[GovCon Roundup Live] A Look Into the 2026 Crystal Ball for Federal Contractors
“Ignorance isn’t bliss—it’s expensive.”
GovCon Roundup Live is your survival guide to the wild world of federal contracting, where the acronyms are endless, the rules are ever-changing, and staying competitive means being sharp and adaptable. We break down policy changes, legislative updates, and industry shifts that signal strategic opportunities to pivot, reposition, and stay one step ahead of the chaos.
Whether you’re a small business, a consultant, or someone who accidentally became a government contractor and decided to roll with it, this show helps you stay informed, make smarter decisions, and maybe even enjoy the ride.
A Look Into the 2026 Crystal Ball for Federal Contractors
Air date/time: January 21st, 2026 @ 1:00 PM Eastern Time
On the next episode of GovCon Roundup Live, Carroll Bernard and Steven Koprince break out their crystal ball and take a thoughtful look at what may be taking shape for federal contractors as we head into 2026.
Rather than focusing on predictions or headlines, this conversation centers on the signals that matter. We will briefly reflect on how 2025 closed, then explore what emerging policy activity, agency behavior, and regulatory movements may indicate about opportunities and risks in the year ahead.
Expect conversation around themes such as:
- What late 2025 developments may be signaling for 2026, including a practical look at the recently passed 2026 National Defense Authorization Act
- How the competitive landscape for small businesses continues to shift, including changes in how agencies approach set-aside and sole-source contracting
- Pending FAR and DFARS regulations that contractors should know about
- Potential threats and emerging opportunities federal contractors should be paying attention to in 2026
- Practical ways contractors can prepare thoughtfully without overreacting or chasing noise
This episode is not about hype or fear. It is about awareness, context, and smart positioning for the year ahead.
Speakers
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Carroll BernardCEO & Co-Founder, GovologyCarroll Bernard is the CEO and Co-Founder of Govology.com. He has an extensive background in government contracting, resulting from his experience as a government buyer, a small business contractor, and a procurement advisor.
Carroll started his acquisition career in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps, where he provided logistical support and acquisition management as a Supply Officer. After leaving active duty, Carroll continued his acquisition career in the Procurement Services Department of the City of Vancouver, WA, and later as a warranted Contracting Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Carroll’s last federal employment was at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), where he served as a Business Development Specialist for 8(a) companies in the Business Development Program. He also served as the SBA Portland District’s Veteran Business Development Officer and Primary HUBZone Liaison. Through his duties at the SBA, Carroll became a subject matter expert in small business programs, federal certifications, the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program, teaming, and small business contracting with federal agencies.
After his career in the federal government, Carroll supported small businesses in government contracting as a Procurement Counselor with the Defense Logistics Agency’s Procurement Technical Assistant Program (now Department of Defense APEX Accelerator), established to expand the number of companies capable of participating in government contracts.
Carroll has supported vendor outreach, education, and success in many ways. In 2015, Carroll and his team at Govology launched a world-class online training platform for government contractors. Since then, they have trained over 20,000 business professionals and saved small businesses millions of dollars through their collaborative partnerships with non-profit organizations, government agencies, universities, and corporations that share their mission and passion for powering up small businesses. As a result, Carroll and his wife, Elena Bernard, PhD, were named 2020 Small Business Champions by the U.S. Small Business Administration. -
Steven KoprinceFaculty Instructor and Legal Analyst, GovologySteven J. Koprince is a Faculty Instructor and Legal Analyst at Govology. Before joining Govology, Steven founded and served as the Managing Partner of Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC, a law firm devoted exclusively to providing comprehensive legal services to federal government contractors.
Steven is the author of The Small-Business Guide to Government Contracts (AMACOM Books, 2012) and co-author three GovCon Handbooks providing in-depth information on discrete government contracting topics. Steven also founded the blog SmallGovCon (smallgovcon.com), where he has written more than 1,100 posts on government contracting legal issues. Steven has been quoted in several national news outlets and has appeared on numerous radio programs and podcasts. A frequent featured speaker at the national conferences of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, Steven was honored as a “Friend of APTAC” at the Spring 2016 APTAC National Conference.
In addition to his work for Govology, Steven volunteers for and serves as a Director of a nonprofit organization providing wrap-around services to disadvantaged families. He is also a co-founder and Director of a nonprofit organization promoting the great sport of pickleball in Lawrence and the surrounding area.
Steven is a graduate of Duke University and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary. Steven lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his wife, two children and two cuddly cats.
Steven welcomes APEX Accelerator counselors to contact him by email at skoprince@govology.com and connect with him on LinkedIn.
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