GSA blames poor wording for STARS contract snafu
June 29, 2011 by cs
The General Services Administration is blaming “ambigous” language in an email to bidders on its $10 billion 8(a) contract for giving the mistake impression that it had made contract awards.
The email was intended to give notice that GSA was extending the selection process for the Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resources for Services (STARS) II governmentwide acquisition contract, according to a statement made June 23 by Mary Davie, assistant Federal Acquisition Service commissioner for integrated technology service at GSA.
Davie said the agency intends to award its major governmentwide small-business IT contract by the end of July, although it may have caused some confusion about awards.
GSA asked for a monthlong extension to try to get better prices from the companies bidding on its five-year, $10 billion contract. But because of the language issues some companies believe they had a spot on the IT GWAC and then lost it, Davie said.
A first correspondence, sent June 1, intended to say that officials, who are reviewing bids for STARS II, were continuing their review of submissions. The second letter, sent June 21, gave companies an opportunity for written discussions and called for a final proposal and pricing revision, Davie wrote.
“The second letter did specifically rescind a portion of earlier communications, which appeared to indicate that offerors were considered to be ‘apparently successful.’ This phrasing was ambiguous and should not have been used in these communications,” Davie said.
That second e-mail message, sent to companies, states: “Any part of previous communications from GSA stating or implying that offerors were deemed apparently successful is hereby rescinded.”
GSA was giving the small businesses time to re-examine the prices they offered in their initial bid proposals and adjust the pricing to “amplify its potential to be favorably considered,” the second message also states. Officials included the median price and prices in the 25th percentile as a guide for companies to make their revisions.
GSA had to get the extension to get better prices, Davie said.
“It would not have been possible to ask for more competitive pricing without going back to offerors to ask for an extension, provide them with an opportunity for additional discussions, and then request a final proposal revision,” Davie said.
She added that GSA’s GWAC program office is responding to contractors’ questions as part of the written discussions.
Although GSA’s follow-up message may be awkward, Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners, said it’s better than being criticized throughout the life of the contract because of high prices.
About the Author: Matthew Weigelt is acquisition editor for Federal Computer Week – June 24, 2011 at http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2011/06/24/gsa-stars-ii-gwac-davie-ambiguous.aspx?s=wtdaily_270611
Douglas County Chamber hosts “how to do business with local government” event Oct. 12th
June 28, 2011 by cs
Government gets a B in 2010 small-business contracting
June 28, 2011 by cs
•The Small Business Administration gave the government a B grade for its attempts to reach small-business contracting goals, including the annual 23 percent overall goal, an agency official said June 23.
The government awarded 22.7 percent of its contracting dollars to small companies in fiscal 2010, compared to 21.9 percent the previous year. It awarded $97.9 billion to small businesses in 2010, compared with $96.8 billion in 2009, a $1.1 billion increase.
The B grade means that the government met 90 percent to 99 percent of its goals for the year.
In 2010, the government improved in four of the five categories of small businesses compared to SBA’s previous score card. There were increases in contract dollars and performance against statutory goals, except in the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) category.
Small disadvantaged businesses received $34.4 billion, or 8 percent of contracting dollars. The government surpassed the 5 percent goal for the category, as it did in 2009.
Woman-owned small businesses received $17.5 billion, or 4 percent of contracting dollars, in 2010. It was less than a point short of the 5 percent annual goal. In 2009, such companies received 3.7 percent of contracting dollars.
Small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans received $10.8 billion, or 2.5 percent of contracting dollars. The government was 0.5 percent below the 3 percent goal for such companies, although the percentage increased from just under 2 percent in 2009.
The HUBZone small-business category was the only one to experience a decline in 2010. Such companies received $11.97 billion, or 2.77 percent of contracting dollars. The goal is 3 percent. In 2009, the government had awarded HUBZone businesses $12.41 billion, or 2.81 percent of contracting dollars.
Joe Jordan, associate administrator of government contracting and business development at SBA, said the parity issue played a part in the HUBZone decrease.
Last year, Congress settled a disagreement among the administration, lawmakers, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the Government Accountability Office about whether agencies are required to offer small-business set-aside contracts to HUBZone companies first. The debate was over the word “shall” in the law. In legislation passed toward the end of the year, Congress replaced the word with “may,” clearing up any confusion about the equality of small-business categories. Read more about the debate.
“I think the confusion around parity during 2010 had some contracting officers skittish around HUBZones and what they should and should not do,” Jordan said. “And that’s why it’s so great that parity is now the law of the land. There is no more confusion.”
About the Author: Matthew Weigelt is acquisition editor for Federal Computer Week – June 24, 2011 at http://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2011/06/24/sba-small-business-score-card-2010.aspx?s=wtdaily_270611
Middle Georgia supplier fair Sept. 7 & 8
June 27, 2011 by cs
The Governmental Purchasing Association of Georgia (GPAG) is holding its 2nd annual Supplier Fair at the Perry National Fairgrounds in Perry, GA on Sept. 7 and 8, 2011.
The cost of attendance is $175. There will be classes, government representatives, and lots of vendor present. For
more information go http://www.gpagfair.com/
For questions concerning the Supplier Fair you can contact Nancy Rooks at nrooks@gsw.edu , Supplier Fair Attendee Recruiter or Becky Daniel at becky.daniel@hcbe.net , Supplier Fair Co-Chair, or Jack Millet at emillet@bellsouth.net , Supplier Fair Co-Chair.
Oops, GSA takes back major contract awards
June 24, 2011 by cs
General Services Administration officials quickly rescinded an e-mail message
sent to small businesses telling them they had won spots on its major small
business governmentwide IT contract, according to an e-mail message obtained by
Washington Technology and Federal Computer Week.
Officials wrote in a follow-up message, which came a day after the award
notice, that they were checking prices again for the 8(a) Streamlined Technology
Acquisition Resources for Services (STARS) II contract. The message contained an
unsubtle suggestion that bidders might want to offer lower prices.
“Any part of previous communications from GSA stating or implying that
offerors were deemed apparently successful is hereby rescinded,” agency
officials wrote. “This discussion e-mail serves as notice that GSA has made the
decision to hold additional discussions, with an emphasis on pricing.”
STARS II is a 5-year, $10 billion indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity
(IDIQ) IT contract. GSA issued the first solicitation for the GWAC in July 2009.
Officials expect an award this month, according to GSA.gov.
GSA officials didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment..
Prices are becoming a central theme in the government as Congress and the
Obama administration attempte to rein in spending.
GSA is giving the 8(a) small businesses time to reexamine the prices they
offered in their initial bids and adjust the pricing to “amplify its potential
to be favorably considered,” according to the follow-up message.
The opportunity for price revisions is not merely a request for an update,
but it will play into GSA’s evaluations. “This is a competitive 8(a) procurement where comparative analysis with other
offerors’ pricing in response to this [Final Proposal Revision] opportunity, and
possibly other price analysis, will occur in order to assess price
reasonableness [or] unreasonableness,” GSA wrote.
In the rescission e-mail message, GSA gave companies pricing averages from
the initial bids as a guide for what’s been offered so far to let companies know
where their prices compare to other bidders.
Observers speculated that someone may have sent out an email too soon, or a
senior management official could have recognized in the 12th hour that the
agency needed look over the prices again.
“Oops,” Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners, said about
the initial message.
Either way, the STARS GWAC is “a crown jewel” of GSA and its small business
contracts. It’s next to the GSA’s Schedules in importance to the agency, he
said.
The follow-up rescission message may be awkward, but, Allen said, it’s better
than being criticized throughout the life of the contract because of high
prices.
Nevertheless, the small-business aspect, such as getting a good mix of
various business types, likely would get officials’ attention from the outset
before prices, he said. STARS offers customer agencies an avenue to boost their
small-business contacting percentages, which has helped to make the GWAC
successful.
Across the government though, pricing has become another essential topic in a
time when funding is set to diminish. It’s important enough that the Defense
Department made Shay Assad, a senior procurement policy official, the first
director of defense pricing in May.
