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Federal Contracting

Green is the new kid in town

Last week the General Services Administration (GSA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Defense (DoD) to make sustainable technology products more easily available in the federal marketplace. (Washington Technology March 24, 2023)

Under the MOU, GSA will use DoD’s Sustainable Technology Evaluation and Demonstration (STED) Program information on product performance and pricing to simplify the acquisition process and make sustainable technology alternatives more readily available to federal agencies. (GSA.gov March 21, 2023)

“This partnership is an important step in strengthening our sustainable acquisition offerings, it’s so important that we help agencies more easily find and buy products that not only meet mission needs but are also better for the environment,” said Sonny Hashmi, Federal Acquisition Service commissioner. (ibid)

In accordance with the agreement, once a sustainable product that meets or exceeds DOD requirements is identified by STED, GSA will work with vendors in obtaining a new Federal Supply Schedule. (Washington Technology March 24, 2023)

Officials at GSA said they would help vendors obtain National Stock Numbers, allowing agencies to obtain sustainable products directly from GSA through the GSA Global Supply requisition process. The GSA Global Supply requisition process is currently certified in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (ibid)

In addition to the Global Supply requisition process, agencies can also buy through the GSA Advantage! Environmental Aisle to assist in meeting federally-mandated acquisition requirements. Products identified through STED will soon have access to GSA Advantage! providing an even larger market for vendors to market their products. (ibid)

Questions about the MOU or the STED program? Give us a call.

A sneak peak into the updated HUBZone maps

According to a recent Small Business Administration release, new Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) maps will go into effect on July 1, 2023. The maps spotlight employment and growth opportunities reserved for small businesses in disadvantaged communities. The new maps include data from the 2020 census and 3,732 newly designated communities. (EXECUTIVEGOV March 10, 2023)

“By channeling a record $14 billion in federal purchases to HUBZone-certified small firms last year, the Biden-Harris Administration gave a critical financial boost to hundreds of entrepreneurs in economically disadvantaged rural and urban areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. (ibid)

Loris Gillen, director of the Office of the HUBZone Program said, “for small businesses in new HUBZone areas SBA’s certification provides a gateway to billions of dollars in federal contracting opportunities, contributing to the economic growth and strengthening of underserved communities while also ensuring that employment opportunities benefit the people living in communities that most need positive economic impact.” (ibid)

Questions about HUBZone contracting opportunities or the certification process? Give us a call.

Not an employee, not an Entity Administrator in SAM.gov

Effective March 6, 2023, only employees, officers, or board members within a company, may hold the Entity Administrator position. By making this change, GSA hopes to increase the level of security while ensuring that companies are controlling who may update their registration in SAM.gov. Service providers and/or consultants may continue managing entity registration, however, specific actions will be required. (gsa.gov|interact March 6, 2023)

Company registration updates require the relationship status of individuals to the company. If you are not a company employee, officer, or board member you will have the Data Entry role, not the Entity Administrator role. The Data Entry role allows you to register new entities, manage updates, and renew entity registrations, however, you may no longer manage user roles. If a company used an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter (notarized letter process) in the past, this is no longer an option for non-employees. (ibid)

If your current Entity Administrator is outside of your company, there are two ways to change your Entity Administrator role to a company employee, officer, or board member:

  1. Send an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter to the Federal Service Desk (FSD) appointing an administrator, or
  2. Ask your outside Entity Administrator to assign the role to an individual within your company prior to the next registration date, within SAM.gov. (ibid)

Companies that currently have an employee, officer, or board member as their Entity Administrator for SAM.gov are not affected by this change. If you are not certain, you can view roles assigned to individuals within your company by logging into SAM.gov and selecting “My Roles.” (ibid)

Questions about your Entity Administrator or SAM.gov? Give us a call.

New GSA requirement – attest to software safety

According to a recent GSA memo, software vendors will be required to ensure that only approved software is acquired and used by GSA. GSA plans to use a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency form to collect the letters. The forms will be available in early June. (FEDSCOOP February 1, 2023)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Chief Jen Easterly recently urged industry to take responsibility to ensure the safety of its products. The CISA Chief also recommended shareholders make sure c-suite executives are viewing cyber risk as a board-level issue. (ibid)

GSA is collecting the letters of attestation in an effort to implement a memo signed by the White House. The memo requires all federal agencies to verify that all distributed third-party IT software adheres to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) supply chain security requirements. (ibid)

The Federal Acquisition Council has under consideration, embedding the requirement for software providers to attest to the security of their products within the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). (ibid)

According to the memo, “GSA’s acquisition regulations (GSAM 511.170(d)) require GSA’s Information Technology (IT) Office to approve new software before its use at GSA. To comply with Executive Order 14028 and OMB Memorandum M-22-18, which require federal agencies to only use software that complies with Government-specified secure software development practices, GSA IT will update its processes to approve software including requiring vendor attestations. GSA IT anticipates issuing an updated attestation process by June 12, 2023.” (Memorandum for the GSA Acquisition Workforce 1/11/23)

The memo also states, “Contractors providing GSA with a cloud-based solution are encouraged to work with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). The FedRAMP approval process will streamline the GSA IT Standards Process allowing for a timely contract start. GSA also anticipates that leveraging FedRAMP will ensure and streamline compliance with the requirements of OMB Memo M-22-18 in the future.” (ibid)

Have questions or need some guidance with your letter of attestation? Give us a call.

Why the Small Business/Large Contractor Union is a Good Thing

The Biden Administration continues to focus on small businesses providing services to the federal government. This benefits not only small businesses but large contractors, as well. When large contractors partner up with a small business, it’s a win-win for both.

Federal agencies have stepped up their focus on contracting with small businesses to meet their small business contracting goals. The Small Business Administration recently reported $154 billion spent on contracts with small businesses in fiscal year 2021. In 2021, 27.2 percent of total federal contracting awards were to small businesses. This surpassed the 23 percent White House goal. (Washington Technology February 2, 2023)

Unfortunately, the past several years have seen the number of actual small businesses trend downward. The good news, there is more money for fewer small businesses that can serve as prime contractors due to limitations on the services these small businesses can offer. (ibid)

Large government contractors working with small businesses are looking like the future of federal contracting. These partnerships, which are built on mutual trust, allow for increased skills and innovative thinking. Additionally, when large contractors bring in small businesses, new jobs are created, entrepreneurship is expanded and innovation is at the forefront. (ibid)

According to Thomas A. Duckenfield III, CEO of TDB Communications, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business, and an 8a firm, “the best partnerships between small business and large contractors are based on a shared culture and alignment. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to these relationships. It’s about developing partnerships that benefit both parties while establishing trust between the two companies to better serve federal agencies and their constituents.” (ibid)

When large businesses work with small businesses it creates opportunities, cultivates new ideas, and introduces the latest technologies. For these partnerships to work both parties must understand what each brings to the “communal table.” Skills and capabilities must provide complimentary support and additional capacity for federal agencies. (ibid)

There is no set formula for partnership success. Companies that support each other’s business and goals as well as those of the federal agencies they serve should work well together.

Are you looking to partner with a small or large business on a federal agency contract? Give us a call.