Federal Market Insights [FMI]
Federal Market Insights [FMI] is an informal podcast designed to provide valuable information about the government marketplace for businesses interested in government contracting. Each episode is a concise 30-minute session, scheduled during the noon hour on Tuesdays . We review noteworthy items published during the week, delve into key topics, and offer background information and perspectives relevant to the government contracting landscape. Stop by, settle in and take-in the conversation.
Listen to recent past podcasts from the WPI Podcasts page.
Webinar Schedule – Click Webinar Title to Register
March 7, 2025 – Federal Certifications: Beyond Titles to Strategic Value – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
March 14, 2025 – The Language of Government Contracting: Why Definitions Matter – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
March 21, 2025 – Federal Information Security: Programs Every Contractor Should Know – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
April 4, 2025 – GSA Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
April 11, 2025 – How to Develop Your Outreach Playbook – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
April 25, 2025 – The Federal Marketplace for Those Who Have the Next Great Idea – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
May 2, 2025 – Foreign Ownership Control and Influence (FOCI) – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
June 17, 2025 – Competition for Government Work “Why aren’t you picking me?” – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
June 24, 2025 – Manufacturing in Wisconsin: Insights on What’s Good and What’s Concerning Manufacturers in Our State – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
July 1, 2025 – DLA’s Master Solicitation – Are You Reading It, and Why Not? – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
July 8, 2025 – Cracking the Code of the Procurement Instrument Identification (PIID) – How Understanding These Codes Can Help You Identify Customers – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
July 15, 2025 – Where’s the Market Research Data? Proxity, SAM, FPDS, and Other Sources – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
July 22, 2025 – Joint Certification Program, U.S. and Canada – An Overview of the Military TDA and Governing Directives – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
July 29, 2025 – Capabilities Statements – Informal Observations On What’s Good, What’s Bad, and How to Use Effectively Special Guest Jack Laufenberg – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
August 5, 2025 – Innovation – Artificial Intelligence and Its Role in DLA Contracting: What Contractors Need to Know – presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
August 12, 2025 – DLA’s QPLs, QMLs, and QBLs AND DLA Warehouse Logistics – What They Are and How They Apply to Your Work with DLA– presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
August 19, 2025 – Record Retention – What’s Required, What Mandates It, Why It Is Important. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
August 26, 2025 – Do You Have Skeletons in the Closet? Could They Come Back to Life? Issues to Ponder. Reviewing Past Performance. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
September 2, 2025 – What’s New With the FAR? The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Has Begun. What You Need to Know About It. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
September 9, 2025 – Cybersecurity Requirements for Non-DoD Vendors. The Big 15; What You Need to Know. Actions to Take. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
September 16, 2025 – Are You Part of the Old DIB or the New DIB? The Battlefield is Starting to Change and So Might DoD’s Needs. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
September 23, 2025 – How to Learn What You Need to Know. Applying the Feynman Technique May Help. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
September 30, 2025 – Tired of Hearing Everyone Talk About Using AI But Don’t Know How to Get Started. We Will Discuss Some Pointers That Will Help. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
October 7, 2025 – How the Federal Government Defines Research. 5 Critical Things to Know. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
October 14, 2025 – DIU’s Digital OnRamp Platform – What It Is and How Can It Help You Succeed in the Federal Marketplace. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
October 21, 2025 – If a Company Has Received an Award, Does That Mean That They Satisfy the Buy American Requirements? A Topic-Level Discussion of the Applicable Regulations. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
October 28, 2025 – Federal On-shoring Tools and Resources: What US Companies Need to Know. presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
November 18, 2025 – Contracting During and Post Shutdown; The Contracting Academy, Marketplace presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
November 25, 2025 – The Contracting Academy, Marketplace; Revolutionary FAR Overhaul presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
December 2, 2025 – Preparations for Marketplace; Maximizing the Value of the Contracting Academy presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
December 16, 2025 – Develop Your Post-Marketplace Communication Plan presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
December 23, 2025 – WPI Resources to Know About and Take Advantage Of presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
December 30, 2025 – Setting Your Goals for the New Year presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
January 6, 2026 – Defense Production Act presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
January 13, 2026 – Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
January 20, 2026 – Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
January 27, 2026 – Mentor Protégé Program presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
February 3, 2026 – The 4 Pillars of Contracting presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
February 10, 2026 – The Contracting Triangle presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
February 17, 2026 – The Contracting Equation presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
February 24, 2026 – FAR 52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concern presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
March 3, 2026 – Issues Related to Debarment presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
March 10, 2026 – Federal Contracts for Real Estate and Leasing Opportunities presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute
March 17, 2026 – Government Property Programs presented by Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, Wisconsin Procurement Institute and Mark Dennis, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute