Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Training
    • Class Registration
    • On-demand Training
    • GTPAC COVID-19 Resource Page
    • Veterans Verification Video
    • Other Training Audio & Video
  • Useful Links
  • Team Directory
    • Albany Counselor
    • Atlanta Counselors
    • Augusta Counselor
    • Carrollton Counselor
    • Columbus Counselor
    • Gainesville Counselor
    • Savannah Counselor
    • Warner Robins Counselor
  • Directions
    • Atlanta – Training Facility
    • Atlanta – Office
    • Albany
    • Augusta
    • Carrollton
    • Columbus
    • Gainesville
    • Savannah
    • Warner Robins
  • COVID-19
  • New Client Application
  • Contact Us

Army’s Huntsville Engineering and Support Center holding virtual industry day Oct. 23rd

October 20, 2018 By Andrew Smith

The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville has scheduled a Virtual Industry Day for its Range and Training Land program. The event coincides with the Small Business Forum 2018, set for Oct. 23, 2018 at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration located on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center campus at 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Alabama.

The Huntsville Center’s objective is to select architectural and engineering firms for design services to support various Army, Army Reserve, National Guard and Marine Corps installations and design projects for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District offices; and other Federal and State agencies.

The hour-long event begins at 10 a.m. in the auditorium. During the event, Huntsville Center staff will provide information and answer questions concerning the acquisition requirement.

The agenda consists of an overview of the scope of work; planned acquisition strategy approach; small business tips and best practices. The event will also provide networking opportunities and increase small business participation.

While registration for the Small Business Forum 2018 is closed, you can attend virtually.  The event will be available live via the Huntsville Center’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HuntsvilleCenter.

To learn more about how your firm’s capabilities may fit, please see the fact sheets about programs and doing business with the Huntsville Center at https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/Media/Fact-Sheets.

Filed Under: GTPAC News Tagged With: A&E, architectural and engineering design services, architecture, Army Corps of Engineers, engineering, Huntsville, industry day, Small Business Forum 2018, U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, USACE, virtual industry day

Learn about architectural, engineering services needed by the Forest Service

December 22, 2010 By ei2admin

If you’re an architectural or engineering (A&E) firm that’s interested in doing business with the U.S. Forest Service, you’ll be interested in a conference being held on this subject on February 9, 2011.

The Southern Region office of USDA’s Forest Service contracts for architectural and engineering services throughout the year. In January, the agency is expected to make an announcement about their A&E contracting plans, and this will be the focus of the conference.

If your firm provides services under any of these NAICS codes — 541310, 541320, 541330, 541340, 541350, 541360, or 541370 — then you should make plans to attend.

The conference — co-hosted by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) — is being held at the GTRI Conference Center in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 9, 2011, from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm.

Advance registration is required.  Click here to register for this free conference; directions and a map are on the registration website.

Representatives of the Forest Service’s Contracting, Engineering, and Small Business staffs will be in attendance to explain upcoming contract opportunities and answer questions.

A flyer announcing the conference can be seen here, and a draft agenda for the conference can be seen here.

Filed Under: GTPAC News Tagged With: A&E, federal contracting, Forest Service, government contract assistance, government contract training, small business, USDA

Federal Acquisition Regulation change issued on “retainage”

April 6, 2010 By ei2admin

The Federal Acquisition Regulation Council (FAR Council) has published a final rule revising a clause applied to federal contracts for architecture and engineering (A&E) services that mandated that 10 percent of fees be withheld or retained from a firm, regardless of the quality of the firm’s performance.

In publishing the final rule, the regulations body said, “FAR Case 2008-015 amends the clause at FAR 52.232-10 “Payments Under Fixed-Price Architect-Engineer Contracts”, to revise and clarify the retainage requirements. The contracting officer can (but is not mandated to) withhold up to 10 percent of the payment due in any billing period when the contracting officer determines that such a withholding is necessary to protect the Government’s interest and ensure satisfactory completion of the contract. However, withholding the entire 10 percent is not required, and no withholding is required if the contractor’s performance has been satisfactory. The changes clarify that retainage is optional and any amounts retained should not be held over beyond the satisfactory completion of the instant contract.”

“This rule was an unbearable burden for the A&E community,” according to Patrick Olson, P.E., L.S., (AERO-METRIC, Inc., Sheboygan, WI), president of The Council on Federal Procurement of Architectural and Engineering Services (COFPAES).  “The 10 percent retainage meant A&E firms were bankers to the government, providing interest free loans that often exceed a firm’s profit margin on a contract.  We had reports from member firms of millions of dollars in retainage, held for several years, on contracts where the firm receive the highest possible performance ratings.  We are delighted this regulation has been changed.”

COFPAES Administrator John Palatiello noted, “Given that architect-engineer contracts, including surveying and mapping contracts, are awarded on a qualifications based selection process, and a firm’s experience and past performance are paramount factors in winning a contract, the retainage provision has little value to the government.  Moreover, it was a severe cash flow burden on our member firms, particularly small businesses.”

The retainage rule was identified by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Chief Counsel for Advocacy as one of the most burdensome for small business in the office’s 2008 Regulatory Review and Reform (R3) initiative (http://www.sba.gov/advo/r3/r3_services08.html).  The revision to the FAR on A&E retainage is the first regulation to have gone through the entire R3 process, from nomination, through Advocacy endorsement, and to final regulatory revision.

To view the final rule, go to: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-5991.htm

Filed Under: Contracting Tips Tagged With: A&E, contractor performance, FAR, government contract assistance, retainage, SBA

Recent Posts

  • OMB releases guidance related to small business goals
  • Are verbal agreements good enough for government contractors?
  • OMB issues guidance on impact of injunction on government contractor vaccine mandate
  • CMMC 2.0 simplifies requirements but raises risks for government contractors
  • OFCCP launches contractor portal initiating AAP verification program

Popular Topics

8(a) abuse Army bid protest budget budget cuts certification construction contract awards contracting opportunities cybersecurity DoD DOJ False Claims Act FAR federal contracting federal contracts fraud GAO Georgia Tech government contracting government contract training government trends GSA GSA Schedule GTPAC HUBZone innovation IT Justice Dept. marketing NDAA OMB SBA SDVOSB set-aside small business small business goals spending subcontracting technology VA veteran owned business VOSB wosb

Contracting News

OMB releases guidance related to small business goals

OMB issues guidance on impact of injunction on government contractor vaccine mandate

Changes coming to DOD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification under CMMC 2.0

Judge issues nationwide injunction halting enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandate

Nondisplacement of qualified workers is back, but with changes

Read More

Contracting Tips

Are verbal agreements good enough for government contractors?

CMMC 2.0 simplifies requirements but raises risks for government contractors

OFCCP launches contractor portal initiating AAP verification program

GAO rules that DoD may not require small business Joint Venture itself hold facility security clearance

Terminations for convenience clauses vs. mutual termination clauses

Read More

GTPAC News

VA direct access program events in 2022

Sandia National Laboratories seeks small business suppliers

Navy OSBP hosting DCAA overview (part 2) event Jan. 12, 2022

Navy OSBP hosting cybersecurity “ask me anything” event Dec. 16th

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

Read More

Georgia Tech News

Undergraduate enrollment growth reflects inclusive excellence

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

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

Georgia Tech announces inaugural Associate Vice President of Corporate Engagement

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

Read More

  • SAM.gov registration is free, and help with SAM is free, too
APTAC RSS Twitter GTPAC - 30th Year of Service

Copyright © 2022 · Georgia Tech - Enterprise Innovation Institute