The Department of Defense does not have one pathway to support R&D, contract for prototypes and then into production. The Defense Salon created shows a high-level visual depiction on SBIR, OTA and CRADAs. SBIR, OTAs, experimental procurements, and CRADAs each fill a different role across the R&D to production lifecycle. SBIR funds small-business innovation, research...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy Most companies chasing defense work are hunting for a contract with a dollar value attached, which is an understandable way to break into the Department of Defense (DoD). There is another way into the defense innovation ecosystem, one that does not pay but may still be worthwhile depending on your strategy...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy There has been a drumbeat criticizing defense acquisition: its complicated, too slow, and too process driven. But the DFARS’ stated purpose is neither complicated nor ambiguous. It is remarkably clear and effective on what the acquisition system is supposed to accomplish. Taking decades of legislation and policy, tying it to the...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy Bottom Line Up Front Make sure you know if you are selling commercial, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), or non-commercial items to the government because it directly impacts your procurement strategy, compliance obligations, pricing requirements, rights in intellectual property and contract administration: Selling commercial items: You are facing a speedier procurement process, and...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy & Jelena Tasic Soon a new DFARS, Mitigating Risks Related to Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence, will require defense contractors and subcontractors to disclose their owners and any foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) to the Department of Defense if they want to do business with DoD directly or through the...
By: Andrew Swick The federal government has decided quantum computing is a key priority moving forward. On June 22, 2026, President Trump signed Executive Order 14413, “Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation”, a whole-of-government directive to accelerate the deployment and commercialization of quantum computing, sensing, and networking. The order builds on the 2018 National...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy & Andrew Swick Part 2 of our FY26 NDAA reviews shifts from industrial base investment to changes the Department of Defense’s (DoD) acquisition process, organized into five subcategories: When Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Apply Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA) Threshold Changes Compliance Exemptions for Nontraditional Defense Contractors Encouraging Commercial Purchases Cybersecurity...
By: Margaret M. Cassidy & Andrew Swick We are going to unpack some parts of the FY26 NDAA most relevant to defense contractors and their advisors. This installment covers Industrial Base Investment and Opportunities, organized into five subcategories: Industrial Base Fund & capacity investments; Domestic sUAS and IndoPacific cooperation; Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) and centralized...
The SBA announced yesterday in a news release that it has suspended “over 1,000 contractors” from participating in the 8(a) Program because they did not turn in the documents the SBA demanded that the produce by the deadline of January 19, 2025. This announcement, is actually buried in the news release so too find this...
On January 7, an Executive Order titled “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting” was issued. Its message to the defense industrial base is clear: get your act together – start performing defense contracts and delivering on time—or else. The “or else” is significant. If the Secretary of Defense, at his sole discretion, determines that a contractor has...
