Kerry Ensures TSA Contracts Will Go to Small Businesses
Contact: Brian Rice of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 202-224-7834
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Senator John Kerry (D- Massachusetts) succeeded in attaching legislation to the Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report that will make the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) accountable to the Small Business Act for purposes of contracting with outside vendors. TSA was exempted from the Small Business Act in the aftermath of 9/11, and as a result has not been held to requirements for contracting with small businesses that apply to nearly every other Federal agency.
"By every account, TSA has abused procurement privileges granted in the aftermath of September 11th," said Kerry, who as Ranking Member of the Small Business Committee has been an ardent supporter for small business contracting opportunities. "As a result, capable qualified small businesses are left out of the federal procurement process. When it comes to ensuring that America's small businesses receive the opportunities they need to grow and succeed, it's time to bring the Bush Administration in check. That starts today at TSA."
Kerry's legislation is scheduled to pass as part of the Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report later this evening. The final version of the bill will be approved by both the House and the Senate Chambers today, and will be sent to the President for his signature.
As a result of Kerry's amendment, TSA will be required to adhere to government-wide, statutory contracting goals. These goals establish that at least 23 percent of federal contracts will go to small businesses, with smaller percentages of between three and five percent directed to disadvantaged business communities, including socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, women owned businesses, and service disabled veteran owned businesses.
"Small businesses face plenty of obstacles without the federal government shutting them out of procurement opportunities," said Kerry. "We depend on small businesses to grow our economy. The least we can do is reserve them a place at the table to compete for these contracts."
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
GSA: End NASA contract?
GSA chief wants to end NASA contract
The head of the U.S. General Services Administration has taken the unusual step of asking the White House to deny NASA's request to extend a multibillion-dollar government-wide information technology contract.
A $4 billion space agency contract for buying computers and other IT products from IBM Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Unisys Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and CDW Corp., among others, is scheduled to end next year and NASA has received bids to extend the deal.
But Lurita Doan, GSA administrator, argues that her agency has contracts offering similar products, and not renewing the NASA contract would allow that agency to better focus on buying products and services needed for space exploration and other NASA-specific missions.
Doan is making similar requests on contracts at other agencies, including Treasury and Defense. If she gets her way, she could change the way federal contractors do business with the government. It's not clear whether Doan's request will be honored.....
Click here for the full story
The head of the U.S. General Services Administration has taken the unusual step of asking the White House to deny NASA's request to extend a multibillion-dollar government-wide information technology contract.
A $4 billion space agency contract for buying computers and other IT products from IBM Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Unisys Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and CDW Corp., among others, is scheduled to end next year and NASA has received bids to extend the deal.
But Lurita Doan, GSA administrator, argues that her agency has contracts offering similar products, and not renewing the NASA contract would allow that agency to better focus on buying products and services needed for space exploration and other NASA-specific missions.
Doan is making similar requests on contracts at other agencies, including Treasury and Defense. If she gets her way, she could change the way federal contractors do business with the government. It's not clear whether Doan's request will be honored.....
Click here for the full story
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Travel Contracts for Small Businesses
Travel effort has generated small business opportunities
From National Journal's Technology Daily
An ongoing effort by the General Services Administration to save money and improve government employee travel services has given small travel agencies ample opportunities to do business with the federal government, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office released Friday.
Small businesses can take part in GSA's e-government travel service -- under which three vendors agreed to offer an array of travel-management services to agencies -- and through a comprehensive contracting vehicle for offices to obtain related services like professional travel agents, GAO said.
GSA promotes the use of small subcontractors by setting goals and offering incentives for using small businesses, as well as monetary penalties for not meeting those goals, the report said.
Click here for the full story
From National Journal's Technology Daily
An ongoing effort by the General Services Administration to save money and improve government employee travel services has given small travel agencies ample opportunities to do business with the federal government, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office released Friday.
Small businesses can take part in GSA's e-government travel service -- under which three vendors agreed to offer an array of travel-management services to agencies -- and through a comprehensive contracting vehicle for offices to obtain related services like professional travel agents, GAO said.
GSA promotes the use of small subcontractors by setting goals and offering incentives for using small businesses, as well as monetary penalties for not meeting those goals, the report said.
Click here for the full story
Not the Brightest Bulb in the Pack...
This guy took outsoucing contracting a bit too loosely:
A 46-year-old Los Angeles man was nabbed on Thursday for impersonating a US Department of Homeland Security official while trying to get a job with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's security providers and become a part of their security entourage. Click here for the full story about the dim bulb....
A 46-year-old Los Angeles man was nabbed on Thursday for impersonating a US Department of Homeland Security official while trying to get a job with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's security providers and become a part of their security entourage. Click here for the full story about the dim bulb....
Federal Marketplace Series
The Tech Council of Maryland's Federal Marketplace series is a full schedule of educational and networking events designed to teach members how to do business with the Federal Government.
The Federal Marketplace Series will focus on the three following educational deliverables:
What you need to know about doing business with the Federal Government
An insider's view of federal agencies and their visions for future needs
Information exchange with fellow prime and subcontractors
Partnerships
Tech Council of Maryland and TEDCO are partners on selected Federal Marketplace Series events.
Staff Contacts
Mark Glazer, Director Tech Alliance
Telephone: 240-453-6212 E-mail: mglazer@techcouncilmd.com
Click here for details
Friday, September 01, 2006
Sept-Oct TargetGov Teleconference Schedule
Click the date for more details
September 7, 2006 -- How to Break Into the Intelligence Agency Market: There are 15 Intel Agencies controlling billions in contracting dollars. Attend this teleconference to open the door to this secretive market.
