On Friday, June 13th, Greystones attended the Engage FedGov conference hosted by OrangeSlicesAI. At this event we explored how transformative the power of AI is in enhancing solutions for the public sector and how federal acquisition strategies are transforming. We had the opportunity to sit in on two panels led by federal government executives.
The first panel was what to expect in acquisitions from high-level former and current executives from DHS, ITA, NOOA, and NASA. One thing they highlighted was that contract durations are changing from base plus 4 years to base plus 1 year. This change is aimed at reinforcing performance accountability and cost efficiency throughout the contract lifecycle. As new technology is a priority, more sole source acquisitions will be coming to support the speed of new technology. To ensure bids are cost effective, there will be new steps in place to ensure contracts are not won due only to the lowest price. In 2026, we can expect a huge wave of new acquisitions and a successful and effective way to federal contracting.
The second panel discussed digital transformation and AI in the federal government. As AI becomes more sophisticated, governance is becoming increasingly crucial. Executives stressed the importance of finding a blend between making AI governance robust whilst also preserving the speed of development. While AI remains relatively new in federal space, there’s a growing focus on helping end users adapt to build trust with these technologies . In 2026, getting to a deterministic AI is the goal in the federal space, specifically focusing on risk-tolerant over risk-averse. Conceptualizing and coming up with AI use cases that will actually be impactful is also another goal moving into 2026. A consistent theme throughout the discussion was the foundational role of creating sound data strategy in developing successful AI initiatives.
We were proud to demonstrate our Soleite CoPilot platform during the conference and engage with peers who are similarly advancing the use of AI across the public sector. It was inspiring to see how companies across the industry are leveraging cutting-edge tools to support government missions and deliver meaningful outcomes.