Stone Rickhouse Group LLC

09/29/2026

How can we help you and your business? Marisa Midkiff Neal wrote an article explaining some of what we can do.

Public-sector opportunity overload can look like potential growth until it begins to consume leadership capacity, strain delivery teams, and fill the pipeline with pursuits the company is not positioned to win or perform profitably. In my latest article, I explore how a fractional advisor can help b...

09/22/2026

Check out this week’s article by Marisa Midkiff Neal on LinkedIn. Follow along for related posts during the week on Stone Rickhouse Group’s LinkedIn page.

Revenue alone is not a strategy. For owners and senior leaders, the question behind every significant opportunity should be: If we win this contract, does it make the company stronger? In this article, I examine what sustainable growth requires. The objective is not simply to win more work. It is to...

09/15/2026

This week’s article is about pricing for federal contract awards.

If your proposal team, capture organization, finance function, or executive leadership has ever confronted the gap between a competitive price and a price your organization can credibly perform at, follow my Stone Rickhouse Group LLC series this week. We will move beyond last-minute discounting and....

08/26/2026

More businesses may soon qualify as “small.” But will that create opportunity or make small-business set-asides harder to win?

SBA’s proposed size-standard changes could reshape eligibility, competition, teaming, and growth planning across the government-contracting marketplace. In this article, Marisa Midkiff Neal outlines what the proposal means and the practical questions contractors should be asking today.

The SBA has proposed a major rewrite of how it determines whether a company qualifies as “small” for federal contracting and other SBA programs. If finalized, the proposal could expand eligibility for many growing firms, but it could also bring substantially stronger competition to small-busines...

07/14/2026

The Department of War has paused the planned expansion of CMMC Level 2 third‑party certification requirements while it conducts a broader review of the program.

During this review period, contractors may still be required to complete CMMC Level 1 or Level 2 self‑assessments, but new Level 2 C3PAO certifications are on hold.

This is a pause in third‑party certification, not a pause in cybersecurity.
If you handle CUI, you should continue to:
✅ Implement and maintain NIST SP 800‑171 controls
✅ Keep an accurate, living System Security Plan (SSP)
✅ Work down your POA&M items with documented progress
✅ Ensure your SPRS score is accurate and well‑supported
✅ Comply with all applicable DFARS safeguarding clauses

For organizations preparing for Level 2, keep doing the cybersecurity work, but be intentional about the timing and cost of engaging a C3PAO until DoD provides clearer direction.

Strong cybersecurity and a healthy defense industrial base should not be competing goals. This review is a real opportunity to refine CMMC into a system that protects CUI while still allowing capable small businesses to enter and stay in the defense market.

07/01/2026

As America marks 250 years of independence, we reflect on the enduring spirit of innovation, service, and enterprise that continues to shape our nation.

At Stone Rickhouse Group, we are proud to support the businesses that help build and serve America every day, from infrastructure and manufacturing to defense, logistics, and public-sector innovation.

For 250 years, progress has depended on those willing to solve complex problems, create opportunity, and move our country forward. Here’s to the organizations helping write America’s next chapter.

Happy Independence Day.

06/30/2026

This change is going to impact Louisville-area contractors and small businesses.

Louisville MSD is transitioning from its MBE/WBE Program to a new race- and gender-neutral Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program effective July 2026. This shift will change how MSD measures and engages small business participation on upcoming work.

MSD is hosting virtual informational sessions to walk stakeholders through:
▪️ The new SBE Program structure
▪️ The transition plan from the current MBE/WBE framework
▪️ Eligibility and registration requirements
▪️ What to expect on future bids and subcontracting opportunities

Two opportunities remain to get briefed:
July 1 at 2:00 PM
July 8 at 11:00 AM
👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gmA_wJDm

If you currently do business with MSD, plan to pursue MSD opportunities, or rely on small business participation as part of your contracting strategy, you should attend a session.

06/23/2026

A practical GovCon issue heading into Q4 for many contractors: GSA MAS contract hygiene.

