Friday Flash 07/03/2026

July 2, 2026

Happy Fourth of July!

The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement wishes our members and colleagues across the contract community a Happy Fourth of July!

This Independence Day is especially meaningful as our nation celebrates its 250th birthday, a milestone that honors the principles of liberty and opportunity that have guided our country since 1776. As we gather with family and friends, we also pause to remember and thank the brave men and women who have served and sacrificed to protect those freedoms.

Here at the Coalition, we are grateful for the opportunity to advance our mission of promoting common sense in federal procurement with our members. We appreciate your continued partnership and wish you and your families a safe, enjoyable, and memorable holiday.

Happy Independence Day! After the holiday, we encourage everyone to take advantage of the Coalition’s meetings and events scheduled this summer. We look forward to seeing you soon!

GSA Outlines Transition Plans for NASA SEWP

Nextgov reports that the General Services Administration (GSA) plans to take a measured approach to assuming management of NASA’s SEWP governmentwide acquisition contract, with maintaining continuity for agencies and contractors serving as the top priority. “Continuity is my number one priority,” Laura Stanton, Acting Commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, told Washington Technology, adding that GSA has personnel embedded with the SEWP program office to better understand its processes and determine the appropriate timing for the transition.

The update follows NASA’s announcement of more than 2,100 SEWP VI contract awards across three functional areas, including a new standalone services category. SEWP VI has a $60 billion ceiling over a 10-year ordering period. The planned transition is part of the Administration’s broader effort to consolidate governmentwide acquisition vehicles under GSA.

Now Available: Annual Federal Market Report

As part of The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement’s continuing effort to provide value to our members, we would like to present our Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Market Report.

The report takes a deep-dive into the Federal marketplace with insights about contract compliance as well as trends on the GSA and VA Schedules, government-wide contract vehicles, the Federal healthcare market, and more.

This publication is an essential benefit of Coalition membership, and we encourage you to share your thoughts on future topics for this report.

The Coalition sincerely thanks this year’s sponsor of the Market Report, CDW Government, for their generous support of this valuable publication.

If you have any questions on the report, please contact Michael Hanafin at mhanafin@thecgp.org.

Coalition Launches MMAPP Working Group

The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement (Coalition) is establishing a member working group focusing on the Management of Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Acquisition Processes and Procedures (MMAPP).

The MMAPP working group will concentrate on the management of MAS offers, modifications, economic price adjustments, and cancellations. Based on member feedback to date, the attached outline of topic areas and questions sets the initial framework for examination.

Operational transparency, consistency, and the exercise of discretion in decision making are all subject areas for the working group. The working group will also address MAS systems that engage with customer agencies and contractors, including the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Catalog Platform (FCP).

The goal of the working group is to develop recommendations for the MAS program that will foster greater transparency regarding decision making rationale/criteria, increase consistency in operations, and promote sound exercise of discretion.

The attached is a living document and will be periodically updated with additional feedback/questions from the working group members. Please reach out to Joseph Snyderwine at jsnyderwine@thecgp.org to join the working group.

Join Us in Supporting Veterans at This Year’s Charity Golf Tournament

Last year, the Coalition community came together to accomplish something extraordinary. Through the generosity of our members, sponsors, and attendees, the Annual Joseph P. Caggiano Memorial Charity Golf Tournament raised enough to fully fund the training and placement of a service dog through Paws for Purple Hearts.

Today, Waldron is thriving in his training journey. Recently celebrating his first birthday, he continues to grow, learn, and prepare for the day he is matched with a veteran. Every milestone serves as a reminder of what our community made possible.

Now, we’re hoping to do it again.

Registration is open for the 13th Annual Joseph P. Caggiano Memorial Charity Golf Tournament on August 19, 2026, at Whiskey Creek Golf Club in Ijamsville, Maryland. This annual event brings together the government contracting community for a day of golf, networking, and friendly competition while raising funds for two causes that support veterans: Paws for Purple Hearts and the Coalition’s Endowed Scholarship Fund at GW Law School.

