Small-Business Contracts Worth $3B Up for Competition
By Ashley Bergander, The Washington Post, Capital Business
This summer looks like a good one for small businesses, as small-business contracts with the federal government worth more than $2 billion are set to open for competition in the coming months.
The upcoming contract competitions include opportunities across the defense landscape, with requirements ranging from geospatial capabilities to IT and professional services.
Here’s a look at three notable contracts — all specifically set aside for small businesses — that will be open for new competition this May: Continue reading »
Hubzone Designation Update
By Katie Flood, PilieroMazza PLLC
As participants in the HUBZone Program were painfully made aware in 2011 and 2012, HUBZone district designations are subject to change based upon economic and demographic shifts. If you are a HUBZone small business concern, it is important to keep tabs on the designation status of your district for purposes of your federal contract forecasting, particularly in light of several recent developments.
Generally, HUBZones are located within one or more qualified census tracts; qualified nonmetropolitan counties; Indian reservation lands; qualified base closure areas; or those areas “redesignated” as HUBZones after losing their qualifying status. If a HUBZone has been redesignated, it may only Continue reading »
GSA Eliminates Small Business Set-Aside Designation for AIMS Schedule SINs
The small business set-aside designations are being removed from GSA Schedule 541, Advertising and Integrated Marketing Solutions (AIMS). The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) now authorizes agencies to set aside procurements for small businesses at the task order level of a Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract.
This change will affect contractors that hold Special Item Numbers (SINs): Continue reading »
GovConNet Procurement Conference
May 17, 2013 – 7:30am – 3:00pm, at The Universities At Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850
The 2013 Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce GovConNet Procurement Conference attracts businesses ready to do business with federal, state & local governments, prime contractors and each other. Secure six months worth of business in one day!
The conference BREAKOUT SESSIONS provide businesses with access to experts and information about procurement opportunities and best business practices.
Wanna Be a Better Small Business Contractor? Feds Plan Small Biz Event – February 27
From Washington Technology: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, is hosting the Top Teaming Tactics: What Primes Really Want, a vendor outreach event.
The purpose of the event is to provide technical assistance for small businesses and women and minority-owned business interested in entering or growing their contract opportunities with the federal government, according to a press release.
The agenda for the event is as follows: Continue reading »
GSA Online Training Available 24 / 7
The Federal Acquisition Institute courses and modules available on the Defense Acquisition University’s website provide online anytime training to assist with your understanding of GSA Schedules and offer continuous learning points (CLPs) that may count towards your contracting certification and continuing education.
You’ll learn how to effectively use the GSA Schedules program to meet your requirements, use GSA tools to enhance competition, achieve small business utilization, procure sustainable acquisitions and much more. Most courses require passing a test with a 100% score to earn CLP credits.
GSA Schedules related courses include: Continue reading »
UPDATED: Breaking OASIS News: Size Standard Announced!
UPDATE, April 2013: Please refer to our OASIS Draft RFP Series posting on the size standard NAICS “pools,” which supersedes the information contained below.
The OASIS Program Management Office announced on Thursday, November 29th that it had selected NAICS Code 541330 (Engineering Services) as the NAICS Code applicable to OASIS and OASIS SB for the purpose of determining business size. Those familiar with this particular NAICS Code know that the basic size standard under it is $14.0M; however, it also contains a special size standard exception of $35.5M for Engineering Services for Military and Aerospace Equipment and Military Weapons. Using market research as directed under FAR Part 19.102 (c-d), GSA determined that Continue reading »
SBA Increases Size Standards in 3 NAICS Sectors; 18,600 Additional Businesses Qualify As Small
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued three final rules in the Federal Register, effective Oct. 24, 2012, increasing size standards for firms in three North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sectors: Sector 53 – Real Estate and Rental and Leasing; Sector 61 – Educational Services; and Sector 62 – Health Care and Social Assistance.
New size standards will enable more businesses in these sectors to obtain or retain small business status; will give federal agencies a larger pool of small businesses from which to choose for their procurement programs; and will make more small businesses eligible for SBA’s loan programs. Under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, Continue reading »
Updated 10/1/12 – OASIS News: GSA Announces Separate OASIS Small Business Contract, Update on Draft RFPs
For the latest OASIS news, be sure to check out our latest blog posting here.
UPDATE: Based on the number of questions on GSA Interact’s OASIS Industry Community, it seems that interest in this opportunity continues to grow; however, GSA has been very tight-lipped on most details about the contract, putting prospective bidders in a “wait and see” pattern. We will all have to wait a little longer now – the estimated release date for the OASIS and OASIS SB draft RFPs has now been moved to late October to allow time for GSA to post the OASIS Business Case and review comments. In other news, GSA recently sponsored a Customer Working Group with potential agency users and Program Manager Jim Ghiloni reports that the participants were extremely positive about OASIS and OASIS SB, which are now “revered as exciting developments throughout government.” As always, keep tuned to FedPoint for the latest OASIS and government contracting news!
GSA’s OASIS Program Manager, Jim Ghiloni, announced last week that the highly-anticipated $48B OASIS professional services contract vehicle will be divided into small business and unrestricted contracts. The purpose of this configuration is to help agencies meet their socioeconomic goals by allowing them to award set-aside task orders under OASIS SB. As part of this objective, Ghiloni states that “GSA is looking for the solicitation to result in adequate numbers of awards in each socioeconomic category to ensure meaningful competition for each task order set aside for specific socioeconomic groups. GSA believes this approach affords the opportunity for the broadest participation by all small businesses in the industry and will provide a vehicle that will facilitate agencies’ ability to comply with the small business set aside procedures and manage their small business program goals.” Continue reading »
Government Struggles with Small Business Contracting Goal
In a recent article, government contracting specialist Stan Soloway, President and CEO of the Professional Services Council, said that “small business prime contracting in fiscal year 2011 dropped below 22% after several years of flirting with the 23% goal” established by the federal government. The government also missed its goals for women-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned businesses and HUBZone businesses. Additionally, federal contractors failed to reach their goal of 35.9% of all subcontracts awarded to small businesses.
There are many theories as to why goals were unmet. Continue reading »
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- A Marriage of Inconvenience: GSA Schedule Contracts & The Contractor Code of Business Ethics & Conduct Clause
- Emerging Small Businesses: To Grow Your Business, You Must Plan For Growth
- Government Contracting: Look Before You Leap!
- GSA Schedules – Strategies for Success
- New Employee vs. Independent Contractor Considerations
- Pay on Display – Understanding the Executive Compensation and Subcontractor Data Reporting Requirements & Ramifications
- The GSA Schedule: Your Ticket to the Federal Market (May 2010)
- The New FAR Codes of Conduct and Compliance Program Provisions
- The Seven Deadly Sins (of contract compliance)