That appointment points to the weight of the pricing issue, said Hope Lane, a
government contract consultant at Aronson Consulting.
“The government has to start implementing austerity measures,” said Lane, who
focuses on GSA Schedules.
It isn’t surprising that GSA may have rescinded its award notice in order to
make contractors improve their prices, she said. As agencies hunt for the best
value for their money, GSA’s STARS GWAC has to prove that it can actually save
money, or GSA will lose business to another IDIQ hosted by another agency, she
said.
“IT, in particular, is a competitive market among GWACs,” she said.
This mix-up may cost GSA by way of protests to the contract. Allen said the
likelihood of protests just jumped much higher.
About the Author: Matthew Weigelt is acquisition editor for Federal Computer Week -
June 22, 2011 – http://washingtontechnology.com/Articles/2011/06/22/GSA-rescinds-STARS-II-GWAC-award.aspx?p=1
Columbus, GA warfighting products conference set for Sept. 13-15
June 21, 2011 by cs
The Federal Business Council invites all businesses to exhibit at the Annual U.S. Army Maneuver Warfighting Conference. This premier event is scheduled to take place at the Iron Works Convention and Trade Center in Columbus, GA, September 13 – 15, 2011.
This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your products to a knowledgeable audience of decision makers throughout U.S. Army Warfighting branches. The 2011 event is expected to attract nearly 4,000 key players, including senior level officers, end-users, procurement officials, and everyone in-between. In addition, the exhibit hall attracts thousands more from the nearby Fort Benning.
The goal this year is to provide specialized and refresher training to key U.S. Army personnel and bring together the Warfighter community to receive top-notch training and exposure. This event has a great history. In previous years, there have been globally recognized vendors taking up more than 400 conference spaces (80,000 sq ft) representing the spectrum of Warfighting technologies. Many companies exhibit year after year.
The Maneuver Warfighting Conference is hosted by the U.S. Maneuver Center of Excellence with input from the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, which has played a large part in our nation’s Warfighting efforts. Your participation in this event is vital in helping to accomplish their mission and communicate the importance of the newest technology in relation to security, education, training, and awareness for the U.S. Warfighter.
Please call (800) 878-2940 for available marketing opportunities.
A good IT idea for government could win you $50K
June 16, 2011 by cs
Money talks. Or in this case, the sponsors of a new contest to find “the best idea to fix government,” hope it will persuade people far and wide to submit viable technology solutions to improve federal operations.
The Merit Awards contest, sponsored by MeriTalk, which describes itself as an IT community network of contractors, federal employees, and others, is accepting ideas until 6 p.m. Aug. 1. The program includes eight categories: citizen engagement, defense, emergency response, entitlement reform, workforce management and motivation, back office operations, results achievement and waste.
The contest is open to virtually anyone — individuals or teams, government employees or contractors, says MeriTalk’s Mark Meadows. What’s more, entrants may submit ideas however they see fit — from full-blown theses to Twitter messages. That should certainly make things interesting for the judges.
According to MeriTalk, judges will include Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va.; former Republican congressman Thomas M. Davis III; Mark Forman, the first administrator for e-government and IT at the Office of Management and Budget; Vivek Kundra, the federal CIO; Vint Cerf, Google executive and Internet pioneer; and MeriTalk’s founder, Steve O’Keeffe.
O’Keeffe, who described Washington as “an innovation wasteland,” said in a statement: “Let’s sic the power of good ol’ American ingenuity on Uncle Sam. And, let’s go further. Innovation knows no borders — nor does it need a green card. We invite Chinese, Indian, any nomination from the four corners of the globe.”
MeriTalk will announce the winner Aug. 23, at the Innovation Nation Forum in Washington.
– by Katherine McIntire Peters – NextGov – 06/13/11 07:16 am ET at http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2011/06/have_a_good_it_idea_for_government_you_could_win_50000.php?zone=NGtoday
GSA’s “Business Breakthrough” workshop coming to Atlanta Sept. 27-29
June 15, 2011 by cs
Is your business too large to qualify for the government’s small business procurement advantages, but not large enough to successfully compete with the nation’s largest corporations?
