Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

GSA changes lineup for final ‘Alliant 2 Small Business’ contract

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The General Services Administration has officially announced the awardees for the Alliant 2 Small Business contract vehicle, dropping three contractors since the pre-award notice in December but adding four more.

The 10-year $15 billion contract gives agencies access to pre-vetted IT services companies—versus the IT commodities on IT Schedule 70.  The vehicle is the small business companion to the $50 billion Alliant 2 Unrestricted which was awarded in November.

GSA officials intended to award 80 spots on the small business vehicle but allowed for a tie in the final position bringing the total to 81.  Almost 500 small business vied for the spots.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2018/02/gsa-changes-lineup-final-alliant-2-small-business/145992/

GSA creates Schedule SIN for health IT services

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Health Information Technology (IT) is one of the fastest-growing fields in the IT industry, in part due to a spurt of government technology modernization initiatives. After seeing skyrocketing demand across federal government agencies for the past several years, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) decided to prioritize Health IT as its own separate category within GSA Schedule 70 by establishing Health IT Special Item Number (SIN) 132-56.

The new SIN was officially established on August 1, 2016. It is the first SIN of its kind directly correlated to Health IT in compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

This new SIN category will give Health IT companies access to business with federal government agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Defense Health Agency (a joint integrated Combat Support Agency that enables the U.S Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force medical services to provide a medically ready force and ready medical force to Combatant Commands in both peacetime and wartime). As military and civilian healthcare reforms take effect, GSA expects these agencies’ demand to continue to grow.

Part of the justification for establishing a separate category is that Health IT is truly different — in that companies involved in the Health IT industry require very specific skillsets and have to comply with various healthcare security standards, including the Privacy Act of 1974, Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

Keep reading this article at: http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/gsa-has-created-a-separate-category-for-55952/

Russia concerns negatively impact GSA Schedule contractors

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There is no shortage of news these days involving Russia.

You would think that U.S. government contracting would be immune from these considerations. You’d be wrong.

That’s because on July 11 2017, the Government removed Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab products from the General Services Administration’s Schedule Program. Kaspersky provided products through resellers which held GSA Schedule 67 and 70 contracts for photographic equipment and related services, and IT services. As a company based in Moscow, Kaspersky came under scrutiny from the Government and was removed from the schedules “to ensure the integrity and security of U.S. government systems and networks” according to a GSA statement cited by Reuters.

According to the Government’s System for Award Management (SAM), Kaspersky remains an active contractor and has not been suspended or proposed for debarment. Accordingly, agencies can still purchase Kaspersky products but not from Kaspersky’s previously held schedule contracts.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/russia-concerns-negatively-impact-gsa-70004/

What vendors need to know about GSA’s new cyber offerings

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GSA Schedule ContractThe General Service Administration is introducing an additional step to evaluate cybersecurity vendors: an oral exam.

The agency last week posted a draft solicitation for Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services, four new IT Schedule 70 Special Item Numbers designed to offer agencies quick access for cyberattack prevention and remediation. The SINs include penetration testing, incident response, cyber hunt and risk and vulnerability assessment services, and the agency is on the hunt for “high-quality cybersecurity vendors.”

That’s where the oral technical evaluation comes in.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2016/08/what-vendors-need-know-about-gsas-new-cyber-offerings/131016/

GSA’s “Making It Easier” program is effort to entice technology startups

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Despite efforts to simplify the contracting process, it could be a while before startups flock to federal buyers and leave the commercial market behind, experts say.

GSA Schedule ContractLast week, the General Services Administration (GSA), which handles buying for other federal agencies, unveiled new programs meant to expedite the process by which new companies are added to the pre-vetted list of IT suppliers known as Schedule 70.

One, called “FASt Lane,” cuts the time it takes to get onto the schedule from 110 to 45 days. Another, called the “Startup Springboard,” would let some startups bypass a 2-year experience requirement, which had precluded newer companies from securing approval.

Dubbed “Making It Easier,” these programs are part of a broader federal effort to entice technology startups, into selling cutting-edge products to the government. In the past year, for instance, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has repeatedly asked startups, mostly in Silicon Valley, to consider working with the Pentagon.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2016/04/new-programs-wants-startups-sell-government-will-they-work/127314

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