All Learning Content
GSA Awards 80 Small Businesses Spot on $15 Billion Alliant 2 GWAC Vehicle
Dec 11, 2017
The General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded 80 companies positions on the small business track of a potential 10-year, $15 billion governmentwide contract vehicle for information technology platforms and services. GSA listed the winners on the Alliant 2 Small Business GWAC in a pre-award...
Joint Ventures & OCIs: A Cautionary Tale
Dec 11, 2017
For small government contractors, joint ventures can be an important vehicle for successfully pursuing larger and more complex opportunities. As the SBA’s All Small Mentor-Protege Program enters its second full year, the popularity of joint ventures seems to be increasing significantly.
But...
Acquisition Actions for Cloud Services Picking Up Speed
Dec 11, 2017
Seven years after the Office of Management and Budget directed agencies to consider moving to the cloud, agencies finally are ready to pick up the pace. The General Services Administration (GSA) issued several acquisition notices for cloud computing services and others, like the departments of...
Sustainable Procurement Standard – What Really Drives An Organisation To Get Assessed
Dec 11, 2017
Last month we wrote about the world’s first international guidance standard for sustainable procurement best practice, ISO 20400, which aims to help organisations develop and implement sustainable purchasing practices and policies. Any organisation, in any sector, wishing to embed sustainability...
GAO: 8(a) Sole-Source Set-Aside Proper Notwithstanding Prior Intent
Dec 8, 2017
As a general rule, the SBA is prohibited from accepting a solicitation into the 8(a) Business Development Program if the procuring agency previously expressed publicly a clear intent to award the contract as a small business set-aside.
On its face, this restriction seems clear. In practice, it can...
SmallGovCon Week In Review: December 4-8, 2017
Dec 8, 2017
I am back in the office after a great time at the 2017 National Veterans Small Business Engagement in St. Louis. I was able to see many familiar faces and meet many new ones. A big thanks to everyone who attended my presentation on the nonmanufacturer rule and visited the Koprince...
GAO Sustains Protest of “Unduly Restrictive” Solicitation Requirement
Dec 8, 2017
GAO typically affords agencies wide discretion to establish technical restrictions within solicitations.
In a recent decision, however, GAO confirmed that such discretion is not unbounded. When an agency’s technical restriction is unduly restrictive of competition, the GAO will sustain a bid...
Census Moves Forward After $283 Million Contract Dispute
Dec 7, 2017
AT&T, the company that filed the protest, reached a deal to work as a subcontractor on Census operations. A Census official told the Government Accountability Office that AT&T would no longer contest the $283 million mobile contract awarded to CDW-G, and instead, the companies reached an agreement...
Infographic: Benefits of Business Intelligence Solutions
Dec 7, 2017
Governments and public-facing organizations around the world generate and capture enormous amounts of data. Increasingly, they are looking to technology as the way to transform every process, from connecting data and generating reports to visualizing information and forecasting future trends....
Senate Confirms New DHS, GSA Chiefs
Dec 7, 2017
Kirstjen Nielsen was confirmed to lead the Department of Homeland Security, while Emily Murphy was confirmed as administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA). Nielsen will be the first cyber professional to head the agency, leading efforts to coordinate cybersecurity of privately owned...
Public Sector Purchasing Bodies Join in Largest Water Framework Agreement
Dec 7, 2017
Earlier this year, the UK Crown Commercial Service joined forces with public sector procurement arm YPO, The Energy Consortium, the ESPO, NEPO procurement arms, West Mercia Energy and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to bring the largest public sector water framework agreement to the UK market....
VA Considering “Tiered Evaluations” To Address SDVOSB Price Concerns
Dec 7, 2017
The VA is considering using so-called “tiered evaluations” to address concerns that SDVOSBs and VOSBs may not always offer “fair and reasonable” pricing, even when two or more veteran-owned companies compete for a contract.
In a session yesterday at the National Veterans Small Business...