September 21, 2006 -- Non-Profits, Grants and Government Contracting Learn how your not-for-profit organization can take advantage of grants and business opportunities available through the federal government.
October 5, 2006—Two Tracks! 8(a) Certification -- Will It Help You Win More Contracts? 2 Tracks: Choose the one that is best for you or attend both for full information. Attend both and save $40!
Over $15 Billion in federal contracts are set aside for those companies meeting Minority, Disadvantaged, HUB Zone or other certifications. Do you qualify for certification? If so, how do you get certified and then use that certification to open the door to business opportunities? Attend one or both TargetGov Teleconferences for answers!
October 19, 2006 -- Two Track GSA Teleconferences -- Track 1: What a GSA Schedule Is and How to Obtain One from and Track 2: Now That You Have a GSA Schedule, Learn How to Use It to Get Contracts. Getting a GSA Schedule can be one of your most effective business development tools for the federal governemnt market. Attend these two teleconferences to learn how to get a GSA Schedule and how to use it effectively!
September 7, 2006 -- How to Break Into the Intelligence Agency Market: There are 15 Intel Agencies controlling billions in contracting dollars. Attend this teleconference to open the door to this secretive market.
September 21, 2006 -- Non-Profits, Grants and Government Contracting Learn how your not-for-profit organization can take advantage of grants and business opportunities available through the federal government.
October 5, 2006—Two Tracks! 8(a) Certification -- Will It Help You Win More Contracts? 2 Tracks: Choose the one that is best for you or attend both for full information. Attend both and save $40!
Over $15 Billion in federal contracts are set aside for those companies meeting Minority, Disadvantaged, HUB Zone or other certifications. Do you qualify for certification? If so, how do you get certified and then use that certification to open the door to business opportunities? Attend one or both TargetGov Teleconferences for answers!
October 19, 2006 -- Two Track GSA Teleconferences -- Track 1: What a GSA Schedule Is and How to Obtain One from and Track 2: Now That You Have a GSA Schedule, Learn How to Use It to Get Contracts. Getting a GSA Schedule can be one of your most effective business development tools for the federal governemnt market. Attend these two teleconferences to learn how to get a GSA Schedule and how to use it effectively!
Sept 11-13 WIPP 5th Anniversary Summit
Sept 11-13 WIPP Leadership and Legacy: 5th Anniversary Summit
A Vision and Voice for the Future
2006 Fall Leadership Conference
September 11-13, 2006
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill
Washington, DC
Announcing:
Steven Preston, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
Keynote Speaker, WIPP Gala
Steven Preston, confirmed as Administrator of the US Small Business Administration came from The ServiceMaster Company, where he served as their Executive Vice President. In that capacity, Mr. Preston led the Strategic Services team, including IT, Six Sigma, Strategic Sourcing, Strategy and Acquisitions. He served previously as the Chief Financial Officer of ServiceMaster, the Senior Vice President and Treasurer of First Data Corporation, and as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers.
WIPP is proud to welcome Administrator Preston and looks forward to working with him.
WIPP is the vision and voice for the future. If you run a business, you must attend.
Click here to register for WIPP's 5th Anniversary Leadership Conference!
7 Stories: Your News Update
1. October 18th meeting, 11:30-1:30 p.m., Women Doing Business with the Government. Special Secretary Sharon Pinder is the keynote speaker and Gloria Berthold willtalk about the "how" to do business with federal, state and local government agencies. Sponsored by the Business Women's Network of Howard County
The Business Monthly
2. A Golden Opportunity for Women Business Owners in a $15 Billion Market -- The federal, state and local government agencies located in and around Howard County are looking to do business with women-owned firms in unprecedented numbers. One of the key reasons is that women-owned firms in the U.S. are growing like never before. Click here for the full story
3. Turning Small Talk into Big Ideas
To be a successful entrepreneur, the people you know are as important as your ideas. At least accoding to Toby Stuart, a professor at the Harvard Business School and the winner of the 2007 Ewing Marion Kauffman Prize Medal for Distinguished Research in Entrepreneurship. Stuart received the Medal for his pioneering research into social networks and their effects on entrepreneurship. His work points to the dynamics of networking and proves that successful entrepreneurs need more than good ideas and intelligence. Click here to learn more about the Ewing Marion Kauffman Prize Medal.
Click here to read the rest
The Business Monthly
2. A Golden Opportunity for Women Business Owners in a $15 Billion Market -- The federal, state and local government agencies located in and around Howard County are looking to do business with women-owned firms in unprecedented numbers. One of the key reasons is that women-owned firms in the U.S. are growing like never before. Click here for the full story
3. Turning Small Talk into Big Ideas
To be a successful entrepreneur, the people you know are as important as your ideas. At least accoding to Toby Stuart, a professor at the Harvard Business School and the winner of the 2007 Ewing Marion Kauffman Prize Medal for Distinguished Research in Entrepreneurship. Stuart received the Medal for his pioneering research into social networks and their effects on entrepreneurship. His work points to the dynamics of networking and proves that successful entrepreneurs need more than good ideas and intelligence. Click here to learn more about the Ewing Marion Kauffman Prize Medal.
Click here to read the rest
Sunday, August 06, 2006
SBTV Highlights Author: Gloria Berthold
SBTV is the first television network on the web devoted 100 percent to the small business market - from business start-ups to established enterprises. We believe that being an entrepreneur is a way of living - not just a way to make a living.