If your answer to that question is yes, then you should set your sights on an event being held by the General Services Administration (GSA) in Atlanta on Sept. 27-29, 2011.
GSA’s “Business Breakthrough” will offer companies a robust workshop agenda full of up-to-date information on how to successfully navigate government contracting. Representatives from GSA and industry will provide information and guidance including real-world case studies from across industries.
The workshop series will be presented over three days and will provide valuable information not only for companies new to Federal contracting but also those seeking to advance their knowledge. Whether your company is a first-time Federal Contractor or is advancing in Federal Contracting, the benefits you’ll receive include:
- Gaining an understanding from GSA’s perspective on how businesses can position themselves to increase their chances of working with the Federal government based on success-stories of their counterparts in industry.
- Learning how to use effective marketing strategies to connect with GSA’s Federal customers, including ways to target government buyers and to strengthen their ability to win Federal contracts.
The five workshops that make up the series are:
- Introduction to GSA and Contract Vehicles
- Accessing the Federal Marketplace
- GSA’s Culture of Innovation and Sustainability
- Strategies and Subcontracting/Teaming
- GSA Contract Administration & Compliance
Please note that the following topics will NOT be covered in the Business Breakthrough workshop series:
- how to get SBA small business certifications (8a, WOSB and any state certifications)
- how to register for CCR
- how to secure a DUNS Number
- how to identify your firm’s NAICS Code(s)
- how to prepare a GSA Schedule proposal offer
- determining which GSA Schedule best fits your firm’s capabilities
- how to participate in Federal socioeconomic set-aside programs
You can download a document containing descriptions of all six workshops here. To view the workshop schedule, go to http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/101475.
To register, visit http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/101483. You must regsiter in advance to attend.
As background, it’s important to know that GSA’s expertise in government workplace solutions include:
- Management of government assets including more than 9,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 215,000 vehicles in the federal fleet, and preservation of historic federal properties;
- Leveraging the government’s buying power through responsible acquisition of products and services making up approximately 14 percent of the government’s total procurement dollars;
- Providing innovative technology solutions to enhance government efficiency and increase citizen engagement; and,
- Promoting responsible use of federal resources through development of governmentwide policies ranging from federal travel to property and management practices.
$2.5B more allotted for small, women-owned firms
June 14, 2011 by cs
Danya Chandler plans to add employees and floor space to her Springbor, OHo engineering and manufacturing business in anticipation of winning a slice of $2.5 billion in additional contracts the federal government wants to award to small, women-owned businesses.
A Small Business Administration (SBA) program unveiled in April — more than a decade after its creation by Congress — aims to award 5 percent of all federal contracts to companies such as Chandler’s Connective Design Inc., which currently employs 10 workers in a business park just south of the new Austin Boulevard Interchange at Interstate 75.
While excited at the prospects, Chandler said she has conflicting feelings about qualifying for minority set-asides offered to women by the federal government after 20 years struggling for a level playing field in a male-dominated industry.
About 7.8 million of 27.1 million American firms are owned by women, and women-owned businesses generated $1.2 billion of $30.2 billion in total sales
those firms recorded in 2008, according to the latest U.S. Census data available.
Congress passed the law establishing the new set-aside programs for small, women-owned businesses in 2000.
More than a decade later, the program took effect April 1 after it was added to federal acquisition regulations.
“It was a priority for the Obama administration to implement this program and make it effective,” said Michele Chang, SBA’s senior adviser for the Office of
Government Contracting and Business Development. “Federal contracts can provide women-owned small businesses with the oxygen they need to take their business to the next level.”
Now SBA is conducting outreach programs with the hope of having companies certified and ready to compete for federal contracts in the third quarter of
this year “when the largest percent of small business contracts are awarded,” according to an SBA fact sheet.
Last year, the federal government awarded about $400 billion in contracts. Under the new program, up to 5 percent, or about $20 billion, in contracts will be set aside for small, women-owned businesses — about $2.5 billion more than were awarded to small, women-owned businesses in 2010, according to SBA.
