Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

State of Georgia hosting supplier systems training on January 26, 2022

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On January 26th, 2022, the Georgia Department of Administrative Services will be hosting a Supplier Systems Training event.  This event is different than its supplier orientation event being held on January 12th.  During the supplier systems training event, suppliers will be shown the steps to respond to bids in Team Georgia Marketplace and eSource.  They will learn how to search the Georgia Procurement Registry for open and awarded solicitations and download the attached required documents (bid documents).  They will also be shown important things to remember as they navigate through the state’s procurement process.  If information is needed about specific events, suppliers are encouraged to contact the associated buyer for the solicitation.

Location: Virtual (Online)

Start Time: 1/26/2022 – 10:00 a.m.

End Time: 1/26/2022 – 11:30 a.m.

You can register at the following website:  https://doas.ga.gov/state-purchasing/Events/JANUARY-2022-SUPPLIER-SYSTEMS-TRAINING

State of Georgia hosting supplier orientation training January 12, 2022

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The Georgia Department of Administrative Services will be hosting its January 2022 Supplier Orientation on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, at 10:00 a.m.

Supplier orientation sessions feature information on how to register your company to be on the state’s supplier list and establish your eligibility to receive bid notices.

At these sessions, general information will be given about the purchasing process and the various kinds of purchases that are made by state and local government entities.

Location: Virtual (Online)

Start Time: 1/22/2022 – 10:00 a.m.

End Time: 1/12/2022 – 11:30 a.m.

You can register at the following website:  https://doas.ga.gov/state-purchasing/Events/JANUARY-2022-SUPPLIER-ORIENTATION

Increasing criminal and False Claims Act liability in small business government contracting programs

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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) preference programs can be vital for small businesses trying to compete in the potentially lucrative world of U.S. government contracting, but participation in these programs is not without risk.  Indeed, the programs can be fraught with peril and contain many landmines for those who do not understand and diligently comply with applicable small business program requirements.

Small Business Government Contracting Programs

The SBA works to make sure small businesses get at least 23 percent of all federal contracting dollars each year, primarily through the SBA’s small business and contracting assistance programs.  These programs are designed to assist small businesses by limiting competition for certain government contracts or by awarding a certain percentage of contracts to small businesses that participate in the respective programs.  The SBA has a variety of such programs, such as the 8(a) Business Development (8(a)) Program), the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) program, the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program, and the Historically-Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program, which were created for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people or entities, service-disabled veterans, or women or small businesses operating in historically underutilized business zones, respectively.

Continue reading at: JD Supra

Proposed FAR rule seeks to accelerate payments to small business

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This past week, the FAR Council issued a proposed rule that would potentially speed up payments to small business prime contractors and subcontractors across the federal government.  The proposed rule, found at 86 Fed. Reg. 53,923, seeks to incentivize agencies to pay prime contractors that are small businesses within 15 days instead of 30 days after receipt of a proper invoice if no payment date is specified in the contract.  It also would apply to prime contractors that subcontract with small businesses, applying a similar 15-day requirement to pay small subcontractors when accelerated payments are received.  According to the proposed rule, the FAR Council will apply this to most federal contracts by seeking determinations to make this new rule applicable to commercial contracts as well as those under the Simplified Acquisition Threshold.

Continue reading at:  The Contractor’s Perspective

 

Task Force announces details of federal contractor vaccine mandate

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coronavirusThe Safer Federal Workforce Task Force (Task Force) has issued its guidance (Guidance) regarding the COVID-19 safety protocols that federal contractors must implement under President Biden’s recent Executive Order 14042.  The Guidance requires covered contractors and subcontractors to adopt a “hard” vaccine mandate—that is, to ensure that covered employees are fully vaccinated for COVID-19, subject only to legally required medical and religious exemptions, by December 8, 2021.

The mandate extends broadly not only to employees working directly on federal contracts, but also to those such as human resources, billing, and legal personnel who perform work “in connection with” covered contracts, and to all other employees working in the same location as such employees.  Certain employees who work remotely are also covered.  Covered contractors must implement safety protocols related to masks and social distancing in their workplaces as well.

Continue reading at:  Hogan Lovells

Undergraduate enrollment growth reflects inclusive excellence

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Over the past five years, Georgia Tech has strengthened its commitment to inclusive excellence by enrolling record numbers of undergraduate students from around the state, nation, and world.

Undergraduate enrollment has increased by almost 2,000 students in that time, expanding access to students from all backgrounds.  This includes rural Georgia, as well as students in the Black and Hispanic communities.  Incoming first-generation students (those who come from families where neither parent graduated from college) also increased by 80%.  And for the first time in Institute history, women comprise 40% of the total undergraduate population.  While we like to talk numbers, our real pride is in our students, many of whom have overcome formidable obstacles to make their dreams of a Georgia Tech degree come true.

