It's not a requirement in all solicitations that they would have previous government experience. That being said, it often is one of the characteristics that's used in the mandatory criteria to diminish the field of eligible options. When we see that, it often draws our attention by noting that it's a restrictive criteria, and then there has to be a justification. That's the other side. When you develop these mandatory criteria, you need to be able to justify why they're so essential to delivering on the ultimate outcome. In many instances, there might be justifiable reasons, but when you couple everything together, it's impossible to meet all of those characteristics and still have an open and fair competition.
On January 31st, 2024. See this statement in context.