Defense Leadership Forum hosts small business contracting summit

The Defense Leadership Forum gathered government, military and small business leaders this week in the Washington, DC area for its 2026 Small Business Government Contracting Summit. The event focused on federal contracting access, industrial base growth and subcontracting opportunities for small businesses.

Why it matters: - The summit connected small businesses with federal, defense and private-sector buyers at a time when government contracting remains a major growth channel for suppliers. - The event centered on expanding the industrial supply chain and improving small-business access to government work.

What happened: - The Defense Leadership Forum convened the 2026 Small Business Government Contracting Summit this week in the Washington, DC area. - The conference and expo brought together military and government officials, GovCon experts and small businesses from across the country. - The summit took place at the Carahsoft Conference & Collaboration Center in Reston, Virginia. - Michael McCalip, vice president of government programs and strategy at Carahsoft, delivered welcoming remarks.

The details: - John Shultz, acting director of the DoW Warfighting Investments, Resourcing, and Execution Office, delivered the opening address. - The WIRE Office is working to substantially expand the U.S. industrial supply chain so it can support new DoW priorities. - Greg Justice, associate administrator of GSA’s Office of Small Business, delivered the keynote address. - Rear Admiral (Ret.) Nick Kalathas, division director of GSA Acquisition Solutions Division, discussed the latest in GSA acquisition services. - Rita Brooks, SAIC’s small business director, highlighted subcontracting opportunities for small businesses. - Brooks also convened a panel of small business directors from Boeing Defense, SoSi and NTT DATA. - Rear Admiral (Ret.) Brad Williamson, the 32nd commandant of the Joint Forces Staff College, provided an update on Iran and the Middle East and how the region affects U.S. military contracting. - The summit was supported by multiple DoW agencies, GSA and the National Veteran Small Business Coalition. - Major sponsors included USFCR, CLEATUS, RADICL, A-LIGN, databrackets and Espresso Labs. - Neil McDonnell, CEO of the GovCon Chamber of Commerce, moderated the summit. - The Defense Leadership Forum has organized national conferences for 16 years, drawing thousands of military, government and business leaders.

Between the lines: - The speaker lineup shows a push to align procurement, small-business policy and defense industrial base needs in one forum. - The focus on subcontracting and acquisition services suggests small firms are being steered toward both direct and indirect paths into federal work. - The Middle East briefing signals that geopolitical developments continue to shape contracting priorities and defense demand.

What’s next: - The Defense Leadership Forum is likely to continue using its national conference platform to connect federal agencies, prime contractors and small businesses. - Small businesses attending the summit may pursue follow-up meetings with agencies and large contractors represented at the event. - The WIRE Office’s supply-chain expansion agenda will remain a key issue for defense suppliers watching future procurement opportunities.

The bottom line: - The summit was a networking and policy forum aimed at widening small-business access to federal defense contracting while reinforcing the U.S. industrial base.