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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: February 27, 2026
AFIMSC Introduces SPEED CSO to Cut Acquisition Timelines
(Executive Gov) The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center has introduced a new contracting pathway to reduce the time it takes to move commercial technologies from industry proposals to operational use. The Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery Commercial Solutions Opening, or SPEED CSO, provides a competitive and flexible process for identifying and acquiring innovative commercial items, technologies and services, the Air Force Materiel Command said Monday. Dustin Dickens, program manager with AFIMSC, explained that the approach allows requirement owners to define operational gaps through an “Area of Interest” and engage industry in iterative solution development before committing to a contract award. Read More
DHS shutdown puts strain on security, information-sharing ahead of World Cup
(FedScoop) The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security is impacting the preparation of cities hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to stakeholder testimony Tuesday. Beginning Sunday, Secretary Kristi Noem halted all non-disaster-related Federal Emergency Management Agency response efforts and scaled back FEMA operations to “bare-minimum, life-saving operations only.” Host city representatives said the agency has yet to send out the $625 million investment — referred to as the FIFA World Cup Grant Program — that Congress already appropriated as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The FIFA World Cup Grant Program is meant to support security activities, including training and readiness exercises, cybersecurity defense and operational requirements associated with increased information sharing and analysis needs. Read More
Senate poised to reauthorize key small business fund used by Pentagon
(Breaking Defense) The leaders of the Senate’s small business committee have come to an agreement to restart the Small Business Innovation Research program, a key tool used by the Pentagon to flow seed funding to small firms developing new technologies. The news will likely be welcomed by Pentagon leaders, as defense-focused projects have been slowed or paused due to the lack of funding authorization for the program. Sens. Joni Ernst, chairwoman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, and Ed Markey, its top Democrat, intend to introduce new legislation known as the “Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act,” which would reauthorize SBIR for the next five years. Read More
What gear do you need to see February’s ‘planetary parade’ in 2026?
(Space.com) Have you heard about the “planetary parade?” If you’ve not seen the wild claims about the so-called alignment of six or seven planets in your social media feeds, you soon will. Is it a fact? It’s certainly not a fiction, with NASA as the source for a claim that six planets — Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus — will soon be visible together in the evening sky. The word ‘visible’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting because, unfortunately, only two of those planets will be easily seen, while two are marginal and two require either binoculars, a telescope or a camera and a camera lens. However, if you know what to expect and have the right gear, seeing six planets in one evening will be possible. Read More
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