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I've worked with several small businesses over the years that did exactly what they thought they were supposed to do when a new contract arrived. Someone reviewed the award, checked the funding, looked at the scope and dates, and made sure the important information made its way to the appropriate people. Sections H and I were reviewed too. But here's the problem: nobody ever raised a question about them. Not because there was never anything to question. In many cases, those s

Once you understand what your contract requires you to do, the next question seems pretty straightforward: When do you have to do it? For contracts using the Uniform Contract Format, Section F is Deliveries or Performance. This is where the contract specifies requirements for the time, place, and method of delivery or performance. At first glance, it can look like one of the easier sections of the contract. Find the period of performance, put the dates in your tracker, and mo

If Section B tells you what the Government is buying and how it's priced, Section C starts answering the next obvious question: What exactly did we agree to do? For contracts using the Uniform Contract Format, Section C is titled Description/Specifications/Statement of Work. Depending on how the contract was assembled, the detailed requirements may appear directly in Section C, or Section C may point you to a separate Statement of Work (SOW), Performance Work Statement (PWS),

In the first Contracting 101 article, we walked through how to read a government contract and what you should be looking for in each section. Now we're going to start digging into those sections individually, beginning with one that can tell you a tremendous amount about how an award is structured: Section B. Section B is generally where you'll find the supplies or services being purchased and the associated prices or costs, but that's about where the consistency ends. I've s

You just received a government contract. Congratulations! Now what? If you're new to government contracting, opening that first award can be overwhelming. There may be a cover form, pages of contract line items, a statement of work, special requirements, FAR or agency-specific clauses, and a collection of attachments that may or may not have arrived in the same file. The good news is that traditional federal contracts generally have a recognizable structure. Once you understa

If you're new to Government contracting, you're going to hear people talk about NAICS codes. A lot. What's your NAICS? What's your primary NAICS? What's the NAICS on the solicitation? Are you small under that NAICS? Before we get into any of that, let's address perhaps the most important question: How in the world do you pronounce NAICS? NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System, and it's generally pronounced “nakes” — it rhymes with cakes. I love cakes,

One of the easiest mistakes to make in Government Contracting is thinking a contract belongs to the Contracts department. It doesn't. Successful contract performance can involve Contracts, the Program Manager, Program/Project Control, Accounting, Billing, HR, Procurement, Security, technical personnel, executive leadership, and several different people on the Government side. Even in a small business where one person may wear several of those hats, the responsibilities still

Program/Project Control (PC) is one of those functions that can look completely different from one government contractor to another. At one company, PC may own budgeting, forecasting, revenue, funding, variance analysis, and financial reporting. At another, some of those responsibilities may sit with Accounting, Contracts, Finance, or the Program Manager. But regardless of where the lines are drawn on the org chart, I believe a strong PC professional needs to understand the e

If you're a subcontractor on a federal contract, I have some news: The FAR isn't your contract. Before anyone starts typing an angry comment — no, I am not saying the FAR doesn't apply to subcontractors. It absolutely can. But there is an important distinction between working on a federal contract and having a contract with the federal government. If you're a subcontractor, your contractual relationship is generally with the prime contractor — or, if you're a lower-tier subco

Are you a small business? It sounds like a simple question. In government contracting, it isn't. Whether your company qualifies as "small" depends on the size standard associated with your industry. And on August 20, 2026, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a proposed rule that could significantly change how those size standards work. This isn't just another routine inflation adjustment. SBA is proposing changes to the structure and methodology used to det

The federal government has made its preference clear: when appropriate, fixed-price contracting should be the default. For contractors, especially small businesses, that deserves attention. Because when the government moves more cost risk to the contractor, winning the work is only half the battle. You still have to perform it profitably. And that's where Program Control becomes incredibly important. First, What's Changing? Executive Order 14402, Promoting Efficiency, Account

AI is becoming part of almost every business function, and government contracting is no exception. It can summarize information, draft correspondence, organize data, compare language, and save time on administrative tasks. But can it actually review a government contract? I decided to find out. Before I Tell This Story, One Very Important Warning I want to make this crystal clear because government contractors handle information that should never be casually uploaded into an

A contract compliance case study This composite case study is based on common issues encountered in government contract administration. Company details and circumstances are illustrative. A small government contractor recently won several new awards in a relatively short period of time. Business was good. The programs were performing well. Invoices were going out. Deliverables were being submitted. There were no major customer complaints. Leadership wasn't particularly worrie

The FAR is changing—but which requirements actually apply to your contracts? Learn how contractors should navigate the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, agency deviations, solicitations, modifications, and contract clauses.

When I work with small government contractors, I see the same scenario over and over again. A company wins a new contract, and because the Program Manager knows the customer, understands the technical work, and has been involved since the proposal stage, they're asked to "manage the contract" too. At first glance, it makes perfect sense. After all, who knows the project better? The problem is that managing the work and managing the contract are two very different jobs. Progra

Winning a cost-reimbursement contract can be a major milestone for a growing government contractor. These contracts often involve larger, more complex work and can open the door to long-term relationships with federal agencies. But they're also one of the quickest ways for an unprepared company to run into cash flow issues, compliance problems, and audit findings. Unlike fixed-price contracts, a cost-reimbursement contract requires you to demonstrate that every dollar billed

For many government contractors, the award notice feels like the finish line. Months of proposal writing, pricing reviews, negotiations, and waiting have finally paid off. But from a contracts administration perspective, the award is actually the beginning. The first few days after contract award set the foundation for everything that follows—from successful performance and accurate invoicing to audit readiness and customer satisfaction. Mistakes made during this transition o

A contract lands in your inbox. The customer is ready to move forward. The prime contractor says they need it signed today. and assures you it's "just standard language." So, you skim the first page, scroll to the signature block, and sign. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many small businesses sign contracts, subcontracts, modifications, NDAs, teaming agreements, and purchase orders without ever conducting a meaningful review. They assume the document is standard,

Let's talk about something that isn't flashy, exciting, or likely to go viral on LinkedIn: the contract file. I know. Riveting stuff. But if you've worked in government contracting long enough, you've probably experienced that moment of panic when someone asks for a document and suddenly nobody knows where it is. "Wasn't that in the contract file?" "Which version?" "Who saved it?" "Do we have the attachment?" And my personal favorite: "I thought someone else had it." When I f

Earning a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract is a significant achievement for any business. However, many contractors make the mistake of treating their Schedule contract as a "set it and forget it" vehicle. The reality is that maintaining a GSA Schedule requires ongoing attention throughout the year. Failing to keep up with your obligations can lead to compliance findings, delayed modifications, unfavorable Contractor Assessments, or even contract cancellation. The g