Founded in 2000, SBTV is becoming the number one choice for small business information on the net. The average viewer stays on our site for more than 30 minutes at a time. Business owners rely on SBTV because it provides expertly produced content by professional journalists and industry experts that is informational, practical and compelling.
Click here for A Step-by-Step Approach to the Federal Acquisition Marketplace by Gloria Berthold
Click here for Build Your Business by Becoming a Government Contractor by Gloria Berthold
Busy, busy, busy schedules!
August 30-Sept 1 Visit the TargetGov booth # 226 at MED Week in DC
NEW Teleconferences to Help You Build Your Government Contracting Business
September 7, 2006 -- How to Break Into the Intelligence Agency Market: There are 15 Intel Agencies controlling billions in contracting dollars. Attend this teleconference to open the door to this secretive market.
September 21, 2006 -- Non-Profits, Grants and Government Contracting Learn how your not-for-profit organization can take advantage of grants and business opportunities available through the federal government.
October 19, 2006 -- Two Track GSA Teleconferences -- Track 1: What a GSA Schedule Is and How to Obtain One from and Track 2: Now That You Have a GSA Schedule, Learn How to Use It to Get Contracts
NEW Teleconferences to Help You Build Your Government Contracting Business
September 7, 2006 -- How to Break Into the Intelligence Agency Market: There are 15 Intel Agencies controlling billions in contracting dollars. Attend this teleconference to open the door to this secretive market.
September 21, 2006 -- Non-Profits, Grants and Government Contracting Learn how your not-for-profit organization can take advantage of grants and business opportunities available through the federal government.
October 19, 2006 -- Two Track GSA Teleconferences -- Track 1: What a GSA Schedule Is and How to Obtain One from and Track 2: Now That You Have a GSA Schedule, Learn How to Use It to Get Contracts
Federal Contracts and Small Business
Federal Agencies Slammed on Set-Asides
A new report from Democratic members of the House Small Business Committee is highly critical of Federal small business set-aside contracting practices. According to the study, nearly $12 billion in contacts have been mislabeled as small business set-asides. In reality, these contracts were awarded to large corporations, universities and non-profits. With this new data, the report claims that federal agencies provided only 21.5% of their contracts to small businesses, missing President Bush’s target of 25%. Overall, the report notes that Washington’s small business support efforts warrant a “D” grade. Twelve federal agencies also received failing grades for their poor performance in small business contracting, with the Departments of Education, Energy, and the US Agency for International ranking as especially poor performers. Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) has formally asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate these practices and to suggest ideas for improving the small business contracting process.
To learn more about the July 2006 House of Representatives Small Business Committee Democratic report on small business set-asides, Scorecard VII, Click here
The Impact of New Contracting Rules on Small Business
In last week’s NDE-news, we highlighted a study that criticized federal agencies for their poor performance in doing business with small business. New research sponsored by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy offers some potential good news on this score. The research examines the effects of government-wide acquisition contracts on smaller firms. These contracts were introduced in the 1990s with the intention of creating a more performance-based, streamlined process for government agencies seeking to procure technology (especially information technology services) from the private sector. The shift was needed. Prior to the changes, information technology contracts could take up to two years to complete. In the meantime, the purchased technology had become obsolete. However, some observers feared that the new process might make reduce the amount of small business contracting. Fortunately, it appears that the new process is working fairly well—at least in terms of providing opportunities to smaller firms. The use of government-wide acquisition contracts has grown rapidly, and the small business share of this market has also grown. In total, small business set asides account for 31% of all spending on these contracts, and that number has continued to grow. One take-away from this research is that it is possible to implement more effective business management practices while also meeting the government’s commitment to sharing business with small and medium-sized firms.
Access the August 2006 US Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy-sponsored report, The Impact of Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts on Small Business (No. 279), by clicking here
Looking for Funding? Go Online
As social networking sites continue to expand, entrepreneurs are now seeking to use these technologies as a way to build peer funding networks. Several interesting new businesses have emerged in the peer-to-peer lending market. The UK-based Zopa.com was one of the first such efforts while Prosper.com is a recent entrant on this side of the Atlantic. The sites work as follows: a user posts his or her request for funds. Other users review the requests, and then decide if they want to invest(alone or in a group).
The sites serve as a marketing vehicle for those seeking funds, and then they help manage the transactions that occur via the site. At Prosper.com, current opportunities include funding for a new business in New Orleans, paying off student loans, and new equipment purchases for an existing business. While these sites are fairly new, they may offer a new method for financing entrepreneurial ventures.
To learn more about Zopa, click here
To learn more about Prosper, click here
The sites serve as a marketing vehicle for those seeking funds, and then they help manage the transactions that occur via the site. At Prosper.com, current opportunities include funding for a new business in New Orleans, paying off student loans, and new equipment purchases for an existing business. While these sites are fairly new, they may offer a new method for financing entrepreneurial ventures.
To learn more about Zopa, click here
To learn more about Prosper, click here
Creating Valuable Customers with A Contact Manager
ACT! has certainly proven itself to play an important role in government contracting business. From simple contact management to contact segmentation, you may feel it has accomplished everything you hoped it could. Is there more?!
With nearly 3 million people using ACT! as a contact manager, there must be a group of people that are getting more out of the application than maintaining a history of customer touch points. So, how do you leverage ACT! and the existing contact data to bring more value to your business? What makes a lead more valuable than another…document downloads, webinar signups, requests for more information?
