Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

GTPAC launches GoToStage on-demand training channel

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The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (“GTPAC”) today announced the launch of its GoToStage on-demand training channel.  This channel will be the primary repository of recorded GTPAC webinars and training events.

The channel allows GTPAC clients and prospective clients, including the general public, to receive FREE GTPAC training on-demand at no cost. 

“We understand that it is sometimes difficult to attend our webinars live.  During the past six months I have been regularly recording my webinars and sharing them,” said Andrew Smith, GTPAC Program Manager.  “We wanted to have a place where we could put all our recorded webinars and make them available to our clients and prospective clients on-demand for free.”

GTPAC will also be posting recorded webinars to their new GTPAC Community online platform as well.  The goal of these efforts is to make access to training as simple and easy as possible.

“I’m committed to providing training via webinar and on-demand,” said Smith, “With Atlanta’s traffic, it is difficult sometimes to attend training events in-person, and it is often more efficient to receive training via webinar or on-demand.  I want our services and training to be as accessible as possible.”

New training videos will be continuously posted to the new channel as webinars occur and are recorded – providing a rich and growing resource of GTPAC programming and training videos.

Clients, prospective clients, and the general public can access the on-demand training at the following website:

https://www.gotostage.com/channel/gtpac

Save the date: GSA to host FAST conference April 14-16, 2020 in Atlanta

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During the Coalition’s Spring Training Conference last week, Emily Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration, announced that the agency will be hosting a Federal Acquisition Service Training (FAST) Conference on April 14-16, 2020, in Atlanta.

As many of you know, the Coalition has been a strong advocate for GSA-hosted training opportunities, which will help facilitate the critically important task of educating government and industry on GSA’s contracting programs, e-tools, and other initiatives in an environment that fosters constructive dialogue for common sense solutions.

The return of a nation-wide training conference is a game-changer for GSA and the procurement community.  The FAST Conference will provide agencies, as well as industry, with thousands of procurement training hours and the opportunity to explore the latest commercial solutions that meet Federal agencies’ mission critical needs.  In addition, the Conference will provide GSA, customer agencies, and industry with a unique and valuable business intelligence opportunity, as stakeholders share information on key program initiatives, acquisition policies, commercial capabilities, and trends in the commercial marketplace.

You can find more information on the conference here.

Continue reading at:  Federal News Network

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to hold small business exchange and matchmaking event June 5th

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The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) is holding a Small Business Exchange and Matchmaking Event June 5th in Atlanta, Georgia.  The event is FREE and small businesses will have the chance to learn about contracting opportunities with the NRC and other U.S. Government Agencies.  The event will be attended by the NRC, other local government agencies, prime contractors and resource partners. 

What to Expect:  A day packed with informational sessions, B2G matchmaking, and partner exhibitors. 

Where:  Georgia State University Student Center, 33 Gilmer Street SE, Atlanta, Georgia 30303

When:  June 5th, 2019

Time:  8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Please make sure to register at:  https://nrcsboutreachatlanta2019.eventbrite.com/

Event flyer:  NRCSBOutreach Registration Flyer – Final 4.9

Two new free webinars to be presented on Oct. 24th

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The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) has just added two new webinars to our free training roster.  Both webinars will be presented on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018. 

Details, times, and registration details appear below.

“Capabilities Statement — What It Is and Why You Should Have One”  

  • Time: 10:00 to 11:30 am
  • Description: In order to effectively market yourself in the government sector, you should have a corporate résumé. Government agencies call this a Capabilities Statement.  A Capabilities Statement should contain information to tell buyers why you’re an expert and why they should feel confident about awarding you a contract. This workshop provides instruction on how to write a good Capabilities Statement, including all the right ingredients. If you are looking for help with how to present your company to government decision-makers, then attending this workshop is a must.
  • Register at: https://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/events/8558

“How to Create a Great Elevator Speech”

  • Time: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
  • Description: Ever wondered how to introduce your business to a government buyer? Like everything else, there’s a right way and a wrong way. Government officials are often pressed for time, so you usually have a limited amount of time to “sell yourself.” This workshop will teach you how to introduce yourself like a pro … and convince decision-makers that you are an expert at what you do!
  • Register at: https://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/events/8559

 

DoD’s R&D fund sponsors free online training

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The Department of Defense’s SBIR/STTR Program Office has put together an on-line training program catalogue for small businesses for the year.

Small businesses — who are pursuing projects with potential for commercialization and which match-up with specific U.S. Government research and development (R&D) needs — should look into the SBIR/STTR program.

Upcoming SBIR/STTR webinar topics are listed below, along with dates and training registration links.  All are offered free of charge.

