Project 38: The Future Of Federal Contracting

Most years of a presidential transition result in some adjustments by the government contracting community as a new administration settles in, but 2025 presented more variables to GovCon than ever before.Stephanie Kostro, president of the Professional Services Council, fields many questions from PSC’s member companies about what is happening across the ecosystem. Kostro joins Nick and Ross for this episode to unpack some that were answered in 2025 and others that remain unanswered for 2026, including the prospects of a second shutdown following the last one.How the Department of Government Efficiency’s influence remains over GovCon is one of those that has some answers. As Kostro explains, DOGE’s presence at the agency level is something GovCon will have to account for in 2026.The government’s acquisition overhaul to emphasize speed and commercial buying also has open questions from industry that Kostro walks Nick and Ross through. Small business contracting in today’s climate, bid protests and the Fiscal Yea