Click here to see the rest of this post
With nearly 3 million people using ACT! as a contact manager, there must be a group of people that are getting more out of the application than maintaining a history of customer touch points. So, how do you leverage ACT! and the existing contact data to bring more value to your business? What makes a lead more valuable than another…document downloads, webinar signups, requests for more information?
Click here to see the rest of this post
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Begin With Financing Strategy Early to Avoid Headaches Later
By Todd Crandell
If you’re part of the TargetGov community, you appreciate the fact that business, even business with the federal government, is done through communication. Deals don’t happen by trading paper via fax and email. Deals happen because two people sit down together and hammer out a win- win. RFQ’s typically raise more questions than they answer, and RFP’s are almost always followed up with some sort of due diligence on the customer’s part.
Dialogue between vendor and customer is essential to build sustainability, credibility, and scalability to a relationship. All good business people understand communication’s importance. However, one issue my firm has seen happen to too many aspiring companies is that their communication is focused on winning the deals, but not necessarily on the terms and conditions that govern them.
Full Story Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2334
If you’re part of the TargetGov community, you appreciate the fact that business, even business with the federal government, is done through communication. Deals don’t happen by trading paper via fax and email. Deals happen because two people sit down together and hammer out a win- win. RFQ’s typically raise more questions than they answer, and RFP’s are almost always followed up with some sort of due diligence on the customer’s part.
Dialogue between vendor and customer is essential to build sustainability, credibility, and scalability to a relationship. All good business people understand communication’s importance. However, one issue my firm has seen happen to too many aspiring companies is that their communication is focused on winning the deals, but not necessarily on the terms and conditions that govern them.
Full Story Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2334
Nominate Top 100 MBE
NOMINATIONS SOUGHT: Maryland’s Top Minority Business Enterprise Awards
Maryland’s Top Minority Business Enterprise Awards salute minority and women business owners who, through their innovation, sacrifice, and dedication, provide products and services that fuel our state’s economy. These enterprising risk-takers are living the American dream of business ownership by providing significant value to their clients, professions and communities.
Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at the Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland University College, in Adelphi, Maryland, on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27. Additionally, winners will be featured in a special magazine in The Daily Record, and promoted around the State by the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs.
For More Information Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2335
Maryland’s Top Minority Business Enterprise Awards salute minority and women business owners who, through their innovation, sacrifice, and dedication, provide products and services that fuel our state’s economy. These enterprising risk-takers are living the American dream of business ownership by providing significant value to their clients, professions and communities.
Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at the Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland University College, in Adelphi, Maryland, on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27. Additionally, winners will be featured in a special magazine in The Daily Record, and promoted around the State by the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs.
For More Information Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2335
This seminar is intended for businesses that are considering competing in the Federal market, or those that are in the early phases of entry.
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cost: $149.00 (no credit cards - checks payable to Howard County EDA)
Location: The Center for Business and Technology Development, The Thomas Dorsey Building 9250 Bendix Road, North, Columbia, MD 21045
Speakers
Government Business Development
Gloria Berthold, TargetGov
Sessions will cover the 5 key Steps to Procurement Success
1. Basic definitions
2. Identifying Who Buys What you Sell
3. Finding Business Opportunities
4. Finding Decision Makers
5. Effective Strategies and Tactics
Government Contracting—Overview
Dennis Smythe; Government Contractor Resources,
LLC Session will cover the following topics
1. How the Government Buys
2. Myths Associated with Government Contracts
3. Minority, Small Disadvantaged Business Certifications
4. Contract Administration and the FAR
Accounting for Government Contracts
Rhonda J. Tomlinson,
CPA,Government Contractor Resources,
LLC Session will cover the following topics
1. Components of Government Contract Accounting
2. Specialized Rules and Regulations
3. Policies and Procedures
4. Document and Best Practices
Valuable Handouts Included Presented by
Government Contractor Resources, LLC
We help you navigate the contracting maze!
For More information or to register:
The Center for Business and Technology Development
Phone: 410.313.6550
Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cost: $149.00 (no credit cards - checks payable to Howard County EDA)
Location: The Center for Business and Technology Development, The Thomas Dorsey Building 9250 Bendix Road, North, Columbia, MD 21045
Speakers
Government Business Development
Gloria Berthold, TargetGov
Sessions will cover the 5 key Steps to Procurement Success
1. Basic definitions
2. Identifying Who Buys What you Sell
3. Finding Business Opportunities
4. Finding Decision Makers
5. Effective Strategies and Tactics
Government Contracting—Overview
Dennis Smythe; Government Contractor Resources,
LLC Session will cover the following topics
1. How the Government Buys
2. Myths Associated with Government Contracts
3. Minority, Small Disadvantaged Business Certifications
4. Contract Administration and the FAR
Accounting for Government Contracts
Rhonda J. Tomlinson,
CPA,Government Contractor Resources,
LLC Session will cover the following topics
1. Components of Government Contract Accounting
2. Specialized Rules and Regulations
3. Policies and Procedures
4. Document and Best Practices
Valuable Handouts Included Presented by
Government Contractor Resources, LLC
We help you navigate the contracting maze!
For More information or to register:
The Center for Business and Technology Development
Phone: 410.313.6550
GSA Spending for IT to decline this year
Federal spending by the General Services Administration for information technology is expected to sink again in fiscal 2006, the second year in a row, according to one research firm's projections.
