Your federal customers have money through December 11. Past that date, nobody knows yet.
The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (H.R. 6500), signed September 2, 2026, funds federal agencies through December 11, 2026 at FY2026 levels. Under a continuing resolution, agencies generally keep existing work going but hold off on new programs and increases, so first-quarter buying on GSA Schedules tends to center on continuing requirements rather than new starts.
What Did Congress Actually Pass?
A short-term funding bill that keeps agencies running at last year’s levels for about ten weeks of the new fiscal year. The House passed H.R. 6500 by a vote of 370 to 48 on September 1, and the President signed it September 2.
Fiscal year 2027 began October 1, 2026 without full-year appropriations. That’s normal. Congress rarely finishes all twelve spending bills by October 1, which is why every fall starts with a CR and a new deadline to watch.
Can Agencies Still Place Orders on My GSA Schedule During a CR?
Yes. A CR provides funding, so agencies can keep placing orders against GSA Schedules for requirements the CR covers.
The limit is on what the money can be used for. CRs typically fund activity at the prior year’s rate and restrict new starts, so an agency program that didn’t exist in FY2026, or one planned to grow in FY2027, usually waits for full-year appropriations. Recurring requirements, renewals and replacements are what keep moving.
| Type of requirement | Under the CR (through Dec 11) | What to do now |
|---|---|---|
| Recurring services and renewals | Usually continues at FY2026 levels | Confirm option and order dates with your contracting officers this month |
| Replacement products and supplies | Often continues if it replaces existing capability | Keep your catalog pricing and availability current so buyers can order fast |
| New programs or expansions | Usually waits for full-year appropriations | Keep building the relationship and have your quote ready for when funding lands |
What Should GSA Schedule Holders Prepare Before December 11?
Four steps: sort your pipeline by funding type, lock in what’s already funded, plan for a possible lapse, and keep your Schedule clean.
- Sort your Q1 pipeline by funding type. Mark each opportunity as continuing or new. The new ones are the ones at risk of sliding past December 11.
- Get funded orders in writing. If an agency intends to place an order under current funding, ask whether it can be placed before the deadline rather than after.
- Check your order terms for a lapse. Know which of your active orders are fully funded and which depend on incremental funding, and who your contracting officer contacts are if a stop-work order arrives.
- Keep your Schedule clean. Pricing, catalog and modifications that are current mean a buyer with CR funding can order from you without a detour.
If most of your Q1 pipeline depends on one agency’s new-start money, that’s the account to re-plan now. A federal market strategy session finds where continuing requirements can fill the gap.
What Happens to My Active Orders if Funding Lapses After December 11?
It depends on how each order is funded and what your contracting officer directs. Agencies can’t obligate new money during a lapse in appropriations, so no new orders are funded until Congress acts.
Work on orders that are already fully funded often continues unless the contracting officer issues a stop-work order. Orders funded in increments, or work that needs government staff or facilities, are more likely to pause. If a lapse happens, get any stop-work direction in writing and track your costs from that date.
Should I Pause My GSA Offer or Modification Because of the CR?
No. A CR doesn’t stop GSA from reviewing offers and modifications, and your Schedule will outlast this funding cycle by years.
The risk is a lapse after December 11, which could slow reviews if staff are affected. That’s a reason to submit sooner, not later. Our post on why GSA offers and mods are taking longer in 2026 covers the other delays to plan around.
Our Take
A CR quarter rewards contractors who already sit on the vehicles agencies use for recurring work. That’s the logic behind Capitol 50’s GSA Verticalization™ service: aligning your Schedule’s SINs, pricing and catalog with the agencies and requirements that keep buying no matter what Congress does in December. The contractors who struggle in Q1 are the ones whose pipeline is all new starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can agencies still place orders on my GSA Schedule during a CR?
Yes. The CR funds agencies through December 11, 2026, so they can keep ordering for covered requirements. New programs and expansions usually wait for full-year appropriations.
What happens to my active orders if funding lapses after December 11?
Fully funded orders often continue unless the contracting officer issues a stop-work order. Incrementally funded work is more exposed. Get any direction in writing and track costs from the date you receive it.
Do agencies award new contracts under a CR?
They can, as long as the work fits within CR funding and restrictions. New starts and increases above prior-year levels generally wait for full-year funding.
Should I pause my GSA offer or modification because of the CR?
No. A CR doesn’t stop GSA offer reviews. A lapse after December 11 could slow them, which is a reason to submit sooner.
When does full-year funding usually arrive after a CR?
There’s no set timeline. Congress may pass full-year bills, another CR or a combination, and the next decision point is December 11, 2026.
Plan Q1 Around December 11, Not Around Hope
If your first-quarter forecast assumes new programs will fund on time, it assumes something Congress hasn’t done yet. A pipeline review now shows which opportunities are safe under the CR, which will slide, and where continuing requirements can fill the gap before the deadline.
→ Start Your Q1 Federal Pipeline Plan
The deadline is fixed. How exposed your quarter is to it isn’t.
