Top 10 Researched GovCon Events: September 20, 2026

Yesterday’s G2X community research roundup highlights the top 10 GovCon events on The GovCon Calendar. Explore conferences, workshops, and networking programs covering acquisition, innovation, and business growth.

1. Undersea Warfare Fall Conference

NDIA’s Undersea Warfare Fall Conference runs September 21–23 at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. The in-person gathering brings Navy leaders, acquisition professionals, and defense-industry participants together around submarine programs, maritime security, and the undersea industrial base.

The program covers submarine construction and sustainment, autonomous systems, C4ISR modernization, and power projection from the sea. This is a classified conference, so prospective attendees should review the organizer’s registration and access requirements before making travel plans. It is focused on the undersea defense community rather than general federal IT.

2. GovCon 2026

The Indian American Business Impact Group hosts GovCon 2026 on October 15 at The Westin in Falls Church, Virginia. The in-person conference brings founders, government-contracting executives, and service providers together around the business of building and running GovCon companies.

Executive and founder networking is central to the program, with sponsorship opportunities for service providers. The gathering is a business-development and relationship-building venue, rather than an agency requirements briefing. Registration details are available through the event’s listing on The GovCon Calendar.

3. Joint Ventures for GovCon Success

UT San Antonio APEX Accelerators hosts this virtual webinar on September 24. Government contracts attorneys Shane McCall and Annie Birney of Koprince McCall Pottroff will discuss the structure and administration of teaming agreements and joint ventures for federal work.

Topics include agreement negotiation, contract flow-downs, ostensible subcontractor affiliation, and compliance responsibilities. The session is aimed at small-business owners, capture teams, proposal managers, and delivery staff considering or managing a partner arrangement. It is a practical webinar on teaming obligations, not an agency forecast or buyer-matchmaking event.

4. SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference

TechConnect’s SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference runs September 22–24 in National Harbor, Maryland. The program focuses on moving small-business innovations toward transition and commercialization, including work supported through existing SBIR and STTR awards.

Topics include Phase III pathways, Other Transactions, private investment, and industry partnerships. Participants can connect with a community spanning industry, academia, national laboratories, and investors. The conference is aimed at firms considering how research results become deployable products or services and which funding and partnership routes can support that progression.

5. NVBDC National Conference: Mission Possible

The National Veteran Business Development Council holds its National Conference October 4–6 at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. The gathering connects veteran-owned businesses with corporate procurement and sourcing leaders, with one-on-one matchmaking and executive networking central to the program.

Educational sessions address certification, supplier readiness, AI, access to capital, international growth, and leadership. The emphasis is participation in corporate supply chains, making it relevant to firms building commercial customer relationships and to GovCon companies seeking veteran-owned suppliers or teaming partners.

6. ARPA-H Emerging Health Innovators Proposers’ Day

ARPA-H’s Office of Commercialization hosts a virtual Proposers’ Day for the Emerging Health Innovators initiative on October 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern. The session introduces the initiative’s goals and technical topics and provides guidance for refining proposals.

The program is aimed at nontraditional performers, including small and medium-sized businesses, early-stage researchers, academic institutions, and nonprofits. Advance registration is required. Attendance can help prospective participants understand the planned solicitation, but it is not mandatory for submitting a proposal or being considered for funding.

7. Small Business Contracting: Lessons and the FY27 Roadmap

ACT-IAC hosts an interactive session on the state of small-business contracting on October 7 at Appian in McLean, Virginia. Government and industry participants will examine developments in 2026 and the procurement priorities shaping planning for FY27.

The agenda includes SDVOSB and 8(a) program developments, construction rules, category management, and strategic positioning. The format is designed for small-business owners, growth teams, and government procurement professionals comparing policy changes with practical business concerns. It offers a focused contracting discussion alongside opportunities to connect with peers.

8. FAR Overhaul: Negotiation and Acquisition Execution

The National Contract Management Association holds the fifth session in its FAR Overhaul series on September 30. The virtual workshop examines negotiation, contracting-officer discretion, and the potential effects of acquisition-rule changes on IT, construction, and services contracting.

FAR Part 15 and contracting by negotiation are central to the agenda. The session is designed for acquisition professionals, proposal teams, and contract managers considering the implications for negotiation preparation and contract execution. Membership-based registration options are described in the event listing.

9. Massachusetts Higher Education IT Leadership Summit

The Center for Digital Education hosts the Massachusetts Higher Education IT Leadership Summit on September 24 at the Wylie Center and Tupper Manor in Beverly. The in-person program brings together institutional technology leaders to discuss the changing demands on campus IT.

Agenda themes include practical AI use, cybersecurity and incident response, student technology, cost management, and workforce change. The listing identifies participants from institutions including UMass, Tufts, Harvard Medical School, and Salem State. The program combines leadership discussion with specific operating challenges facing higher-education technology teams.

10. Small and Diverse Business Expo

The California Public Utilities Commission hosts its Small and Diverse Business Expo on September 30 at the South San Francisco Conference Center. The free, in-person gathering connects small and diverse firms with procurement and supplier-diversity representatives across the utility market.

Participants can meet utilities, public agencies, community choice aggregators, resource centers, and prime contractors. The format emphasizes procurement conversations and business networking rather than a formal presentation agenda. The event is designed around understanding upcoming utility work and the relationships involved in entering that supply chain.

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