💰 A New Goal for Veteran-Owned Firms

Happy Veterans Day! If you didn’t get the jokes in the meme above, you’re not alone. I remember my first encounter with aggressive inter-branch roasting in a professional setting. The crayon joke practically launched my eyebrows off my face! I was flabbergasted until a coworker assured me it was all in good fun. I have dear friends and colleagues who serve or have served across the military, and I'm grateful to every one of them. I'm also a proud instructor at the Veterans Institute for Procurement, where I help veteran business owners build the skills and tools to succeed in GovCon. So today, we're dedicating our Quick Hits to the SDVOSB/VOSB community, highlighting resources, stories, opportunities, and wins. Thank you for your service!

-Lisa

The new Smaller War Plants Commission, a joint SBA–DOW effort, is meant to map small business capabilities and connect suppliers with financing, contracting support, and technical assistance. Comments on the SBA’s proposed size standards are due Nov 20. SDVOSBs in defense manufacturing should check whether the changes affect their size status.

DOD, DOT, DHS, DOE and DOJ signed an MOU that creates a unified federal process for testing and deploying counter-drone technology, a response to the recent surge in unauthorized drone incursions over military bases and sensitive sites. The agencies will work with the FAA and FCC as new systems come online; the FAA will run quick safety risk assessments and restrict airspace if a system threatens aircraft operations or navigation equipment. C-UAS vendors will need to show that their systems won’t disrupt the radar, communications, or GPS that civilian aviation depends on.

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SAIC’s chief data scientist argues that DOD and intelligence agencies should prioritize AI orchestration systems and structured data over investing in increasingly powerful AI models. He says reliable mission outcomes depend on integrating models with secure data, specialized tools, access controls, and human oversight rather than relying on commercial AI solutions alone.

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GSA's new contract clause, 552.239-7001, took effect October 19, 2026, introducing new requirements for how contractors protect government data when using large language model (LLM) technology. The clause primarily applies to AI solutions where an LLM is a core part of the product and government data is being processed or generated. It generally excludes AI used for a contractor's internal operations or tools where AI is just a supporting feature. For contractors covered by the clause, there are a few important changes. AI-related incidents that could impact government data must be reported within 72 hours. Contractors retain ownership of their existing intellectual property, but must make reasonable efforts to ensure factual AI-generated responses are accurate and objective. The government also has the right to suspend use of the AI at any time, and the clause takes precedence over conflicting standard commercial terms.

What GovCons should do now:

The bigger takeaway: If AI is part of what you're delivering to the government, it's worth understanding how these requirements affect your products, contracts, and internal processes now, rather than waiting until they become a compliance issue.

An op-ed argues that veterans’ military experience makes them strong candidates for AI oversight roles requiring accountability, sound judgment, and risk management. The author urges Congress to establish a $120M Veterans AI Workforce Partnership Program to train at least 10,000 veterans over two years for AI governance, cybersecurity, and related positions.

GSA’s TTS employees must now email daily updates by 6 p.m. listing what they worked on, what’s next, and any blockers, a requirement that echoes DOGE’s “five things” emails and warns that failure to comply may result in adverse action. For contractors supporting TTS, expect closer front-office visibility into project progress and dependencies, and possible reprioritization as leadership gets a clearer picture of what’s moving and what’s stalled.

The acquisition adds an optical sensing layer and marks Windward’s first move into ground- and ship-based sensors, including cameras at key maritime chokepoints. The goal is to see “dark” vessels that switch off their transponders, which helps customers working on sanctions enforcement and maritime domain awareness. Maritime intel vendors increasingly want to own their sensors, not just license data.

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