Three things, in order.
Confirm the procurement categories you intend to bid into. Most operators are over-broad in their initial scope. Narrowing it now sharpens the structure that needs to be built around it.
Begin the licensing and entity formation work no later than May 2026. Backloading it into the autumn closes the window before it opens.
Map your partner relationships to the specific procurement panels you will sit in front of. Generic relationships do not survive the scoring criteria. Specific ones do.
The 2027 window is open. It is also short. The operators who treat 2026 as a positioning year will walk into procurement with the strongest possible hand. The operators who treat 2026 as a planning year will walk in late.