  1. How to Use the DOD SBIR/STTR Submission Site / Important Proposal Considerations / Using SITIS – May 24, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  2. Managing Intellectual Property – Important Business Considerations for Commercialization – June 5, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  3. Understanding the Evaluation Process / What to Do with a Debrief – June 26, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site 
  4. Working with Prime Contractors – July 17, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site 
  5. The DOD Acquisition Process / Contracting – August 1, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  6. Commercialization Assistance Programs and Beyond Phase II Considerations – September 4, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  7. Manufacturing / Working with MIBP – September 18, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  8. Testing and Evaluation – October 9, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site 
  9. Phase III Process – How to Identify Non-SBIR – October 30, 2018 – http://bit.ly/PIIIprocess 

For more information about the SBIR/STTR programs, visit https://www.sbir.gov/about/about-sttr.

GTPAC’s cybersecurity initiative recognized with national ‘Outstanding Project Award’

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GTPAC received the Outstanding Project Award at APTAC’s annual training conference on Mar. 7, 2018.

The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) was honored this week by the Association of Procurement Assistance Centers (APTAC), the organization which represents 98 procurement technical assistance centers (PTACs) across the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico.

GTPAC was presented with APTAC’s Outstanding Project Award which annually recognizes an accomplishment that stands out from the day-to-day activities that all PTACs organize and undertake.

The project recognized by APTAC is GTPAC’s instructional video that provides step-by-step guidance to government contractors on how they can achieve compliance with Department of Defense (DoD) cybersecurity requirements  designed to safeguard DoD information and report on cyber incidents.

GTPAC’s video and accompanying resources – including a template which contractors may use – are made available free of charge on the GTPAC web site at: http://gtpac.org/cybersecurity-training-video.

The video and template have been heralded both by PTACs, who counsel businesses, and by businesses themselves as valuable one-stop resources for existing contractors and aspiring DoD contractors alike.  Since the launch of these training tools at the end of last year, 1,284 persons have viewed the video and downloaded the template 1,508 times.

Specifically, the video explains Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) clause 252.204-7012, including its key definitions and cyber obligations, including its primary requirement that defense contractors which process, store or transmit “covered defense information” must address 110 individual cybersecurity controls outlined in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-171.

The 20-minute video not only provides information on these requirements, but also provides specific guidance on how government contractors can achieve compliance with the DFARS clause and the NIST standards.  The video guides government contractors on how they can perform a “self-assessment” of their information system using NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Cybersecurity Self-Assessment Handbook.

One of the most creative and innovative aspects of the project is the 127-page cybersecurity template GTPAC created in conjunction with the video.  The template provides step-by-step instructions on how government contractors can create a “Systems Security Plan” and “Plan of Action” – documentation necessary to achieve compliance.

The resources GTPAC created are very timely in light of recent warnings from DoD that it plans to request and evaluate cyber plans from businesses as a part of the contract award decision-making process.   If the video is carefully reviewed and the template is fully completed and properly filled out, contractors will be in a position to document their compliance with the DFARS cybersecurity requirements.

Members of the GTPAC team proudly show off the national award they received.

GTPAC program manager Joe Beaulieu points out that “by providing the video and cybersecurity template, GTPAC’s objective is to make the process of achieving compliance much easier, especially for small defense contractors who may not have the resources necessary to develop such plans from scratch.”  Indeed, the template makes the process of drafting the required documentation easier, as contractors merely have to fill in the blanks and answer specific questions, rather than work from a blank slate.  While it is ultimately up to the contractor to meet the requirements and to provide accurate information, GTPAC’s video and template provide contractors with an excellent starting point for assessing, achieving and documenting compliance.

In honoring GTPAC with the Outstanding Project Award, APTAC encouraged other PTACs to make use of the video, template, and resource materials posted at http://gtpac.org/cybersecurity-training-video.  NIST recently provided similar encouragement to their nationwide network of MEPs in their work with U.S. manufacturers.  GTPAC coordinated the creation of the cybersecurity materials with the Georgia MEP (GaMEP) which, like GTPAC, is a part of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2).

EI2 is Georgia Tech’s business outreach organization which serves as the primary vehicle to achieve Georgia Tech’s goal of expanded local, regional, and global outreach.  EI2 is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive university-based program of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization, and economic development.

GTPAC is a state-wide program operated by EI2 under a cooperative agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).   In 2017, Georgia businesses won more than 5,000 government contracts – worth more than $1 billion – with GTPAC’s help.  All totalled, GTPAC provided counseling, instruction, and bid opportunities to 2,548 Georgia businesses during the past year.

Read this to learn about our free training in March and April

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The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) encourages all business people who want to be successful government contractors to commit themselves to continuous learning. 

To make learning easy, GTPAC regularly offers a wide range of seminars and webinars on government contracting topics.   Here’s a list of upcoming training events — offered at locations across the state of Georgia.  All are free of charge!

Click on the seminar titles below for more information or to register.

For a complete list of all of GTPAC’s training seminars, please visit: https://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/events.

No holiday slowdown here! Here are the free training seminars you can attend before the end of the year

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Government buying never quits.

30th Anniversary - GTPAC 2016Government agencies award contracts 365 days of the year.  New contracting opportunities develop all the time, and acquisition rules change frequently.

The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) is committed to help Georgia businesses succeed in the government marketplace.  That’s why our team of professionals study new developments daily, update our training seminars on a regular basis, and teach a wide array of training seminars every month.

