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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: May 8, 2026
Trump Signs Executive Order Prioritizing Use of Fixed-Price Contracts to Address Cost Overruns
(Executive Gov) President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at improving efficiency, accountability and performance in federal contracting by utilizing fixed-price and performance-based contracts as the default and preferred method of procurement. According to a White House fact sheet issued Thursday, under the EO, agency leaders will also be required to justify the use of non-fixed-price contracts and, in some cases, seek approval before proceeding. Agencies will also have to review their largest existing non-fixed-price contracts and, where feasible, modify or renegotiate them to incorporate fixed-price and performance-based elements. Read More
FAS Undergoes Restructuring to Optimize Acquisition Workforce, Advance Procurement Consolidation
(Executive Gov) The General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service has implemented a new organizational structure in an attempt to strengthen the acquisition workforce and align operations with federal procurement consolidation efforts, in support of two executive orders issued in 2025. Under the new model, FAS operations are consolidated into five distinct offices, each dedicated to specific functions: assisted acquisition, centralized acquisition, acquisition solutions development, shared service delivery and business optimization, GSA Deputy Administrator Michael Lynch said in a blog post published on the agency’s site on Friday. Read More
Agencies Warned of ‘Bait and Switch’ Tactics on Purchases Through GSA Advantage Program
(FEDweek) The inspector general’s office at the GSA has warned agencies of contractors using “bait and switch” tactics on purchases through the GSA Advantage program. The notice says that agencies are reporting receiving products different from what they ordered through that e-commerce platform which gives agencies access to products and services from pre-approved contractors. “In some cases, the substituted products did not comply with the Trade Agreements Act and were actually manufactured in non-TAA designated countries such as China,” it says, noting that all items sold through the platform that are not U.S.-made must be manufactured or “substantially transformed” in a TAA-designated country. Read More
NGA Expands Access to Commercial Vendors for Satellite Data, AI Analytics
(Executive Gov) The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is expanding commercial participation in its programs to accelerate access to satellite data and artificial intelligence-powered analytics, SpaceNews reported Sunday. NGA Deputy Director Brett Markham said at the GEOINT Symposium that the agency has been increasingly buying data and analytics from private companies instead of developing systems in house. Programs such as Luno utilize this approach, collaborating with vendors to procure AI-driven geospatial intelligence from satellite imagery and other sources. Read More
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