We’ll also be welcoming Waldron to this year’s tournament, giving attendees the opportunity to meet the service dog whose journey began because of your support!

Join us as we celebrate the impact we’ve made together and help continue that tradition of supporting veterans through this year’s tournament.

You can register a foursome, as an individual golfer, or to enjoy the scenic views from the veranda club here.

Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Updates to FAR Parts 16 & 52

On July 1, 2026, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council published guidance and updated the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) to implement Executive Order 14402, Promoting Efficiency, Accountability, and Performance in Federal Contracting. The latest updates apply to:

The FAR Council also updated the Practitioner Album for RFO Part 16 to include a curated Fixed-Price Contracts Training Playlist developed by WarU and the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI). The training resources, available through Cornerstone OnDemand, help federal acquisition professionals implement Executive Order 14402, with additional training materials expected to be added over time.

House Committee Advances FY27 Defense Spending Bill

MeriTalk reports that the House Appropriations Committee approved a $1.1 trillion fiscal year (FY) 2027 defense spending bill last week on a party-line vote. The defense appropriations bill funds key Department of War technology priorities and sets up a broader debate over the details of the Administration’s proposed defense budget. The measure now heads to the full House, where lawmakers are expected to continue considering the Administration’s plan to rely on a separate $350 billion reconciliation package to fund a significant portion of the FY27 defense request.

The bill includes more than $7.5 billion for hypersonic weapons and testing infrastructure, over $1.7 billion for the Defense Innovation Unit and innovative technology procurement efforts, $1 billion for the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, and digitizes acquisition processes through $72.5 million for Acquisition Visibility. It also provides a five to seven percent pay increase for military personnel, depending on rank. Finally, the defense appropriations bill includes an amendment that would permanently rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War.

VA Announces Improvements in Veterans Access to Healthcare in FY25

On June 25, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced record spending under its Community Care program as well as investments in the VA’s healthcare system in FY25. The VA made more than $36 billion in payments to local healthcare providers through the Veterans Community Care Program in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Established under the MISSION Act of 2018, the program allows eligible veterans to receive care from authorized non-VA healthcare providers at the VA’s expense. Today, it is the nation’s fourth-largest healthcare payer program. It supports care for more than 8.62 million enrolled veterans.

The VA also highlighted that the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act expanded access to community care by allowing eligible veterans to receive non-VA care when it is in their best medical interest. In addition to the $36 billion in community care payments, the VA reported a record $101 billion in direct care spending and more than 82 million appointments in FY25. The following are the top 10 states that benefited from community care:

Texas, $3.3 billion
Florida, $2.8 billion
California, $2.1 billion
North Carolina, $1.5 billion
Ohio, $1.3 billion
Tennessee, $1.2 billion
Pennsylvania, $1.1 billion
Michigan, $1.0 billion
Georgia, $1.0 billion
Arizona, $1.0 billion

See the full list of states here.

The VA also announced the following enhancements to its healthcare system in FY25:

VA opened 36 new health care clinics since January of 2025, expanding access for Veterans around the country.
VA will spend nearly $5 billion in FY2026 to modernize, repair and improve health care facilities, the largest non-recurring maintenance investment in VA’s history.
As of June, VA has enrolled more than 180,000 new Veterans in VA health care in 2026.

VA Releases FY26 Q1 Federal Supply Schedule Newsletter

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released its FY26 Q1 Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Newsletter, featuring updates and guidance for FSS contractors across a range of contracting, compliance, and program management topics. The newsletter announces a forthcoming redesign of the VA FSS website and provides an update on the agency’s extension of FSS contract terms from a potential 10 years to as many as 20 years through the Evergreen initiative.

Additional highlights include guidance on Temporary Price Reductions (TPRs), reminders about upcoming Secure Remote Processing (SRP) login changes, and information on recent FSS mass modifications and updated submission procedures.

The newsletter also shares FY 2025 FSS contract and sales statistics, provides resources related to OIG preaward audits and self-disclosures, and reminds contractors that subcontracting reporting will transition from eSRS.gov to SAM.gov in February 2026.

View the full newsletter here.

VA Issues FSS Mass Modification to Implement DEI Contract Clause

The VA FSS program will be releasing a new Mass Modification for all VA Federal Supply Schedules. Please see the VA’s notification with more details below:

The VA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) will soon issue a mass modification to amend all nine FSS Schedules. This Mass Modification incorporates FAR 52.222-90 Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors (APR 2026) (Deviation) and FAR 52.244-6 Subcontracts for Commercial Products and Commercial Services (OCT 2025) (Deviation APR 2026).

The VA FSS program is providing contractors with additional information.

VA Health IT Modernization Continues Amid Leadership Transition

Federal News Network reports that the VA is continuing its nationwide reorganization of the Veterans Health Administration and preparing to recompete its Community Care Network contract through the Community Care Network Next Generation procurement. According to Federal News Network, “this year, VHA is spending $4.8 billion restructuring and modernizing its roughly 170 hospitals and 1,300 sites of care” which includes approximately $1 billion toward rolling out its new electronic health record (EHR) system. The most recent EHR go-lives have been in Dayton, Cincinnati and Chillicothe, Ohio with more rollouts soon in Indiana and other facilities in the Midwest.

The proposed Community Care Network Next Generation indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a potential value of up to $700 billion over ten years and is expected to become one of the largest federal services contracts.

Finally, VA officials said the department will announce interim leadership for the Veterans Health Administration in the coming days following the departure of Undersecretary for Health John Bartrum effective July 6.

DISA Expands Enterprise Software Acquisition Efforts

Federal News Network reports that the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is expanding its Joint Enterprise License Agreement (JELA) initiative, with four additional multi-year enterprise software contracts currently in development. The agreements are designed to consolidate the Department of War’s procurement of commercial software and cybersecurity products, helping reduce costs, improve standardization, and expand access to enterprise software across the military. DISA currently has agreements in place with Broadcom, Adobe, Cisco, and Palo Alto Networks.

Department officials said enterprise licensing will become increasingly important as military operations grow more complex and require greater interoperability across the services. Officials also emphasized the need for more outcome-based contracting and increased collaboration among the military services to ensure enterprise agreements are adopted department-wide rather than by individual components. According to Army officials, the service currently spends approximately $2.8 billion annually on software licenses across 120 separate contracts.

DISA Introduces New Marketplace for DoW Cloud Services

MeriTalk reports that the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is launching an effort to expand the Department of War’s (DoW) access to commercial cloud services. The agency is replacing its Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) Next initiative with the JWCC Unified Cloud Marketplace (UCM), creating a more centralized approach to acquiring authorized cloud services while broadening access to additional cloud providers.

The new three-tier model will continue supporting major hyperscale cloud providers while also expanding participation to additional cloud, software, and emerging technology vendors. DISA says the UCM will improve efficiency, preserve security, and accelerate access to innovative cloud capabilities. The agency expects to release a solicitation for the UCM Core contract later this year, with awards anticipated in FY27. Meanwhile, demand for the existing JWCC contract remains strong, with more than 200 task orders totaling over $7.2 billion awarded since 2022.

Legal Corner – Warp Speed Ahead: Agencies Move Quickly to Implement Anti-DEI Clause

The Legal Corner provides the procurement community with an opportunity to share insights and comments on Legal issues of the day. The comments herein do not necessarily reflect the views of The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement.

By Keeley McCarty, Robbie Pratt, Jaeho Lee & Jacob Green; Fox Rothschild LLP

Contractors have begun receiving modifications to existing contracts implementing the new DEI clause mandated by Executive Order 14398 “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.” Shortly after the executive order, the FAR Council issued a Memorandum[1] establishing a new implementing clause, FAR 52.222-90.

