Stone Rickhouse Group LLC

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.

06/08/2026

Headed to the NEW: Network of Entrepreneurial Women Showcase of Women-Owned Businesses this Wednesday (or any other expo)?

There will be several organizations in the room connected to public sector procurement and purchasing from women-owned businesses, including sponsors Women's Business Enterprise Council Ohio River Valley and Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission.

That makes this more than a networking event. It’s an opportunity to position your company as the safe bet in a budget-tight contracting environment.

When funding is uncertain, buyers are not just looking for the lowest price. They are looking for the business least likely to create schedule delays, compliance problems, audit issues, or performance risk.

Here are five ways to signal strong businesses, low-risk, high-value performance:

1️⃣ Show financial resilience upfront
Your capability statement should communicate stability, not just certifications. The message is: We are not just small. We are disciplined and prepared.

Examples:
• Active line of credit
• Cash-flow planning for delayed awards or continuing resolutions
• Reserves that help maintain staffing and deliverables during funding shifts

2️⃣ Emphasize disciplined decision-making
Low risk often looks like operational maturity.

Highlight:
• Stable niches and repeatable services
• Clear bid standards
• QA processes and delivery controls
• Infrastructure that supports consistent ex*****on

3️⃣ Lead with past performance that survived uncertainty
Don’t just list contracts. Tell the story behind them.

Examples:
• Delivered through CRs, staffing shortages, or reorganizations
• Maintained milestones during funding disruptions
• Protected mission delivery while staying compliant and on budget

4️⃣ Make compliance boringly excellent
Clean documentation reduces perceived risk.

Communicate:
• WBE and other federal, state, or local certifications
• Strong CPARS or relevant performance history
• Internal controls, documentation, and accountability processes

5️⃣ Package these signals everywhere
“On-Time. Audit-Ready. Mission-Focused.” says more than generic marketing language.

Your positioning should be consistent across:
• LinkedIn profile
• Capability statement
• DSBS/SBS and other online profiles
• Website
• Graphics and thought leadership content

If you’re attending the NEW: Network of Entrepreneurial Women Showcase, this is a good week to audit how your company presents itself before walking into The Olmsted.

And if you’re outside the Louisville area, the same checklist works before any business expo, matchmaking event, or procurement-focused networking opportunity.

06/05/2026

AI clauses are coming to your contracts.
If you’re using AI in your proposal shop today, you’re ahead of the curve.
But the rules around that AI are catching up fast. We’re already seeing:
▪️ Draft AI clauses that require contractors to safeguard AI systems and disclose how they’re used.
▪️ Talk about giving agencies broad rights to inspect AI‑generated content and underlying data.
▪️ Early language in some RFPs asking about AI use, governance, and risk management.

None of this is meant to scare you away from AI. It is a signal that “we just use ChatGPT to make things faster” is no longer a strategy.

Here’s how I’d think about AI clauses:
1️⃣ Expect disclosure, not invisibility
▪️ Assume more solicitations will ask if, where, and how you use AI in proposals and performance.
▪️ That means you need a real answer, not “uh… sometimes my team pastes stuff into a chatbot.”
2️⃣ Your data handling story matters
▪️ If you’re touching CUI, export‑controlled data, or sensitive PII, be ready to explain:
▪️ Which AI tools do you use
▪️ Where they’re hosted
▪️ What guardrails you’ve set (no source selection info, no CUI in public tools, etc.)
3️⃣ Flow‑downs will get tighter
▪️ As primes respond to AI clauses, they’ll push new requirements and certifications down to small subs.
▪️ Having your own AI policy and basic documentation in place puts you in the “low‑risk, easy to team with” category.
4️⃣ Quality is still king
▪️ Agencies care less about “was AI used?” and more about “is this proposal accurate, responsive, and trustworthy?”
▪️ If AI helps you improve clarity, compliance, and consistency, and you can show your review process, that’s a strength, not a liability.
5️⃣ Policy now is less pain later
▪️ The contractors who win in this new environment will be the ones who can say: Yes, we use AI, here’s our policy, here’s how we protect you, and here’s our review and audit trail.

You don’t have to become an AI expert.
You do need a simple story that connects your use of AI to compliance, quality, and risk management.

06/04/2026

Using AI in GovCon? Don’t get burned.
Here are 5 non‑negotiable guardrails for FAR‑friendly proposal workflows 👇
1️⃣ AI = junior analyst, not decision maker
2️⃣ No source selection info in public tools, ever
3️⃣ Keep CUI/ITAR out of insecure environments
4️⃣ Write a simple AI‑use policy your team actually follows
5️⃣ Aim AI at Section L & M, compliance matrices, and gap checks

Bonus: more RFPs are starting to include AI‑specific instructions and disclosure language, so having these guardrails in place now will keep you ahead of those clauses when they land.