After achieving an all-time high in fiscal 2004, annual spending through GSA's multiple-award schedule contracts for IT products and services will decline 1 percent this year to $16.3 billion, following a 2 percent drop in fiscal 2005.
The downturn is driven by decreasing IT services sales on the GSA schedule. Input predicts a 5 percent decline in the IT schedule's services sales for fiscal 2006, which is a mirror image of the 5 percent annual growth expected for the federal IT market through fiscal 2011.
After achieving an all-time high in fiscal 2004, annual spending through GSA's multiple-award schedule contracts for IT products and services will decline 1 percent this year to $16.3 billion, following a 2 percent drop in fiscal 2005.
The downturn is driven by decreasing IT services sales on the GSA schedule. Input predicts a 5 percent decline in the IT schedule's services sales for fiscal 2006, which is a mirror image of the 5 percent annual growth expected for the federal IT market through fiscal 2011.
Winning the Contracting Game
Billions of dollars in federal contracts are supposed to go to small businesses. What really happens, and how do you get your share?
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2006/sb20060726_724414.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_today's+top+stories
’….Big business winning some contracts set aside for small business isn't new, but the current magnitude is unprecedented. In December, 2004, the SBA Office of Advocacy released a report stating that 39 large corporations in 2002 received over $2 billion in contracts that the administration had mistakenly counted as small-business contracts. The New York Times reported recently that last year at least $4.9 billion worth of contracts, coded as small business, went to 13 of the largest government contractors…’
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2006/sb20060726_724414.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_today's+top+stories
’….Big business winning some contracts set aside for small business isn't new, but the current magnitude is unprecedented. In December, 2004, the SBA Office of Advocacy released a report stating that 39 large corporations in 2002 received over $2 billion in contracts that the administration had mistakenly counted as small-business contracts. The New York Times reported recently that last year at least $4.9 billion worth of contracts, coded as small business, went to 13 of the largest government contractors…’
CCR Name Lockdown
Notes: D&B Name Address Lockdown becomes active with release 3.06.3. This CCR revision will render most CCR registrants unable to change, directly in CCR, their Legal Business Name, DBA (Doing Business As) and Physical Address. They must correct name and address information for those fields at DUN & Bradstreet (D&B). Then the registrant will return to the CCR registration, which will only pull that data from D&B. Countries not monitored by D&B or not recognized by D&B must make all their own updates in CCR, after they become active
Fax Law Update
Federal Communications Commission rules going into effect Aug. 1 codify, after nearly 15 years of regulation, exactly what constitutes an established business relationship. The FCC, which issues regulations for implementing the law, attempted to further limit the advertisers’ reach in 2003 with stricter rules. But Congress instead opted to step in and amend the statute itself with the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005.
Under the regulations about to take effect, advertisers can still send unsolicited faxes to recipients with whom they have an established business relationship or from whom they have express written permission. The commission now defines an established business relationship as a prior or existing relationship formed by two-way communications, with or without a money transaction.
The rules clarify that senders can only use fax numbers voluntarily provided by the recipient. However, the sender does not have to demonstrate how it obtained the fax number if it can prove an established business relationship prior to July 9, 2005. The changes also create a requirement for “opt out” language in the fax directing recipients to a cost-free mechanism for removing themselves from a fax list. The law still allows private parties to sue for a violation, with damages of up to $500 per faxed page or $1,500 per page if the court finds a willful violation. Although seemingly insignificant sums, these fines add up quickly in the class-action suits often brought against mass-fax advertisers.
Separately, the FCC can fine up to $11,000 for each fax violation it discovers as part of an investigation.
For companies distributing faxes, the most significant element of the rule changes is the opt-out language. If a fax does not have the right opt-out language penalties can be quite costly.
Note: This information is not meant to replace appropriate legal counsel. For updated information concerning lax communications contact your legal counsel.
Under the regulations about to take effect, advertisers can still send unsolicited faxes to recipients with whom they have an established business relationship or from whom they have express written permission. The commission now defines an established business relationship as a prior or existing relationship formed by two-way communications, with or without a money transaction.
The rules clarify that senders can only use fax numbers voluntarily provided by the recipient. However, the sender does not have to demonstrate how it obtained the fax number if it can prove an established business relationship prior to July 9, 2005. The changes also create a requirement for “opt out” language in the fax directing recipients to a cost-free mechanism for removing themselves from a fax list. The law still allows private parties to sue for a violation, with damages of up to $500 per faxed page or $1,500 per page if the court finds a willful violation. Although seemingly insignificant sums, these fines add up quickly in the class-action suits often brought against mass-fax advertisers.
Separately, the FCC can fine up to $11,000 for each fax violation it discovers as part of an investigation.
For companies distributing faxes, the most significant element of the rule changes is the opt-out language. If a fax does not have the right opt-out language penalties can be quite costly.
Note: This information is not meant to replace appropriate legal counsel. For updated information concerning lax communications contact your legal counsel.
Monday, July 24, 2006
USA Today: How small firms lock down data
In Baltimore, business owner Gloria Berthold hasn't allowed her five employees to store customer data on laptops since she founded TargetGov in 1997 to help companies win government contracts.
At first, she worried she was being too restrictive. But lately she's been reading stories about workers losing laptops to thieves or accidents while on the road. "I just don't want to lose sleep worrying about who has access to laptops," she says.
As TargetGov's offerings grow more sophisticated, so do its information-security needs and costs.
Berthold's most valuable asset is a database of federal, state and local government employees who take bids on contracts for computers, office furniture and other goods. She sells subscriptions to the database, which customers access online through TargetGov's website.
Two years ago, Berthold spent $50,000 rebuilding the site so it would be more secure. The information is encrypted, or scrambled, so unauthorized users can't read it in the unlikely event they hack into the site.
The database is now stored at a remote computer server instead of at her office. And all customer records are now stored on a separate computer server, also away from her office...."
Click here for the full story
At first, she worried she was being too restrictive. But lately she's been reading stories about workers losing laptops to thieves or accidents while on the road. "I just don't want to lose sleep worrying about who has access to laptops," she says.
As TargetGov's offerings grow more sophisticated, so do its information-security needs and costs.
Berthold's most valuable asset is a database of federal, state and local government employees who take bids on contracts for computers, office furniture and other goods. She sells subscriptions to the database, which customers access online through TargetGov's website.
Two years ago, Berthold spent $50,000 rebuilding the site so it would be more secure. The information is encrypted, or scrambled, so unauthorized users can't read it in the unlikely event they hack into the site.
The database is now stored at a remote computer server instead of at her office. And all customer records are now stored on a separate computer server, also away from her office...."
Click here for the full story
Federal Fiscal Year End = Use It or Lose It
We have now entered the fourth quarter of the federal fiscal year. Are you taking advantage of this timing to bring in summertime business and sow the seeds for next year's (which starts October 1) business?
The federal government spends over 50 percent of the year’s budget between July 1 and September 30 because of “use it or lose it” requirements. This means that government spending is at its yearly high right now and vendors can take advantage of this spending by knowing who is placing the orders.
It is your job as an informed vendor to research the budgets and know what the agencies are planning to spend. In addition, it is important to market your company to the appropriate people within each individual agency so that they know what you offer.
When is the fiscal year end for federal government agencies?
For Full Story Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2325
The federal government spends over 50 percent of the year’s budget between July 1 and September 30 because of “use it or lose it” requirements. This means that government spending is at its yearly high right now and vendors can take advantage of this spending by knowing who is placing the orders.
It is your job as an informed vendor to research the budgets and know what the agencies are planning to spend. In addition, it is important to market your company to the appropriate people within each individual agency so that they know what you offer.
When is the fiscal year end for federal government agencies?
For Full Story Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2325
BRAC Teams Forming NOW
Let us know if you would like to be considered for the teams we are putting together to address the local and nationwide Base Re-Alignment and Closure (BRAC) related contracting opportunities.
These are wide-ranging, long-term opportunities related to the specific needs regarding the mandated base closures such as construction, information technology, staffing, moving processes and more.
There is no fee or long-term commitment for this first step to let us know that you are interested.
Click here to send us an email and please mention BRAC Teams in the Comments field. We look forward to working with you!
These are wide-ranging, long-term opportunities related to the specific needs regarding the mandated base closures such as construction, information technology, staffing, moving processes and more.
There is no fee or long-term commitment for this first step to let us know that you are interested.
Click here to send us an email and please mention BRAC Teams in the Comments field. We look forward to working with you!
New SBA Administrator
The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has a new Administrator.
Steve Preston, was confirmed by the Senate in late June, and was formally sworn in last week. Preston is the 22nd Administrator since SBA was first created in 1953. Previously, Preston served as Executive Vice President at The ServiceMaster Company, a major franchising operation. Preston has not offered a lot of details about his vision for SBA, but we hope that he will continue the agency’s strong support for America’s entrepreneurs.
To view a Small Business Administration press release about Preston’s swearing-in, click here.
Steve Preston, was confirmed by the Senate in late June, and was formally sworn in last week. Preston is the 22nd Administrator since SBA was first created in 1953. Previously, Preston served as Executive Vice President at The ServiceMaster Company, a major franchising operation. Preston has not offered a lot of details about his vision for SBA, but we hope that he will continue the agency’s strong support for America’s entrepreneurs.
To view a Small Business Administration press release about Preston’s swearing-in, click here.
SBA News: RFQ For Small Business
SBA News: RFQ Seeking Small Business Researchers
The Office of Advocacy seeks small business researchers, or researchers who want to become small businesses, to perform economic research via a request for quotations RFQ). The topics are chosen because they are researchable, show the status or role of small businesses, can be a springboard for further research, and can affect public policy.
Proposals on the following topics are due July 26, 2006:
• Owner demographics,
• Human capital and business ownership by demographic,
• The impact of HUBZone–qualified areas on small business development and job creation,
• Research using the Survey of Small Business Finances,
•Small business research using large databases,
• Graduate student research.
For More Information Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2327
The Office of Advocacy seeks small business researchers, or researchers who want to become small businesses, to perform economic research via a request for quotations RFQ). The topics are chosen because they are researchable, show the status or role of small businesses, can be a springboard for further research, and can affect public policy.
Proposals on the following topics are due July 26, 2006:
• Owner demographics,
• Human capital and business ownership by demographic,
• The impact of HUBZone–qualified areas on small business development and job creation,
• Research using the Survey of Small Business Finances,
•Small business research using large databases,
• Graduate student research.
For More Information Click Here: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2327
Guidance for Entrepreneurs on Selling a Business
For most entrepreneurs, deciding whether and when to sell their business is one of the toughest calls. To help them evaluate their options, Kauffman eVenturing features a new collection of articles on successful selling strategies.
This new collection, written by financial experts and several entrepreneurs who have successfully sold companies, offers business owners practical guidance on timing and other difficult issues, such as deciding who to sell your company to, whether to seek a buyer yourself or use an investment banker, how to get the best price once you do decide to sell and how to tell your employees.
