After surviving a year with the pandemic and all of the impositions to the way we live and work, we now have a handle on how to skirt around the limitations and really get back to the business of winning contracts. Last year, many government agencies pushed pause on their agendas. But now it is time to evaluate where to center your efforts in GovCon and where your company can engage the trends within contract opportunities.
Even though forecasts for 2021 showed relatively flat spending, the efforts in many proficiencies are not reflective of that assessment. Let’s take a look at the industries that are in the highest demand and explore some of the best areas of opportunity within government contracting for individuals and growing small businesses.
Redefining Infrastructure
Research and development is a huge initiative in the spending agenda for the Biden Administration. His team is pushing for $300B next year alone, most of which is looking to be focused on vaccinations, distribution, and other supply chain-related spending relative to COVID-19 protocols. This includes personal safety like PPE (personal protection equipment) and advancements in technologies that protect against new threats as a result of the change in work environments such as cybersecurity.
Similar to the response 10+ years ago when the last pandemic swept the global landscape with H1N1, we are shaping up to address the needs this new world presents. But the focus is not just on industries that defend but those that protect as well. Due to the global workforce moving on a mass scale to remote work, we have an influx in cyber issues and the need for professionals within that field of expertise as well.
The Urgency of Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a bountiful industry. Current threats require new professionals to join the fight on the inside with a growing demand for workforce increase within the Department of Defense for cyber employees. Opportunity is also limitless with the implementation of new regulations like CMMC, which is a requirement for all government contractors by 30 September 2025. The need for Third-Party assessors to validate certification and cyber professionals to perform the control upgrades to become compliant is yet another avenue showing promising options for growth.
The world we live in requires that inside and outside the federal government businesses implement zero-trust policies and create a stable environment that both protects data and the sharing of information and promotes policies and procedures that stay ahead of the threats. Advisors within federal agencies and military leaders worry that the employment needs are a next-level threat to the cyber safety of our country. We need people to fill these roles, and we need them fast. But we also need the companies that support the federal government to become compliant with regulations so everyone is on the same page. This is an evergreen area of opportunity because it is a vast and ever-present danger in the public and the private sector.
Addressing a Global Need for AI Experts
The need to stay ahead of the world in cybersecurity is only one concern. DoD officials say we have fallen behind China and even Russia in advancements within AI. The country’s largest contractors don’t seem to have a focus on this aspect of technology so government agencies and the military are looking to private start-ups and Silicon Valley innovation to take it to the level it needs to be.
The DoD is getting creative with how they can help fund these businesses to allow them to get the cash they need to encourage them to work with the government as opposed to focusing their efforts on the private sector that offers more ROI. It is time the feds “make it rain” on these companies if they want to harness the modernization needed to win the AI race.