CMS/HHS/DOI/DOE/NOAA/DOD wins; JR&Ali talk CMS; T4NG news; CBP/House of Reps/ DOD opps; DOD Facility Clearance Industry Day; Several Feds to industry

????We are excited by the number of nominees thus far but have also heard the request for more time from many. Deadlines have been extended for:

• OS AI Engage FedGov: Recognizing leaders reshaping how govt and industry collaborate because they believe in what’s possible when we work together with purpose. More here.
• 2026 Elev8 GovCon awards recognizing government contracting companies that excel in solutions, culture, and #DoingItTheRightWay. More here.

????The Morning Buzz:

• Two is a coincidence, any more is a trend?! Another Challenger bows out on $60.7B VA T4NG2 IDIQ protest
• Katie Helwig: DTRA and DCSA are hosting a joint Industry Day to walk through the facility clearance roadmap and GSA refreshed the OASIS+ Buyer’s Guide  – top 5 takeaways
• Sam Le: The 8(a) sole-source authority is probably increasing to $150M for SBs owned by ANCs, Indian tribes, and NHOs. Here’s why and the reasons it might not happen
• Reginald Wayne Humphries: Jumping on the bandwagon with Ken Rubin. Check out the HL7 AIChallenge
• Jason Workmaster on Legal implications of the FAR overhaul
• CDAO Announces Partnerships with Frontier AI Companies to Address National Security Mission Areas
• Chandra Donelson: Space Force AI Challenge kicks off this Wednesday
• Longtime CISA/FEMA Communications & Outreach SME Laura Edwards launches “Careers & Coffee Talk” podcast
• GAO: Social Security Administration: Chief Information Officer Open Recommendations
• And a little birdie shared: All FY19 and FY21 MACs that haven’t received an award are being Terminated for Convenience through coordination with DOGE
• Food and Drug Administration focused SBs to know – Meet them here.

????JR and Ali Show: The Medicare Advantage Black Hole – JR Glass and Ali Steer connect with Mike Sacca, diving into the evolving landscape of fraud prevention at CMS; the future of Medicare Advantage oversight; how industry and government can better collaborate to prevent abuse; the much-talked-about “crushing fraud” initiative; missed opportunities; the $66B+ black hole in Medicare Advantage funding; and the future of the MIDS & RMADA IDIQs. Listen here.

The Juice????: These firms and agencies are gearing up to make a big impact in 2026 and beyond:

• Jeff Conklin, Casie Antalis Join CISA
• Longtime CDC and State Department SME takes role as Digital Services Expert at CMS
• National Science Foundation taps Chief Information Officer
• ICYMI: Elizabeth Chirico is now Acting Deputy CDAO, Directorate of Scaled Capabilities
• Longtime HHS Cyber and Infrastructure Protection Leader to drive Growth for Softtek
• Coforma recruits CMS Product Manager Brennan Schloendorn
• ThinkTek Welcomes Former IRS CPO, Todd Anthony as Chief Operating Officer
• Commence adds Sherly Binu as CMS Practice Lead
• CDC Dep CISO (and acting CISO) Christopher Carl joins industry
• Avtal recruits John McNamara from CFPB to serve as Growth Chief
• DCSA Director David Cattler to Retire After 35 Years in National Security Leadership
• and several Growth-Minded Execs take on new challenges: Greg Eslinger founds Eslinger Advisory; Shane Paladin joins Equinix; Ben Coit joins AgencyQ as CSO; John Cook appointed CEO of Strategic Growth Partners; Jorge Diaz Joins SAIC

and more … Missed some key industry moves? ????OS AI Premium sponsors can see the full report here.

????⚖ GAO and the Courts –Check out the latest:

• DOI Protest Dismissed: Bureau of Indian Affairs | Heartland Consulting
• New State Dept. Protest: $10M FSI HR and Acquisition Professional Support Services BPA
• Army Protests Dismissed: Neoskye | B-423617 and Neoskye | B-423619

Been heads down working on a proposal? ????OS AI Premium sponsors can Track all the latest protest activity here or see this report with all protest actions over the past week.

????Hand picked, crisp, juicy content for our Premium Sponsors/Subscribers: 

• ????OS AI Premium: Challenge Decision Details Released on $240M EPA Multi-Regional IT Support Services (MRITSS) BPA Protest

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