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Contract management

2025 minimum wage is set, mostly

The Labor Department recently set new minimum wages for federal contractors, ranging from $9.30 per hour for tipped workers to $17.75 per hour, depending on job type. A pair of notices from the Federal Register lays out the specifics. Starting next January, federal contractors with agreements signed, renewed, or extended after January 2022 must receive a minimum wage of $17.75 per hour, regardless of whether they receive tips. This move stems from a 2021 executive order by President Biden, which expanded his $15 minimum wage mandate to federal contractors and required annual updates based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). (Government Executive October 3, 2024)

For contracts signed before January 2022, the minimum wage for non-tipped workers will rise from $12.90 to $13.30 per hour, and tipped workers will see an increase in their “cash wage” from $9.05 to $9.30 per hour. Although this dual system is complex, Labor officials expect all contracts to soon fall under the new executive order, streamlining wage regulations. (ibid)

Despite the complexity of this dual wage system, Labor Department officials expect that soon all federal contracts will fall under the new executive order, eliminating the need for the older wage structure. (ibid)

Have questions about which minimum wage structure your contracts are covered under? Give us a call.

Does your MAS software contract comply?

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires federal agencies to use only software that meets government-specified secure development practices. To comply, agencies require software producers to complete a form attesting that their software follows National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) guidelines. These self-attestation forms may be publicly posted by software producers, or, if not, uploaded to a Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) repository accessible by agencies. (buy.gsa.gov August 27, 2024)

Ordering activities should review publicly posted attestation forms, those already in the CISA repository, or add new forms to the repository. If a software producer cannot attest to all required practices, the ordering activity must require them to submit a Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) and review it before using the software. (ibid)

What Does This Mean For You?

  • MAS contractors without software on their MAS contract need not take any action.
  • MAS contractors with awarded software:
    • If the software producer has already posted or provided a form to the CISA repository, they don’t need to submit it again for the same software version.
    • If not, the software producer or MAS contractor must upload a completed form to the CISA repository. If the producer cannot attest to all practices, the ordering activity will require a POA&M for any deficiencies. (ibid)

Have questions or need forms? Give us a call.

A New Rule for Cleaner Contracts


The Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and NASA have jointly issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation to enforce the procurement and utilization of sustainable products and services as identified or recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This initiative aims to align federal agencies with environmentally responsible practices, promoting the purchase of products and services that meet specific sustainability criteria. Notably, the rule mandates the acquisition of WaterSense-label water-efficient products and services, as well as Safer Choice-certified products containing safer chemical ingredients, as outlined by the White House. (Executive Gov April 22, 2024)

In addition to the specified product requirements, the final rule compels federal agencies to adhere to the EPA’s recommended environmental standards and ecolabels, which were updated in October 2023. These standards serve as guidance for purchasers to accurately identify and procure environmentally preferable products and services, contributing to the overall sustainability efforts of the government. EPA Administrator Michael Regan emphasized the significance of these enhanced purchasing standards in advancing the administration’s environmental objectives while concurrently bolstering domestic manufacturing and fostering economic growth nationwide. (ibid)

Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Brenda Mallory, underscored the role of the new standards in supporting President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. By prioritizing the purchase of sustainable products and services certified to EPA-recommended standards and ecolabels, federal agencies can contribute to job creation within the United States while advancing climate action and environmental sustainability goals. Ultimately, this final rule is aligned with the Biden administration’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions and other procurement objectives by 2050, signaling a significant step towards a more sustainable future.

Looking to align your contracts more closely to the GSA/NASA final FAR regulation? Give us a call.

Are you listening, it’s me your government customer?

Business development expert Nic Coppins reveals eight habits that government contractors exhibit, alienating customers and stakeholders. While many deny these habits, they do exhibit them. This begs the question, are you customer-focused or just acting?

  1. Talking Too Much: Dominating conversations hinders engagement, prioritizing your voice over the customers’. Remember, if you are talking, you are losing. (Washington Technology, February 23, 2024)
  2. Jargon Overload: Speak plainly to ensure clarity; ditch confusing acronyms and tech terms to ensure your message hits home. (ibid)
  3. “Solution-itis” is an actual disease: Slow down, diagnose first, and tailor your solutions to fit customer needs. (ibid)
  4. Question Quality: Craft insightful questions to uncover unique challenges and differentiate yourself from the competition. (ibid)
  5. The Disengaged Listener: Be present and engaged; absorb what’s being said instead of rehearsing responses. (ibid)
  6. Self-Centered Approaches: Align with the customer’s needs, not overshadowing them with your agenda.
  7. Skipping Personal Connection: Take time to build rapport and trust before diving into business.
  8. The blame game, look inwards: Take responsibility for your communication style and actively seek feedback.

Confront these habits head-on to improve customer relationships and prioritize effective communication and genuine engagement.

Not certain how to get back on track? Give us a call.

GSA streamlines and saves you time

The General Services Administration (GSA) appears to have successfully modernized its catalog management system for the Advantage! program. (Federal News Network February 5, 2024)

GSA is increasing the user base of the new FAS Catalog Platform (FCP) after a successful trial period with Office Supplies 4 vendors. (ibid)

Mike Shepherd, the director of GSA’s catalog management office, explains the significant improvements of the FCP over the previous SIP system. He states that the FCP, replacing SIP, offers new features benefiting suppliers, acquisition workforce, and customers. It integrates with e-modification, capturing catalog updates and automating publishing modifications to GSA Advantage!. This greatly reduces the time it takes for vendors to add new products and delete items. It saves vendors an averge of 34 days by adding the products to their catalogs. Catalog deletions take place within 1 to 2 days of a modication submitted by the contractor, whereas it was common for it to take 10 or more days to delete products prior to the improvements. (ibid)

In addition to addressing long-standing issues, the platform includes automated data validation, a central hub for catalog actions, access to catalog history and a shared user interface. (ibid)

GSA plans to add more users and initiate a pilot for professional services on the platform. In addition, GSA aims to migrate the majority of Advantage! catalogs to the new platform by fiscal year-end. The plan also includes expanding the catalog platform to services contractors later this year, aiming for a simplified submission process. (ibid)

The new catalog is part of a broader effort to modernize GSA Advantage!, including consolidating schedules and updating user tools and backend systems, that both run and feed Advantage!. (ibid)

GSA will continue to gather feedback from users to address challenges and ensure ongoing improvement.(ibid)

Questions about the FCP improvements and how they might affect your contract? Give us a call.