Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

State of Georgia purchasing department offers May 20 webinar on navigating their new website

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The Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS), State Purchasing Division, wants to help vendors navigate their new website. The site features a new look and functionality, and DOAS wants to be sure that vendors can find what they need.

State purchasing will present a Supplier Webinar on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. on the topic of Navigating the New Website. Registration is open and available to everyone. Please click here to register. You also can find supplier training events on the DOAS website at the new location.

The vendor web pages are easy to find at http://doas.ga.gov/state-purchasing.    Start by clicking on the “Suppliers” square.   You can also find things by using the “SEARCH” function at the top right corner of the page (the little magnifying glass).   If you have questions, please contact the Procurement Help Desk at 404-657-6000 or procurementhelp@doas.ga.gov.

DOAS Website 05.2015

Details of USG’s Oct. 24th procurement expo now available

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The University System of Georgia (USG) has announced details of its annual procurement expo aimed at attracting more vendors to the contracting opportunities generated by the state’s colleges and universities.

The 2014 USG Procurement Expo will be hosted by Middle Georgia State College located in Macon, Georgia.  The Expo will be a one-day event that features exhibits from University System institutions and provides information on business opportunities with the institutions of the University System of Georgia as well as federal, state, and local government agencies, and prime construction management firms. The event targets small and minority vendors, however all vendors are welcome to attend.

Schedule

10:00am – Registration opens

11:30am – Luncheon Program in Banquet Hall

1:00pm – Expo Opens (agencies and institutions are the exhibitors)

Concurrent breakout sessions will be conducted, and all activities will be held in the Charles H. Jones Building on the Middle Georgia State College campus.

Registration

The registration fee is $40 per person ($45 after Tuesday September 30, 2014).

Registration can be accomplished by visiting: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=n85c6brab&oeidk=a07e9jtpqiv942ffeb1

Parking

Parking is available in the Charles H. Jones Building parking lot. Parking passes will be provided and are required.

More Information

Contact, hotel, and more details are available at: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e9jtpqiv942ffeb1&llr=n85c6brab 

State, local government IT spending increase is an opportunity for contractors

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State and local government spending on information goods and services is projected to grow at a 3.3 percent rate between now and 2019, increasing to $70 billion from $60.4 billion over that period. This would mark the third consecutive annual forecast of better than 3 percent growth.

However, government contractors looking to make the most of this market may want to pick and choose their business development targets.

State governments are likely to be the most robust consumers in the market. Deltek’s research into state budgets found that state-level IT spending grew almost 5 percent over the past year, and will likely continue at this rate or better over the next few years.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/deltek-state-local-government-it-spending-increase-is-an-opportunity-for-contractors/2014/08/22/4f6f0834-288d-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html

University System of Georgia’s annual procurement expo scheduled for Oct. 24 in Macon

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Mark your calendar.

The University System of Georgia’s annual procurement conference is scheduled to be held on Friday, Oct. 24, 2014.  This year’s event will be held on the campus of Middle Georgia State College in Macon, GA.

Registration and further details are not available at this time.  Keep watching the GTPAC website for further announcements.

USG Procurement Expo 2014

Cities and counties are upbeat about budget prospects

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Government officials are fiscally optimistic. They see improving budgets and increased spending. More than four out of five administrators (86 percent) see their government’s budgets in the second half of 2014 equal to or greater than second half 2013 budgets, according to an exclusive E-survey of readers of Penton magazines Government Product News, American City & County and Government Procurement.

Cities and Counties Predict Larger Budgets 06.2014

Sure, times are still tough for U.S. cities and counties. Some survey respondents (about 14 percent) say they will spend less on 11 kinds of government functions (such as public transportation and water) in 2014 compared to 2013. But a total of 82 percent of survey respondents will spend more or about the same on those government functions in 2014. About 27 percent will spend more and 55 percent will spend the same in 2014.

Yes, government officials may be more upbeat than they have been in the past, based on the survey results: Almost six out of 10 respondents say they expect to receive the same level or more federal and state funding to their local government in 2015 compared to 2014.

Keep reading the Keating Report mid-year 2014 forecast on government budgets and spending at: http://americancityandcounty.com/gpn/keating-report-mid-year-2014-forecast-government-budgets-and-spending-part-1.   This article appeared in the June edition of Government Product News.   The mid-2014 edition of the Keating Report includes forecasts on government purchases of goods and services and comments from experts. More sections from the mid-2014 edition of the Keating Report, covering state and local government revenue drivers and government constructioncan be found at: http://americancityandcounty.com/gpn/keating-report-mid-year-2014-forecast-government-budgets-and-spending-part-2.

Budgets reveal contracting priorities for state governments

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The Affordable Care Act roll-out that ended March 31 marks the last federal initiative with significant state implications, freeing the nation’s governors to chart their own courses through a wide range of issues.

