded a potential ten‑year, $178.6 million task order to Netizen, a service‑disabled veteran‑owned small business, for enterprise IT delivery and operations support to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. The contract covers service‑desk functions, Microsoft 365 deployment,...
NATO Wants AI that Can Get in the Enemy’s Head
NATO’s Allied Command Transformation has issued an innovation challenge to develop agentic artificial‑intelligence tools that can influence adversary decision‑making on the cognitive battlefield. The solicitation, posted on Sam.gov, seeks systems that autonomously aggregate open‑source data, detect sentiment shifts, map influence...
What the Anthropic-DOD Breakup Teaches Government Contractors
Anthropic’s $200 million DoD contract fell apart despite Claude being the Pentagon’s most capable AI model. The AI was deeply embedded in classified systems, yet the partnership collapsed because neither Anthropic nor the prime contractor owned the customer relationship. The article...
Booz Allen's Venture Arm Goes Across the Pond for Its Newest Investment
Booz Allen Hamilton’s venture arm has made its first investment outside the United States, backing UK‑based Hadean in a bridge round alongside Entrepreneurs First, Twin Track Ventures and the British Business Bank. Hadean, founded in 2015, builds AI‑driven digital wargaming...
IRS Starts Fast on Its Search for New Business Intelligence Platform
The Internal Revenue Service has issued a fast‑track sources‑sought notice for a new Business Intelligence Platform to collect, research and validate corporate and partnership taxpayer data. The contract will cover one base year and up to four option years, providing...
With New 'VIA' Strategy, General Dynamics IT Evolves How It Will Pursue Growth
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) has booked $18.3 billion in new contracts since its 2023 technology‑investment rollout and is now launching the VIA (Vision, Innovation, Acceleration) strategy. The new approach builds on a $1.2 billion capital infusion to expand advanced‑manufacturing and digital...
GSA Proposes Sweeping Changes to Multiple Award Schedule Program
The General Services Administration issued a draft of Refresh 31, proposing sweeping reforms to the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. The changes make quarterly transaction data reporting mandatory for an additional 112 special item numbers and require contractors to accept...
Sierra Space and Vast Detail Their Series C Investment Rounds
Sierra Space closed a $550 million Series C round, lifting its valuation to roughly $8 billion and marking a strategic pivot toward national‑security satellite programs. The funding will support new product development and expanded production capacity, including contracts worth up to $1.19 billion with...
CMS Launches Effort to Unify Medicare Claims Processing Systems
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened a competitive window for an eight‑year contract to deliver a unified, commercial‑off‑the‑shelf software platform called ClaimsCore. The system must consolidate four legacy claim‑processing applications, support over 2 million active users and...
XTec Acquired by Germany-Headquartered Security Tech Firm
Giesecke+Devrient (G+D), the Munich‑based security‑technology giant, announced the acquisition of XTec, a U.S. identity‑credential specialist. XTec will be folded into Veridos, G+D’s joint venture with Bundesdruckerei, expanding G+D’s footprint in the North American public‑sector market. The deal brings XTec’s FedRAMP‑high...
A Solicitation Misreading Knocked These Joint Ventures Out of OASIS+
A federal judge ruled that the GSA OASIS+ solicitation unambiguously required two qualifying projects, disqualifying CWS FMTI JV and Mainsail-OASIS JV for submitting only one. The court rejected the joint ventures' claim that a protégé‑specific clause overrode the general two‑project...
V2X's Partnerships with the Hyperscalers Center on Data and Processes
V2X is deepening ties with Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and IBM to fuse its proprietary warehouse and mission data with hyperscaler AI and process tools. The AWS deal brings computer‑vision models to government‑run smart warehouses, while Google supplies generative...
One Click, 3,800 Contracts: Unison Automates FAR Deviation Mods at Scale
Unison, a federal acquisition software provider, used its bulk modification tool to issue more than 3,800 contract changes for an unnamed agency in a single click. The automation replaced weeks of manual drafting, handling FAR deviation updates required by the...
Air Force Research Lab Seeks More National Approach for Innovation
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) issued a sources‑sought notice inviting industry, investors, and academia to help design a national research network that speeds dual‑use technology development for the Air Force and Space Force. The request for information (RFI) expands...
NASA Seeks IBM Partner to Manage Agency's Software Portfolio
NASA has issued a request for information (RFI) to find an IBM Platinum Partner that will manage its extensive software portfolio. The agency intends to establish a five‑year blanket purchase agreement covering licenses, subscription support, expert lab services, and remote...
IonQ Hires Trio of Dell Vets to Lead Federal Push
IonQ has bolstered its federal division by appointing three former Dell executives to senior roles, while former NGA director Robert Cardillo serves as executive chairman. Steve Harris will lead the go‑to‑market organization, Cameron Chehreh will head field engineering, and Mike...
Markon Acquires Another Cyber Company
Markon announced the acquisition of Millennium Corp., a 400‑person cybersecurity services firm that specializes in threat emulation, testing, evaluation, and intelligence support for the U.S. Defense Department. The deal, backed by Sterling Investment Partners, expands Markon's portfolio into red‑team operations...
DISA's $201M Browser Contract Shows Resellers Still Have a Role to Play
DISA has issued a $201 million solicitation for cloud‑based internet isolation (CBII), requiring authorized Menlo Security resellers to deliver a managed service. Menlo Security supplies the underlying remote‑browser platform, while resellers will operate, integrate, and support the solution within DISA’s security...
ERT Sets New Course for Itself with Sev1Tech Acquisition
Earth Resources Technology (ERT) announced the acquisition of Sev1Tech, backed by Macquarie Capital, effectively tripling its workforce to roughly 1,600 employees. The deal gives ERT a substantial foothold in the defense market, notably expanding its presence with the U.S. Space...
Government Equity Investments Open a New Frontier for Industry
Since the start of President Trump’s second term, the administration has completed ten direct equity investments in private firms, highlighted by a $1 billion stake in L3Harris Technologies' rocket‑motor unit and minority positions in Intel and critical‑mineral suppliers. The moves target...
State Department Clears Last Protest, Finalizes Awards for $10B Evolve IT Vehicle
The State Department has cleared the last protest against its $10 billion Evolve IT services vehicle and announced the final round of 48 contract awards across five functional categories. Evolve consolidates eleven existing contracts into a single multiple‑award vehicle with a...
Alliant 3's Award Process Starts to Roll
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced the first round of Alliant 3 awards, naming 43 contractors with a plan to select up to 76 firms. Alliant 3, a 10‑year, unlimited‑ceiling vehicle, replaces the $83 billion‑sized Alliant 2 contract and targets a broad...