To be certified for the program as a women-owned small business, or WOSB, companies must be at least 51 percent owned, controlled and primarily managed by one or more female U.S. citizens. Additional funds are available for “economically disadvantaged” companies in which the principals net worth is less than $750,000.
“Now we find out we’re disadvantaged,” Chandler said. “It’s kind of a sore spot.”
Small, women-owned businesses “weren’t getting their cut” of federal contracts, Chandler added. Started in a Miamisburg basement in 1991, Connective
Design Inc. is one of about 250,000 small, women-owned businesses in Ohio.
The company moved from Franklin into a new building off Ohio 741 south of the Austin interchange in October 2010 and recently increased its work force from seven to 10.
Originally a distributor of electrical components, it is now a manufacturer and custom and reverse engineering firm specializing in production of contacts,
connectors and assemblies for companies including DRS Environmental Systems, Florence, Ky., which provides air-quality equipment to military bases around the world.
In anticipation of continued growth, largely due to the new federal program, Chandler is eyeing expansion into an empty office and manufacturing space next door and plans to hire a quality manager, technical engineer and assembly workers by the end of the year.
Other area small, women-owned businesses are assessing the program as well.
Brenda Westendorf, president of VMI Corp., a plumbing company in Dayton, was excited to learn of the new federal program.
“I think it’s really acknowledging women,” she said. “Anybody can use all the help they can get from the government.”
Incorporated in 1996, VMI has already begun government contract work providing maintenance and repair services for metropolitan housing authorities
in Dayton and Butler County.
“There’s a lot of paper, a lot of forms, a lot of registration you’ve got to go through,” she said, but “I would love to go as far as I can with it.”
Shelly Robinson-Heller is skeptical about whether the new programs will help her company, Moraine-based Allied Shipping and Packaging.
“Working with the government is extremely time-consuming,” Robinson-Heller said.
Allied already is certified through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, qualifying it to participate in other programs designed to help women-owned businesses.
Still, Robinson-Heller said the new set- asides were a “step forward, but 5 percent of government contracts is not that much.”
For information, www.sba.gov/wosb
– By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer – Middletown (OH) Journal – 4:45 PM Saturday, June 11, 2011 at http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-business-news/-2-5b-more-allotted-for-small-women-owned-firms-1182852.html
DLA supplier conference scheduled for Ohio June 27-30
June 13, 2011 by cs
“Sustaining Warfighter Support while Reducing Cost” is the theme of this year’s supplier conference planned by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for Columbus, Ohio. This theme highlights DLA’s role in providing logistics support around the world during a time of constrained resources.
This event is scheduled to be held June 27-30, 2011.
The 2011 DLA Enterprise Supplier Conference & Exhibition will feature speakers and panelists from the Department of Defense, Military Services, DLA and other Government Agencies and Industry. There will be breakout sessions, displays and exhibits from all of DLA’s field activities. Also featured will be the presentation of DLA’s Business Alliance Awards.
This conference will include participation from all DLA activities, to include DLA Troop Support, DLA Aviation, DLA Land and Maritime, DLA Energy, DLA Distribution, DLA Disposition Services, and DLA Logistics Information Service for a Defense Logistics Agency-wide conference.
Last year’s conference was attended by over 3,000 people and included more than 230 exhibits. The host of the conference will be Vice Admiral Alan Thompson, Director, Defense Logistics Agency.
Confirmed Speakers:
• VADM Alan S. Thompson, SC, USN, Director, Defense Logistics Agency
• Mr. Daniel I. Gordon, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy
• Mr. Alan Estevez, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel Readiness
• Mr. Charlie Williams, Director, Defense Contract Management Agency
• Ms. Teresa McKay, Director, Defense Finance and Accounting Service
• Mr. Shay Assad, Director of the Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP)
Contact Info/Inquiries/Questions:
NDIA POC: Taryn Crowder, tcrowder@ndia.org or (703) 247-2566.
Registration details are at: http://www.ndia.org/meetings/1780/Pages/default.aspx
You can track updated announcements about this conference at https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=a6f1568f5a0c0127c543fd1630ce0ac4&tab=core&tabmode=list&=