Click here to read this month's collection on Kauffman eVenturing. This story is © 2006 The Public Forum Institute. Content from this newsletter may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship
If you would like a personal contact to guide you through the buying or selling process, call TargetGov at 1-866-579-1346 and we will help you get started.
This new collection, written by financial experts and several entrepreneurs who have successfully sold companies, offers business owners practical guidance on timing and other difficult issues, such as deciding who to sell your company to, whether to seek a buyer yourself or use an investment banker, how to get the best price once you do decide to sell and how to tell your employees.
Click here to read this month's collection on Kauffman eVenturing. This story is © 2006 The Public Forum Institute. Content from this newsletter may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship
If you would like a personal contact to guide you through the buying or selling process, call TargetGov at 1-866-579-1346 and we will help you get started.
Bundling and Consolidation Course now LIVE on SBLC
The US Air Force Small Business Learning Center's newest module, Bundling and Consolidation, has launched!!
"...This module provides valuable training for acquisition professionals as well as small business owners to become familiar with the definitions, rules and procedures from market research stage up through contract file documentation, when consolidation and/or bundling may be involved.
We are very excited about the presentation style of this module as the training is provided in an informative, yet entertaining format. We invite you to enjoy this course, and please share with your field specialists and other customers. Acquisition teams should be encouraged to take the course when first discussing requirements. As always, your feedback on this and all of the SBLC courses is greatly appreciated..."
To view the course, click here and select Bundling and Consolidation from the Master List, click on the Tutorial Launch button and enjoy
"...This module provides valuable training for acquisition professionals as well as small business owners to become familiar with the definitions, rules and procedures from market research stage up through contract file documentation, when consolidation and/or bundling may be involved.
We are very excited about the presentation style of this module as the training is provided in an informative, yet entertaining format. We invite you to enjoy this course, and please share with your field specialists and other customers. Acquisition teams should be encouraged to take the course when first discussing requirements. As always, your feedback on this and all of the SBLC courses is greatly appreciated..."
To view the course, click here and select Bundling and Consolidation from the Master List, click on the Tutorial Launch button and enjoy
Navigating the World of Teaming Agreements
Teaming agreements, while not new, have emerged again as a useful way for companies to pool resources (and share costs) when bidding on increasingly complex contracts, particularly federal government contracts.
Teaming agreements can take many forms, the most common of which is the prime/subcontractor relationship. One party acts as the prime contractor, maintaining the contractual relationship with, for example, a Government customer and assuming all of the associated contractual liability. The other party acts as a subcontractor, maintaining a contractual relationship only with the prime. Typically teaming agreements represent a general framework in which the parties agree to pursue certain contracts, leaving most specific details to be negotiated upon an actual contract award to the party acting as the prime contractor.
Click for Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2319
Teaming agreements can take many forms, the most common of which is the prime/subcontractor relationship. One party acts as the prime contractor, maintaining the contractual relationship with, for example, a Government customer and assuming all of the associated contractual liability. The other party acts as a subcontractor, maintaining a contractual relationship only with the prime. Typically teaming agreements represent a general framework in which the parties agree to pursue certain contracts, leaving most specific details to be negotiated upon an actual contract award to the party acting as the prime contractor.
Click for Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2319
Small Businesses Win $79.6 Billion In Federal $'s
Small Businesses Garner $79.6 Billion In Federal Contracts in FY 2005
For the first time in history, small businesses received a record-breaking $79.6 billion in federal prime contracts, $10 billion more than the year before.The contracts represented 25.4 percent of federal prime contracting dollars in FY 2005, surpassing the overall government statutory goal of 23 percent for the third consecutive year.
The small business contracting data was reported by the government’s Federal Procurement Data –Next Generation (FPDS-NG) system, the only official data reporting system for federal procurement data. The data show that the federal government purchased $314 billion worth of goods and services from businesses large and small.
“This is excellent news for small businesses doing business with the federal government,” said previous SBA Administrator Hector Barreto. “For the third year in a row, the federal government has met or exceeded its small business contracting goal.
The Department of Defense, the leading purchaser of goods and services, awarded $53.8 billion of its contracts, or about 24.6 percent, to small businesses.
For the full report, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/SmallBusinessGoalingReport_2005.pdf.
For supplemental information on the data, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/DisclaimerstotheFY2005SmallBusinessGoalingReport.pdf.
For the first time in history, small businesses received a record-breaking $79.6 billion in federal prime contracts, $10 billion more than the year before.The contracts represented 25.4 percent of federal prime contracting dollars in FY 2005, surpassing the overall government statutory goal of 23 percent for the third consecutive year.
The small business contracting data was reported by the government’s Federal Procurement Data –Next Generation (FPDS-NG) system, the only official data reporting system for federal procurement data. The data show that the federal government purchased $314 billion worth of goods and services from businesses large and small.
“This is excellent news for small businesses doing business with the federal government,” said previous SBA Administrator Hector Barreto. “For the third year in a row, the federal government has met or exceeded its small business contracting goal.
The Department of Defense, the leading purchaser of goods and services, awarded $53.8 billion of its contracts, or about 24.6 percent, to small businesses.
For the full report, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/SmallBusinessGoalingReport_2005.pdf.
For supplemental information on the data, visit http://www.sba.gov/GC/goals/DisclaimerstotheFY2005SmallBusinessGoalingReport.pdf.