GSA Schedule contractors are dealing with another round of Multiple Award Schedule updates, including MAS Refresh 32 and Mass Mod A917.

Q4 is not just about chasing opportunities. It is also about making sure the contract vehicle you plan to sell through is current, accurate, and ready to use.

For GSA MAS contractors, that means checking more than whether a mass modification email was received. It means asking:
• Has the latest mass modification been reviewed and accepted within the 30-day window?
• Are authorized negotiators current?
• Is the price list accurate?
• Do labor categories still match how the company actually staffs work?
• Are product descriptions, service descriptions, and part numbers current?
• Have discontinued products or stale offerings been removed?
• Are points of contact updated?
• Is the team ready for TDR reporting?
• Are internal sales, finance, and contract teams aligned on what can be sold through the Schedule?
• Are quote templates, order intake procedures, and invoicing practices consistent with the contract?

These are not just administrative details. They can affect quote timing, buyer confidence, modification processing, reporting accuracy, and a contractor’s ability to move quickly when Q4 opportunities appear.

Before the year-end rush, GSA MAS contractors should take time to review the basics:

• mass mod status
• catalog and price list accuracy
• TDR reporting process
• labor category alignment
• subcontractor and teaming support
• internal quote review procedures
• pending modification needs
• contract administration responsibilities

Q4 rewards readiness.
For GSA Schedule contractors, readiness starts before the RFQ hits the inbox.

06/22/2026

A technical change with practical consequences is the June 30 pricing threshold shift.

Under the FY2026 NDAA, the threshold for certified cost or pricing data for covered defense contracts increases from $2.5 million to $10 million for contracts entered into after June 30, 2026.

That may sound like technical contracting language, but for growing contractors, especially small and mid-sized firms pursuing larger defense work, it matters.

This change may reduce the number of procurements where formal certified cost or pricing data is required. That could lower some administrative burden and create more flexibility for nontraditional and growth-stage contractors.

Some growth-stage contractors see this as welcome relief, but it doesn't eliminate the need for pricing discipline.

Contracting officers still need to determine that a price is fair and reasonable. Contractors still need to understand how they built their numbers. Prime contractors still need to manage subcontractor pricing risk.

The takeaway:
The transition does not mean less documentation.
Contractors should still be prepared to support:
• labor category assumptions
• indirect rates and escalation
• subcontractor and vendor quotes
• material pricing
• profit rationale
• basis of estimate documentation
• consistency between proposals, invoices, and contract files

This is especially important as we head into Q4, when award timing, modifications, negotiations, and year-end spending can move quickly.

The government will still expect contractors to know their numbers.

06/18/2026

The early numbers from DBE reevaluations are worth watching.

In Wisconsin, The Daily Reporter reported that only 122 of 796 eligible DBE firms applied for recertification during WisDOT’s February 16–April 2 priority window. That is approximately 15%.

Colorado appears to be somewhat higher. The Western Colorado Contractors Association reported that Colorado had received 449 DBE reevaluation applications from 1,303 Colorado-based DBE certified firms as of early March, or roughly 35%.

Arizona’s numbers tell a slightly different story. AZBEX reported that Arizona had approximately 1,225 certified DBE firms before the interim final rule, but only 277 firms had obtained certified DBE status again through reevaluation as of its report. That is about 23%.

These are not perfect apples-to-apples comparisons. Some figures reflect applications received. Others reflect firms that had already regained certified status. But taken together, they suggest that many DBE firms may not be making it through the reevaluation process quickly or at all.

For small firms, this process is not just paperwork. Certification status can affect whether they are visible to primes, eligible for DBE credit, invited to bid, or included in project teams.

For agencies and primes, the question is becoming practical:
How many certified firms will remain available in each market, trade, and NAICS code after reevaluation?

For DBE firms, the message is even more urgent:
Do not wait. Submit the required personal narrative, personal net worth statement, and supporting documentation. The firms that stay engaged in the process will be better positioned for the work ahead.