Continue reading at:  Georgia Tech News Center

Georgia Tech delivers $4 billion in economic impact to the State of Georgia

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Roughly 275.  That’s how many jobs the company Stord has brought to the state of Georgia since it opened its doors in 2016.  The startup was one of the first to go through Georgia Tech’s CREATE-X incubator, offering cloud-based software that has since revolutionized the supply chain sector.  And as the company continues to grow, it has no plans to leave Atlanta.

“One of the best things we’ve done to give back to Georgia is the way Stord has accelerated the overall technology ecosystem, mostly as it pertains to venture, and beyond that, just bringing more capital to the market,” said Sean Henry, CEO and co-founder of Stord.

It’s not just Stord that’s giving back to the state. Georgia Tech’s economic impact on the state of Georgia was $4 billion in fiscal year 2020, according to data recently released by the University System of Georgia.

Companies like SalesLoft, Greenlight, and Pindrop all graduated from Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) — the state’s oldest technology incubator — and have stayed headquartered in Atlanta, infusing millions in capital and thousands of jobs into the state economy.  Other startup programs on campus include VentureLab, ENGAGE, and the Global Center for Medical Innovation, to name a few, helping students and faculty set up companies based on creative ideas and technological innovation.

Continue reading at:  Georgia Tech News Center

Georgia Tech awards first round of seed grants to support team-based research

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On August 5, the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research at Georgia Tech awarded a first round of grants meant to assist in the formation and advancement of cross-disciplinary research teams.

The grants come in response to shifting trends in national research and funding priorities.  Major funding agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) are increasing their support for large-scale, team-based projects, according to Georgia Tech faculty members Robert Butera and Devesh Ranjan.  Successful proposals for these projects often rely on integrating expertise from across disparate areas, including engineering, science, liberal arts, design, and business.

“A lot of cutting-edge science requires a team approach,” said Butera, who is also vice president for research development and operations.

Academic research faculty have historically worked within a narrower scope, according to Butera.  In particular, newer research programs have tended to be focused within one single discipline, with no more than one or two different faculty members involved.

Far larger projects are becoming more common.  One example is a $21.9 million DARPA-funded effort led by Phil Santangelo, professor of biomedical engineering, which seeks to develop gene-based therapeutics for flu and other viruses, including Covid-19.  That project directly involves vaccine manufacturers and a broad range of other collaborators.

“That’s a really huge research project,” said Butera.  “That’s a level of project management complexity and proposal development that faculty are [traditionally] not prepared for.”

Continue reading at:  Georgia Tech Research Horizons

Georgia Tech announces inaugural Associate Vice President of Corporate Engagement

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The Georgia Institute of Technology has named J. Mark Nolan as associate vice president of corporate engagement, effective Jan. 1, 2022.

Nolan is currently the associate vice president of business engagement and strategy at Carnegie Mellon University.  His appointment follows a national search and is part of a larger Institute effort for more strategic and complementary initiatives between its corporate relations and industry collaboration units.  Under this structure, Nolan will jointly report to the executive vice president for Research and the vice president for Development.

As associate vice president, Nolan will lead a newly created office that will serve as the nexus for the Institute’s entire partner relationship and activity portfolios.  The office is also tasked with facilitating collaboration efforts across various partner units within Georgia Tech, including the Enterprise Innovation Institute, Technology Licensing, Economic Development, Institute Relations, and Corporate Contracting, among others.

“Under Mark’s leadership, this new office will enhance our engagement with industry and corporate partners, showcasing the comprehensive breadth and scope of our capabilities and the various ways we connect with industry,” said Chaouki T. Abdallah, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech.  “We are thrilled for him to come on board as we begin to set a new standard for managing and maintaining our existing relationships while expanding upon new partnerships.”

Continue reading at:  Georgia Tech Research Website

DoD funds Georgia Tech to enhance U.S. hypersonics capabilities

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Vastly different than conventional military weapons and aircraft, hypersonics systems are game-changing for national security, providing unprecedented speed and maneuverability.  Operating at more than five times the speed of sound, these systems can alter course after takeoff, making them hard to intercept.  The U.S. government’s proposed fiscal year 2022 budget for hypersonics research and development is $3.8 billion, representing a nearly 20% increase from the previous year.

Developing vehicles capable of traveling at over a mile per second — speeds that cause vehicle surface temperatures to heat up to 2,200 degrees Celsius — presents daunting engineering challenges for hypersonics materials and systems.

To address these hurdles and enhance U.S. hypersonics capabilities, the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH) has tapped the Georgia Institute of Technology and key academic partners for four grants valued at $6 million over the next three years.  The awards draw on Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) expertise across advanced, high-temperature materials science and aerospace and mechanical engineering research — areas critical for future advances of these vehicles.

“Hypersonics research is a big area of focus for Georgia Tech.  It’s an area where the College of Engineering and GTRI can really collaborate and build upon GTRI’s strong foundation to be a real force in hypersonics,” said Devesh Ranjan, Ring Family Chair and associate chair for Research in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, who also serves as co-director of UCAH.

Continue reading at:  Georgia Tech News Center

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