As budgets tighten due to sequestration, contract attorneys expect that the number of bid protests will rise and that vendors will have to compete for a limited number of contracts. Martha Boyd, whose practice focuses on counseling clients who are competing for and executing contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies, said vendors with existing contracts should follow some basic steps, including trying to bolster business through more local, state or international contracting opportunities. “This is not the time to sit and wait,” she said. “First, try to make sure you deliver. This is not the time to stand out to your contracting officer as a problem.”