All Learning Content
Plans for robot soldiers on the battlefield
Dec 11, 2020
The head of the UK’s armed forces has suggested that as many as 30,000 “robot soldiers” could be fighting alongside humans in the near future as the British army is forced to modernise. General Sir Nick Carter is reported to have said that an armed forces that is “designed for the...
AI4Cities has launched Request for Tenders
Dec 11, 2020
Six European cities and regions — Amsterdam (Netherlands), Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), Île-de-France, Paris Region (France), Stavanger (Norway) and Tallinn (Estonia) — have developed ambitious strategies and policy plans to become carbon neutral by at latest 2050. AI4Cities, an...
Am I Eligible for A Small Business Set Aside Contract?
Dec 8, 2020
Many entrepreneurs are attracted to government contracting by the small business set aside contract. And they are surprised to learn that a range of set-aside contracts exist, and not all small businesses are created equal.
If you’re considering government contracting and think your business may...
Public Spend Forum’s GovShop Partners with Fandes and XPDEL to Launch Online PPE Marketplace
Dec 8, 2020
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March 2020, Public Spend Forum got to work through its innovative supplier intelligence platform, GovShop. With over 1.8 million companies and more than 180 million data points, GovShop created the largest supply chain data set, helping governments...
10 Years Later, OMB’s First ‘Myth-Busting’ Memo Still Relevant, A Must-Read
Dec 3, 2020
In a few short months, we’ll be approaching the 10-year anniversary of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) releasing its first “Myth-Busting” memo. Released on February 2, 2011, the first memo was issued by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to address misconceptions in...
Public buyers urged to prepare for Find a Tender
Dec 3, 2020
UK public sector buyers will be required to publish notices for procurements to the new UK e-notification service Find a Tender (FTS) from 11pm on Dec. 31, 2020.
In a Procurement Policy Note (PPN), the Cabinet Office said public sector buyers must use FTS rather than European public procurement...
Why governments need an AI strategy: A conversation with the WEF’s head of AI
Dec 3, 2020
McKinsey’s David DeLallo and Kay Firth-Butterfield, the head of AI and machine learning at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, discuss how individual governments are strategizing on how best to use AI to benefit their citizens. With its widespread...
UK review urges mandatory transparency on use of algorithms in public sector
Dec 3, 2020
The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), a panel that advises the UK government on artificial intelligence and data-driven technology, has said public bodies should be required to publish information on how the decision to use an algorithm was made, the type of algorithm used, how it was...
How to Become a Government Contractor: The GovShop Guide to SAM Registration
Dec 2, 2020
So you want to become a government contractor? Let’s start with the long pole in the tent: If you want to win government contracts, you must first be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). You and your company are not eligible to receive a contract from the federal government until...
Tech Showcase: NFI Masks Produces Respirators and Masks in the Midst of COVID-19
Nov 30, 2020
NFI Masks produced respirators and masks during the rise of the pandemic to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Their masks are categorized into two types, a KN style mask which is a multi-layer mask, and a single-use face mask. The masks are 100% manufactured from raw materials within the United...
NAO report ‘will do little to quell concerns about cronyism in UK government procurement’
Nov 20, 2020
A Whitehall spending watchdog report ‘will do little to quell concerns about cronyism in UK government procurement’- says OpenDemocracy. It would appear that more than £10 billion of contracts were awarded by the UK government without competition during the sourcing of PPE. The spending...
UK Government creates £1bn deal to buy direct from major software vendors
Nov 20, 2020
The UK government is creating a £1bn-plus framework to allow organisations across the public sector to buy a comprehensive range of back-office software tools direct from major vendors. The framework, which will be worth an estimated £1.2bn, is due come into effect in April 2021 and will last for...
