Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

How government contractors can survive this difficult time

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In February 2020, economic indicators seemed stable with positive business and consumer sentiment.  But then the world was hit with a global pandemic that completely changed the way this country and the entire globe does business.

Contractors have had to deal with stop-work orders or even terminations of a project because the area where the work was being performed was too risky or expensive to operate in.  Additionally, when the pandemic first hit and strict travel restrictions were put in place, supplies and services became more scarce and expensive, which negatively impacted a contractor’s ability to maintain an existing schedule or stay within budget.

This continues to be an issue and many government contracts continue to be delayed because of concerns regarding health and safety.  These delays can directly result in cash flow challenges for companies that are looking to keep employees in place while they anxiously await new contracts to take effect.

Continue reading at:  The Federal News Network

Podcast: Creating government contracting opportunities for small businesses

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This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower interviewed serial entrepreneur Shirley Collier, president of Scale2Market.

Topics include:

  • How small contractors can create value,
  • What most contractors don’t understand about market value,
  • Getting on the radar of primes for opportunities, and
  • How do you get your company into agencies that are hard to penetrate.

Listen to the Podcast at:  https://federalnewsnetwork.com/amtower-off-center/2021/04/creating-opportunities-for-small-businesses/

 

 

How to land a government construction contract

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Each year, state and local governments spend more than $250 billion on the construction of roads, schools and other public infrastructure.

Construction companies sometimes see government contracting as prohibitively competitive and believe the pay is low and the bid requirements are too time and effort-consuming.  But this is not the case, and should not hold construction companies back from bidding on a sector that offers huge growth opportunities.

Contractors of any size and any type can get started at any time with government work.  Construction companies and also landscape contractors, electrical contractors, design-build contractors, general contractors and even roofing contractors are desperately needed by government procurement departments.  Here are some tips for landing a government construction contract.

Continue reading at:  Construction Dive

Tips to help small businesses find success with government contracting

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Finding new customers is a tough task all small businesses face.  One option many never consider is taking on the federal government as a client.

Government procurement – having the federal government purchase their goods and services – can be a big boon for small businesses.  The government needs a lot more than just items for the military, so small businesses that aren’t defense contractors shouldn’t look the other way on these opportunities.  The U.S. government spends hundreds of billions of dollars each year on a wide range of commercial items.

While many may think government contracts only go to large corporations, that isn’t the case.  The law requires the U.S. government, which is the largest customer in the world, to consider buying from small businesses.  In total, the federal government awards nearly one-quarter of its service contracts to small businesses, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Continue reading at:  Business.com

These are the top 10 government contractors

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The federal government is one of the world’s largest marketplaces, and while competition is fierce among its key vendors, the top 10 dominate—receiving roughly three of every 10 dollars the federal government awarded in 2018.

“The top five have been pretty steady for the last decade or so,” said Bloomberg Government analyst Daniel Snyder, who recently authored “The BGOV200,” a ranking of the top 200 federal contractors by prime unclassified contracts awarded by federal agencies in fiscal 2018.  This year, as in year’s past, Lockheed Martin (No. 1) , Boeing (No. 2) and General Dynamics (No. 3) round out the top three contractors.

“No surprise in the top five—but we did see that United Technologies (No. 7) increased its obligations by almost $4.9 billion from last year,” Snyder said.  “And Bechtel Group Inc. (No. 16) had its obligations decrease by $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2018 – which pushed them out of the top ten in this year’s report.”

Altogether, of the $559 billion in prime contracts awarded in FY18, the top 10 government contractors received $164.4 billion.

See the Top 10 list at:  Bloomberg Government

Federal Government spent nearly $560 billion on contracts in 2018

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Pentagon spending on federal contracts soared in fiscal year 2018, accounting for about $373 billion of $559 billion in overall contracting spend from federal agencies, according to Bloomberg Government’s 8th annual top 200 contractors report.

The spending by the Pentagon is a $40.5 billion increase from the previous fiscal year and over $90 billion rise since FY2015. Total government spending increased 9 percent from the previous fiscal year, from $512 billion in FY2017.

The $559 billion in FY2018 spending is the most since FY2010, when the government spent $562 billion.

Continue reading at:  Federal Times

Former Virginia state delegate gets prison time for $80 million contracting fraud

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A former member of the Virginia General Assembly was sentenced Tuesday to 2½ years in prison for taking part in an $80 million government contracting fraud conspiracy.

Ronald Villanueva, 49, a former Republican delegate from Virginia Beach, pleaded guilty to one conspiracy charge this year and agreed to pay more than half a million dollars in restitution.

Villanueva served in the House of Delegates from 2010 until 2018; he lost his seat to a Democratic challenger in 2017.

For much of that time, Villanueva admitted, he and a partner in the tactical-gear supply business used other people as figureheads to get preferential treatment designed to help minority contractors.  They also relaunched the company at one point, changing its name from SEK to Karda, so it would qualify for contracts aimed at newer firms.

Continue reading at:  Washington Post

What I wish I’d known before I became a government contractor (part 2)

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In an earlier article, I wrote about what I wished I’d known about government contracting before I began my first contracting position – things like timekeeping rules, supervisory structures, and the ups and downs of budget shortfalls and congressional stalemates.  This is a follow up, with more of the ups and downs and lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Government contracting has been my life for more than 15 years, and through it all I have learned some valuable lessons I would like to share.

STAY INFORMED AND PLAN AHEAD

Government contracting is the only way non-federal workers can work for government agencies, so there are excellent rewards in being able to do this kind of work.  Government contractors are able to work with military (in the case of Department of Defense) and other federal workers and learn from the inside how to support those organizations.  For some it can even lead to a government job, but contractors must always be prepared, especially during the option year and recompete of the contract, to find another position in the event their job is eliminated.  Having a good relationship with your program manager is one way to keep the discussion open, and also asking questions and making sure you fully understand what is happening.  A reputable company may be able to place contractors on another contract, but unfortunately, this is not always the case for smaller firms who don’t have as many contracts to fall back on.

Continue reading at:  Clearance Jobs

U.S. Government issues definition of “recruitment fees” in FAR anti-trafficking regulations

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The Department of Defense (“DoD”), General Services Administration (“GSA”), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”) recently issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) to clarify the FAR’s prohibition on assessing employees with recruitment fees in connection with federal contracts.  The rule provides a final definition of “recruitment fees” and clarifies the FAR’s broad prohibition on federal contractors or subcontractors assessing employees or potential employees with any such fees.  The final rule brings long-awaited clarity to the scope of the prohibition on recruitment fees, as the term has not previously been defined in anti-trafficking regulations.

Keep reading this article at: Arnold & Porter website

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