As we wind down 2019, all of us at SmallGovCon would like to wish our readers a happy and prosperous 2020! No doubt the new year will bring plenty of regulatory changes, impactful decisions, and other important updates in the federal contracting world. We’ll help you keep a handle on it.
Category Archives: Events
Posts dealing with seminars, webinars, and other government contracting events in which Steven Koprince is a speaker, panelist, sponsor, etc.
GSA Releases IT Security and Authentication Solutions for Federal Agencies
GSA released a Draft Identity, Credentialing, and Access Management (ICAM) Solutions Catalog in response to an Executive Order and a new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy. These ICAM Solutions will assist federal agencies in managing and monitoring user access to information systems in order to ensure secure operations and could change security and authentication procedures for federal contractors.
From the President on down, cybersecurity, including authentication, is a pressing concern for all federal contractors.
READ MOREThanks to the Missouri Procurement Conference 2019!
I recently returned from the Procurement Conference 2019 featuring Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler in Warrensburg, Mo. It was a great experience! The remarks of the Congresswoman, as well as those of keynote speaker the Hon. Alan Shaffer, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Acquisition & Sustainment.
One theme they both touched on was that the Department of Defense is looking for great ideas from contractors and wants to pay well for those innovative ideas. That’s good news for federal contractors!
Thanks to all who organized the event, especially Bill Stuby with Missouri PTAC. I was able to provide an update on current issues in government contracting to a lively audience. And thanks to all who stopped by our booth to chat!
GSA Demystifies DUNS Replacement ID
“Change can be confusing. Change can be frustrating.” No, this is not from the cover of a self-help book. This is GSA’s acknowledgment that, often, we fear change.
To combat fears about changes to the DUNS number, GSA recently released a Q&A providing some answers on the new Unique Entity ID (UEI) Standard, which is set to replace the current DUNS system in December 2020. The Q&A followed GSA’s online meeting on the topic in July, which hosted over 700 attendees. GSA answered general questions about the transition, the UEI that will be used, and how to obtain a new identifier. Let’s take a look.
Continue readingGSA On Track to Release Consolidated MAS Program Schedule On First of October
This week, GSA announced it is on track to debut its Consolidated Multiple Acquisition Schedule (MAS) Program Schedule Solicitation on October 1. GSA also gave federal contractors planning to bid on the MAS a head start on the process by releasing a final draft solicitation and an updated industry FAQs sheet.
Let’s take a look at how to utilize this opportunity to prepare for the solicitation’s long-awaited debut.
Continue readingU.S. Government to Ditch the DUNS
Earlier this month, the GSA announced a new Unique Entity Identifier Standard for Federal awards management. The new standard will go into effect December 2020. It will replace the current DUNS number system as the official identifier for all businesses contracting with the U.S. Federal Government.
This should make registering to do business with the federal government a little easier, but the proof will be in the roll-out.
Continue readingGSA Announces Plans to Consolidate MAS Contracts and Asks for Industry Feedback
The General Services Administration is conducting market research for its planned consolidation of the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program. Earlier this month, GSA publicly announced the new single solicitation format, including streamlined terms and conditions, and its intention to collect feedback from government contractors in the industry.
According to GSA, the consolidation is part of its two-year modernization process for the program that began in November of 2018. The consolidated MAS solicitation is scheduled for release later this year. And if you have concerns or suggestions for GSA on this significant consolidation, there is still time for your input.
Continue reading