Will CCS Tech Services 2 Framework Open Up Public Procurement to SMEs?
Nov 10, 2017
Government Computing asks whether the UK Crown Commercial Service Tech Services 2 framework changes will be more beneficial to smaller businesses in “Will Technology Services 2 changes open up public sector procurement to SMEs?” Five major central government frameworks are scheduled between...
InnProBio Launches Online Toolbox for Buyers
Nov 10, 2017
The InnProBio European project has launched an online toolbox for bio-based procurement in the public sector. The toolbox is a starting point for public buyers to learn about the various bio-based products available on the market when considering alternatives to plastics produced from fossil-based...
SmallGovCon Week in Review: November 6-10, 2017
Nov 10, 2017
Happy Veterans Day to all our SmallGovCon readers. We hope that you will take some time today and tomorrow to honor the strength, loyalty and commitment that our brave veterans dedicated to this country. Veterans, we are deeply grateful for your service.
This edition of SmallGovCon Week In...
IT Funding, Amazon Amendment Survive Defense Authorization Bill Conference
Nov 10, 2017
The Senate Armed Services Committee released summary details of the $700 billion National Defense Authorization Act following conference negotiations to merge House and Senate versions. Highlights in the summary include the creation of a $500 million modernization fund through the Modernizing...
Smaller Cities Are Getting Smarter About How They Buy Things
Nov 8, 2017
Performance-based contracting and electronic purchasing platforms have been a best practice in big cities for years. Now some mid-sized municipalities are adopting these approaches but implementing shifts isn’t easy. Generally, smaller cities have been slow to fully embrace e-procurement and...
Congress Gets Closer to Final NDAA, Amazon Provision Remains Real Possibility
Nov 8, 2017
As House and Senate conferees close in on the 2018 National Defense Authorization (NDAA) bill, the controversial “Amazon” provision is still in play. Section 801 of the House version of the NDAA would require the General Services Administration to create one or more online marketplaces for...
How Can Government Deliver an Amazon-Like Service Experience to Constituents?
Nov 8, 2017
States at the forefront of developing a unified, customer-centric digital government experience share some of their top insights. Others can learn from Georgia, Utah, and Ohio. Georgia’s work has been fostering buy-in across agencies, data-driven decision-making and creating one source of...
Salient Characteristics in Government Solicitations: Close Isn’t Good Enough
Nov 6, 2017
It’s a Sunday afternoon and instead of watching football (CHIEFS!), you’re shopping for a new refrigerator. You explain to the salesman your must-haves: a black refrigerator with a bottom-drawer freezer and an in-door water dispenser. But rather than showing you refrigerators that meet your...
SmallGovCon Week In Review: October 30-November 3, 2017
Nov 3, 2017
Although the temperatures outside may be dropping, things are heating up in the contracting world. Now one month into the 2018 federal fiscal year, agencies have new budgets and there is a lot money to be spent. We will keep a close eye on awards, regulation changes, and related issues to federal...
GAO: Email Delivery Receipt Didn’t Confirm Proposal Submission
Nov 3, 2017
You might think that if you send an email with the delivery receipt option and the delivery receipt comes back, the email was delivered. But when an offeror submits a proposal by email, does a delivery receipt mean that the agency necessarily received the proposal in its inbox?
At least under the...
Federal IT Reforms Free Up Funds in Budget Forecast
Nov 2, 2017
Federal IT reforms from the previous administration are starting to have an effect, but there’s a long way to go according to industry executives. The government saved about $7 billion during the 2017 fiscal year through a combination of closing and consolidating federal data centers and an...
Councils Should Not Take On Large Public Procurement Projects
Nov 2, 2017
An Edinburgh tram inquiry is examining why the tram system was delivered years late and £400m over budget. The former transport convenor told the inquiry he believes local councils should not be responsible for large public procurement projects as they create too many opportunities for division...
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Perspectives and Insights
We have some other written articles around the issues of lots and lotting (splitting up their contract requirements into smaller contracts), and …
One major trend over the past twenty years in public procurement has been the greater centralization of procurement activity. Conceptually and practically, collaborative procurement is …
Think you know all about public sector owned professional buying organisations (PBOs) and what they do? Here are ten interesting facts that might just surprise …
Policies and Regulations
A few months back, we published several articles about the very interesting – and somewhat shocking – court case around the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning …
The Procurement of Innovation Platform aims to make public procurement of innovation a widespread reality in Europe. The Platform has been developed to help public …
Why Evaluation in Public Procurement is Important If the phrase “bid evaluation” makes you cringe, don’t worry: you’re not alone. If …