Trending GovCon Events: September 19, 2026

These ten upcoming events drew G2X community research on The GovCon Calendar over the last 24 hours. The lineup includes founder networking, veteran-owned business matchmaking, an ARPA-H proposers’ day, small-business contracting discussions, and technology conferences.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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 program focuses on negotiation, contracting-officer discretion, and execution under the revised acquisition framework.

FAR Part 15 is central to the discussion, alongside the practical implications of streamlined rules for IT, construction, and services acquisitions. The session is designed for acquisition professionals translating regulatory changes into negotiation and contract-management decisions. Membership-based registration options are described in the event listing.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. The Global Agentic AI Summit

Modev holds the Global Agentic AI Summit October 6–7 in Reston, Virginia, with programming at The AI House and the Carahsoft Conference Center. The event combines executive discussions with workshops, breakout sessions, demonstrations, and networking.

Topics span agentic and sovereign AI, government automation, security, governance, and responsible deployment. The listed speakers include technology leaders from the Navy and Library of Congress alongside enterprise practitioners. The mix connects policy and leadership questions with the operating challenges of introducing AI into organizational workflows.

10. Baird Defense, Space and Government Conference

Baird hosts its Defense, Space and Government Conference on November 17 at The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C. The in-person gathering brings industry, government, and investment executives together to discuss market direction across defense, space, and government technology and services.

The program’s themes include defense technology, New Space, mergers and acquisitions, and equity capital markets. Its focus is executive-level sector and investment discussion, with networking across the companies and financial institutions active in these markets. Registration information is available through The GovCon Calendar listing.

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