The Memorandum also established mandatory deadlines for agencies to begin including FAR 52.222-90 in federal procurements:

April 24, 2026: Agencies were required to begin inserting FAR 52.222-90 in new solicitations and resulting contracts. They were also required to amend any open solicitations to incorporate the clause in accordance with FAR Part 1.107(d) by this date.
July 24, 2026: Contracting officers must make every effort to bilaterally modify existing contracts, including definitive contracts and indefinite-delivery contracts, to include FAR 52.222-90 by this date.

It appears that at least some agencies are on schedule, as the new clause has begun appearing in solicitations and contracting officers are now pushing out bilateral modification requests to add the clause to their existing contracts. In some cases, modifications are bundling the new clause with other contract changes, so contractors should read proposed modifications closely in the coming months.

In deciding whether to accept the new clause, contractors should consider a few key points:

FAR 52.222-90 prohibits race- and ethnicity-based disparate treatment in recruitment, hiring, contracting, program participation, or allocation of company resources. This prohibition overlaps somewhat, but not completely, with existing federal anti-discrimination laws. Specifically, contractors should evaluate whether they employ any race- or ethnicity-based contracting preferences or allocations of resources on their federal contracts that might violate the clause.
The clause limits its applicability to conduct “[i]n connection with the performance of work under this contract,” so conflicting requirements on unrelated state contracts should not preclude compliance.
FAR 52.222-90 will apply to all solicitations and contracts valued above the micro-purchase threshold where the United States is the place of performance or delivery. The new clause will also apply to procurements for commercial products and services.
The clause requires contractors to flow it down to subcontracts at all tiers, including subcontracts for commercial products and services. Contractors must report subcontractor non-compliance with the clause, which means contractors should consider how they will monitor subcontractor compliance and document the process in their files.
While the Memorandum directs contracting officers to “make every effort” to bilaterally modify existing contracts to add FAR 52.222-90, it also encourages contracting officers to terminate the contract if the contractor will not agree to modify willingly, provided the contracting officer determines that the contract no longer meets the agency’s needs.
There are several ongoing legal challenges to the new clause and underlying executive order, but for now the clause is valid and enforceable once incorporated into a contract.

Contractors can expect some pressure from the government to add FAR 52.222-90 to their contracts, especially given the available threat of contract termination if they decline. But contractors should make sure they understand the implications before signing and pay close attention to other content of the requested modification. Contractors should also prepare to flow down the new clause and monitor subcontractor compliance. Failure to do so may lead to suspension, debarment, and potential civil FCA exposure.

[1] Agency Implementation of Executive Order 14398, Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.

Off The Shelf: Ability One

Soraya Correa, President and CEO of the National Industries for the Blind (NIB), joined Off the Shelf, to discuss the AbilityOne Program’s history and impact.

During the episode, Correa also highlights NIB’s mission to create employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired, and the organization’s support of domestic manufacturing.

Additionally, Correa shares her perspective on the potential impact of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) on the acquisition workforce.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Healthcare Committee Briefing with GAO on VA Acquisition, July 8

Please join us for a Healthcare Committee meeting on July 8 at 11:00 AM (ET) for a discussion on VA acquisition featuring Tatiana Winger, Director of GAO’s Contracting and National Security Acquisitions team, and her colleagues. The meeting will be held virtually.

Since 2019, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has included VA Acquisition Management on its High-Risk List due to recurring challenges identified through its oversight and review efforts. During the meeting, GAO representatives will share insights into the VA’s ongoing acquisition reorganization and discuss findings from their recent work, including:

Opportunities and challenges associated with the VA’s acquisition reorganization.
Recent GAO findings and recommendations related to VA’s procurement of common goods and services.
GAO’s assessment of VA’s management and maintenance of high-tech medical equipment.
Acquisition issues affecting the VA and the broader healthcare contracting community.

To register, click here. For any assistance with registration, please contact Mady Whiting at mady.whiting@thecgp.org.