Strategic Ideas

10 Strategic Ideas for Government Contractors (July 21, 2026)

By Michael Hackmer, CEO and Founding Partner, Government Contractors Leave a comment
Strategic Ideas

Based on what is making headlines across Public Sector and GovCon media, as well as the policy shifts in the Trump administration, changes in procurement, and other trends, Government Contractors has put together a list of strategic ideas and tasks your business should consider taking over the next several days. Our recommendations touch on marketing, social media, and sales outreach.

1. Submit & Share Feedback on GSA’s LLM Procurement Rule (Marketing & Thought Leadership)

  • The Insight: GSA is currently gathering industry feedback (deadline August 3) on its proposed AI and Large Language Model (LLM) acquisition rules, which have raised debate over commercial standards and vagueness.
  • Actionable Step: Publish a short whitepaper or LinkedIn article offering your firm’s perspective on AI procurement barriers. Tag relevant agency leads to establish your brand as a consultative authority before the feedback window closes.

2. Target Non-FAR Fast-Track Channels (Sales Outreach)

  • The Insight: Defense and intelligence leadership are heavily leaning into rapid acquisition vehicles—such as the newly launched IARPA Solutions Marketplace and the APFIT program (which just awarded over $500M for AI, counter-drone, and software capabilities).
  • Actionable Step: Shift sales collateral to highlight how your offerings fit rapid, non-traditional procurement pathways (OTAs, CSOs, APFIT). Position your solutions as field-ready, “85% solution” commercial tech that can be deployed in weeks rather than months.

3. Engage in the Department of War’s CMMC Review Listening Sessions (Social & Sales)

  • The Insight: Defense leadership has initiated nationwide listening sessions and an RFI review regarding the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program.
  • Actionable Step: Join the listening sessions, share key takeaways on social media, and re-engage sub-contractors or small business partners in your network to discuss cyber compliance readiness and supply chain risk.

4. Pitch Solutions for the Remaining $200M in TMF Funding (Sales & Pitching)

  • The Insight: The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is actively requesting artificial intelligence and permitting modernization proposals to spend down its remaining $200 million allocation.
  • Actionable Step: Arm your sales team with tailored TMF pitch decks showing civilian CIOs how your AI or workflow automation tools offer rapid ROI and align with TMF funding guidelines before the balance runs out.

5. Capitalize on the Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Push (Marketing & Content)

  • The Insight: The Pentagon released its Post-Quantum Cryptography Strategy, urging defense enterprises to transition to quantum-resistant algorithms to address near-term cyber vulnerabilities.
  • Actionable Step: If your organization touches cybersecurity, data management, or IT infrastructure, publish educational social posts or host a quick webinar on “Preparing Federal Systems for Post-Quantum Encryption.”

6. Highlight “Agentic AI” and Metric-Driven Efficiency (Social Media & Sales)

  • The Insight: Case studies (such as the Department of Transportation slashing software timelines from 18 months to 18 weeks using AI) are capturing agency executive attention.
  • Actionable Step: Frame your AI marketing around concrete labor-saving metrics (e.g., hours saved, cycle-time reduction) rather than generic AI features. Use the “Metric-First, Solution-Second” narrative to prove immediate mission impact.

7. Leverage the “Revolutionary FAR Overhaul” Flexibility (Sales Enabling)

  • The Insight: The ongoing FAR rewrite is shifting many regulatory requirements from strict “shalls” to flexible “mays/shoulds,” empowering Contracting Officers (COs) with greater discretionary authority.
  • Actionable Step: Brief sales teams to coach agency Contracting Officers on creative, discretionary procurement methods enabled by the updated FAR guidance to speed up contract awards.

8. Align with National Energy & Public-Private AI Alliances (Brand Strategy)

  • The Insight: Multi-billion-dollar consortia like the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission are actively uniting national labs, federal agencies, and tech vendors (e.g., NVIDIA, Dell) around supercomputing and AI.
  • Actionable Step: Audit your partnership ecosystem and highlight any consortium memberships, lab integrations, or public-private ecosystem ties in your corporate capabilities deck to boost enterprise credibility.

9. Campaign Around AI-Driven Identity Fraud & Front-Door Security (Marketing)

  • The Insight: Congressional committees and agencies are prioritizing anti-fraud protections for front-door access portals like Login.gov due to rising AI-fueled digital identity threats.
  • Actionable Step: Run a targeted campaign focusing on zero-trust, identity verification, and anti-spoofing measures tailored to civilian and benefit-dispensing agencies.

10. Maximize Live Engagement at Summer GovCon Summits (Events & Sales)

  • The Insight: Major regional networking hubs (such as the upcoming Potomac Officers Club Air & Space and Navy Summits) are taking place over the next several weeks.
  • Actionable Step: Mobilize business development leaders to pre-book 1-on-1 meetings with attending agency directors, focusing conversations on autonomous systems, network modernization, and decision advantage tools.

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