Each year, Deltek reviews every governor’s state-of-the-state address to learn what trends could influence vendor opportunities over the coming year and beyond. These agenda items provide a comprehensive look at where the states are heading.

A few key subjects tend to dominate the governors’ thinking. For example, this year’s big policy gains were in education, justice and public safety and social services.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/state-contracting-priorities-are-revealed-in-governors-agendas/2014/05/23/624ea922-df91-11e3-8dcc-d6b7fede081a_story.html 

Companies seeking government contracts may turn attention to state and local markets

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As competition for contracts with U.S. federal government agencies increases, companies that seek to maintain or increase their government sales may set their sights on states instead.

Indeed, this may already be happening: for one thing, more than 500 people attended the “How to Market to State Governments” conference held in March by the National Association of State Procurement Officials (“NASPO”), a record for the event.

While seeking new business opportunities is generally a good thing, contractors accustomed to the way things work at the federal level should understand that state-level procurements can be a very different game. Bid protests at the state level can be especially tricky, not only for disappointed bidders, but for awardees as well. Contractors should take certain proactive measures when participating in state-level procurements to secure their chances for award.

According to a 2012 NASPO survey, only six states had at that time completely adopted the Model Procurement Code developed by the American Bar Association.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/310810/Government+Contracts+Procurement+PPP/StateLevel+Procurements+Youre+Not+In+Kansas+Any+More+Unless+You+Happen+To+Be+Selling+To+Kansas&email_access=on

Government cuts cause contractor revenue losses and strategic changes

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Sequestration forced revenue losses among almost two-thirds of contractors in 2013, according to a survey by two consulting firms released last week.

Almost 31 percent of the 220 firms that responded to the survey by Market Connections Inc. and Lohfeld Consulting Group Inc. said their revenue fell by more than 10 percent, while another 30 percent reported declines of nearly 10 percent.

In response to government market pressures, contractors are re-architecting by expanding into adjacent markets (45 percent), modifying lines of business (35 percent), and putting greater emphasis on the front-end of the life-cycle to improve capture strategies an

More contractors are pursuing new opportunities in state and local government, international markets, and energy in 2013 than in 2012. Pursuit of healthcare opportunities is still high on the list of new and adjacent markets contractors are pursuing:

  • State and local government: 48 percent in 2013 vs. 29 percent in 2012
  • Healthcare: 39 percent in 2013 vs. 38 percent in 2012
  • International markets: 36 percent in 2013 vs. 29 percent in 2012
  • Energy: 33 percent in 2013 vs. 20 percent in 2012

“It is clear that sequestration and the government shutdown have had a tremendous impact on the government contracting community,” said Lisa Dezzutti, president and CEO of Market Connections, Inc. “Contractors need to think outside the box, leverage their expertise in adjacent markets and focus on business development and capture strategies that will increase win rates.”

Contractors are making the following investments in the front-end of the lifecycle to enhance the business development and capture process and increase win probability:

  • Improving capture and proposal processes: 40 percent
  • Adding more business development/capture personnel: 39 percent
  • Enhancing capture and proposal tools and infrastructure: 28 percent
  • Increasing use of consulting services: 19 percent
  • Adding more technical personnel to support business acquisition: 15 percent
  • Adding personnel to write proposals: 12 percent

A full copy of the survey results can be downloaded at: http://www.marketconnectionsinc.com/index.php/Infographics/sequestrationgovernmentshutdowninfographics.html?Itemid= 

University System of Georgia’s annual procurement expo is Oct. 18 in Savannah

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The 2013 University System of Georgia (USG) Procurement Expo is being held on October 18, 2013, hosted by Savannah State University.  It’s a one-day event that features exhibits from University System institutions and provides information on navigating the system’s procurement process.

All suppliers are welcome to attend, and a special invitation is made to small and minority suppliers.

Click here for more information and to register!

There’s growth in state and local contract spending

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For those who specialize in work for state and local governments, it can be unsettling to read headlines announcing teacher layoffs in Chicago or bankruptcy in Detroit.

However, the big picture for local governments and school districts is looking much brighter.

Deltek’s growth forecast for state and local consumption of information technology goods and services improved this year to 3.2 percent, with the total market expected to grow from $58.5 billion in 2013 to $68.6 billion in 2018.

One of the best annual market indicators is a review of the governors’ State of the State addresses.

This year, we found governors restoring K-12 education funding and promising to rein in tuition at public universities.

Governors also called for innovative ways to reduce correctional spending and improve health care and social services. All of these goals must be supported by technology investments.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/contractors-should-watch-state-and-local-spending-trends/2013/08/02/49101f54-f621-11e2-9434-60440856fadf_story.html

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