Even though the holiday season is quickly approaching, the pace of our training offerings is not slowing down.  Take a look at what we’re offering you this month:

GTPAC webinars make it convenient to learn more about government contracting

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30th Anniversary - GTPAC 2016Did you know that many of the training seminars offered by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) are presented in a webinar format?

This means that you can participate in top-notch training offered by GTPAC’s team of experts from the comfort and convenience of your home or office!  And, as always, GTPAC seminars are free of charge.

Consider the topics covered in upcoming webinars:

  • Introduction to Government Contracting – Oct. 27th – 1-4 pm; Nov. 1st – 9-noon; Dec. 6th – 9-noon; Dec. 14th – 9-noon
  • Selling to State and Local Governments – Oct. 27th – 10-noon; Nov. 2nd – 9-noon; Nov. 15th – 10-noon
  • Preparing Successful Bids & Proposals – Nov. 10th – 10-noon; Nov. 17th – 10-noon
  • Small Business Certification Programs – Nov. 29th – 10-noon
  • Mentor-Protege Programs – Dec. 5th – 10-noon
  • Construction Contracting – Dec. 8th – 10-noon
  • Woman-Owned Small Business Program – Dec. 20th – 10-noon

Register for any of these free webinars by visiting http://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/events.  (In-classroom training seminars are listed, too.)  Once there, simply click on the seminar title of your choice to initiate the registration process.  After registration, you’ll receive a confirmation email.  A couple days before the webinar, you’ll receive a reminder, along with webinar log-in information.

Georgia Tech schedules federal construction and A-E contracting classes in 2016

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Two new classes — designed for government contracting officials and contractors alike — will be offered by Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy in 2016.

Each of the two classes is five days in length, and each provides critical insights into how the government plans and executes contracting strategies for construction and architectural-engineering (A-E) work.

CON 243CON 243: Architect-Engineer Contracting is a five-day course, focusing on contracting for architectural-engineering services, covers issues across the contracting spectrum, including acquisition planning, source selection, proposal analysis, contract award and work, and contract management. Specific topics and practical exercises allow professionals to gain knowledge of the Selection of Architects and Engineers statue, the Standard Form 330, slate and selection process, review of government estimates, liability, Title II services, modifications, and contracting officer’s representative (COR) responsibilities. In this advanced course, students learn how to research proper application and interpretation of conflicting regulatory guidance, including Public Law, FAR, the DFARS and other Agency Supplements to the FAR, and legal precedence.

Who Should Attend CON 243:

Contracting officers, contract specialists, contracting officer representatives, program/project managers, small business specialists, industry contracting personnel, architects and engineers.

How You Will Benefit by Attending:

You will learn how to:

    • Determine if the services require Selection of Architects and Engineers Statute procedures and how to identify the basic steps necessary for the requirement.
    • Distinguish how the project is to be advertised and determine what is to be contained in the advertisement.
    • Determine the elements necessary for performance work statements.
    • Evaluate firms and determining the order in which they will be ranked once service has been advertised and qualifications statements received,
    • Determine applicable cost principles specific to A-E contracting in order to prepare a Government estimate or review a proposal.
    • Recognize when and how a Government cost estimate for the project is developed.
    • Develop a strategy and negotiating the project given an A-E firm’s proposal and the Government estimate,
    • Distinguish how the Government maintains quality assurance on the contract after it has been awarded.
    • Analyze the roles and responsibilities of those charged with the management and administration of the contract after award.
Schedule for CON 243 – click here.

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CON 244CON 244: Construction Contracting focuses on unique construction contracting issues, such as acquisition planning, contract performance management, funding, environmental concerns, construction contract language, and construction contracting in the commercial setting, the Construction Wage Rate Requirements Statute, design/build, basic schedule delay analysis, constructive changes, acceleration, and construction contract quality management.

Who Should Attend CON 244:

Contracting officers, contract specialists, contracting officer representatives, program/project managers, small business specialists, and industry contracting personnel.

How You Will Benefit by Attending:

You will learn how to:

      • Apply the Federal acquisition laws, regulations, Department of Defense and other agency supplementation, policies, procedures, and best business practices in soliciting and administering construction contracts.
      • Contrast the regular support requirements with a Construction Acquisition Plan in accordance with FAR Parts 7 and 36, DFARS Parts 207 and 236 and agency supplements, policies and procedures.
      • Develop a construction solicitation package in accordance with FAR, agency supplements, and policy/procedures.
      • Evaluate the appropriate construction contract awardee.
      • Determine the applicable construction contract administration (compliance) approach, using FAR, DFARS, DoD regulation/guidelines, and other relevant agency supplement, procedures and best business practices.
      • Formulate the remedy and appropriate clause for a changed construction condition in accordance with Federal and DoD acquisition and other agency laws, regulations, and best business practices.
      • Document appropriate actions necessary to verify for construction progress payment or construction contract closeout.
Schedule for CON 244 – click here.

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