Procurement Spending up $175 Billion Since 2000
Procurement spending grew 86 percent from 2000 to 2005, but management problems have resulted in significant levels of waste and abuse, according to a report released by Democratic lawmakers last week.
The report, titled "Dollars, Not Sense," was prepared by Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee, and was based on more than 500 reports by the Government Accountability Office, agency inspectors general and the Defense Contract Audit Agency, as well as interviews and data from a government procurement database.
Investigators found that procurement spending has increased significantly under the Bush administration, growing by 86 percent from $203 billion in fiscal 2000 to $377.5 billion in fiscal 2005. The present spending level represents a record 40 cents on every dollar of federal discretionary spending, according to the report.
Click here for the full story.
The report, titled "Dollars, Not Sense," was prepared by Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee, and was based on more than 500 reports by the Government Accountability Office, agency inspectors general and the Defense Contract Audit Agency, as well as interviews and data from a government procurement database.
Investigators found that procurement spending has increased significantly under the Bush administration, growing by 86 percent from $203 billion in fiscal 2000 to $377.5 billion in fiscal 2005. The present spending level represents a record 40 cents on every dollar of federal discretionary spending, according to the report.
Click here for the full story.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
SBA seeks comments on proposed women-owned business program
The Small Business Administration is seeking public comment on a proposal to provide contracting preference to women-owned small businesses through a set-aside program similar to those in place for other disadvantaged business sectors. The proposed Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Assistance Program, which was the subject of a successful lawsuit by the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce relating to implementation delays, was detailed in a Thursday Federal Register notice.
Full Story:http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2312
Full Story:http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2312
GSA solicits your input on IT contracts worth $65 billion
The General Services Administration last Thursday released a draft request for proposals for its long-delayed Alliant and Alliant Small Business contracts, two governmentwide information technology vehicles together valued at $65 billion over 10 years.
The draft RFP is the second to be released for this work; GSA first announced the two Alliant contracts in early 2004 and issued a draft proposal in March 2005. The procurement dragged on through delays and leadership changes, however, and the agency decided to reassess, leading to a February 2006 announcement of new plans for the contract.
Under the revised schedule, the public has until June 30 to submit comments on the draft RFP, and a final version will be published in October for contract award by summer 2007, according to GSA announcements. The draft RFPs, along with other documents for the contract, are posted on the FedBizOpps Web site, with additional information on GSA sites dedicated to the main contract and small business component.
Click here for the full story
The draft RFP is the second to be released for this work; GSA first announced the two Alliant contracts in early 2004 and issued a draft proposal in March 2005. The procurement dragged on through delays and leadership changes, however, and the agency decided to reassess, leading to a February 2006 announcement of new plans for the contract.
Under the revised schedule, the public has until June 30 to submit comments on the draft RFP, and a final version will be published in October for contract award by summer 2007, according to GSA announcements. The draft RFPs, along with other documents for the contract, are posted on the FedBizOpps Web site, with additional information on GSA sites dedicated to the main contract and small business component.
Click here for the full story
IMPORTANT DHS SURVEY: Has Your Company Held or Bid on Contracts from the Department of Homeland Security?
Is your firm a small business that has held contracts or has bid on contracts with the Department of Homeland Security? If so, make your voice count here.
The House Committee on Homeland Security has requested that we send out a survey to obtain your views on the ability of small and minority businesses in obtaining homeland security government contracts through the Department of Homeland Security. The goal of this survey is to gain insight into your company's experiences with and perspectives about the Department of Homeland Security's contracting process, ranging from development and issuance of Request for Proposals (RFPs), responses to RFPs, success in securing contracts, the responsiveness of the bid protest process and difficulties faced in the payment process.
This survey will take less than 30 minutes of your time but will provide valuable information on the DHS contracting process. Individual responses will be confidential, and no identifying information will be released or revealed in any manner. Responses will be used to compile a statistical overview of issues covered in the questionnaire. The statistical compilation of the data collected may be presented to the general public for informational purposes or to Members of Congress for potential legislative action. DEADLINE: June 23rd.
Make your voice count here! Or contact:
Zahra Buck, J.D.
Professional Staff
House Homeland Security Committee
Minority Staff
H2-117 Ford House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The House Committee on Homeland Security has requested that we send out a survey to obtain your views on the ability of small and minority businesses in obtaining homeland security government contracts through the Department of Homeland Security. The goal of this survey is to gain insight into your company's experiences with and perspectives about the Department of Homeland Security's contracting process, ranging from development and issuance of Request for Proposals (RFPs), responses to RFPs, success in securing contracts, the responsiveness of the bid protest process and difficulties faced in the payment process.
This survey will take less than 30 minutes of your time but will provide valuable information on the DHS contracting process. Individual responses will be confidential, and no identifying information will be released or revealed in any manner. Responses will be used to compile a statistical overview of issues covered in the questionnaire. The statistical compilation of the data collected may be presented to the general public for informational purposes or to Members of Congress for potential legislative action. DEADLINE: June 23rd.
Make your voice count here! Or contact:
Zahra Buck, J.D.
Professional Staff
House Homeland Security Committee
Minority Staff
H2-117 Ford House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Small Business Contracts Plunge to Record Low
The latest statistics on Federal small business contracting show the lowest participation by small businesses in recent history. According to current government figures, small businesses received a meager 17% of the total value of Federal contracts during fiscal year 2005. This number represents the lowest level of Federal contracts that have been awarded to small businesses in the past 20 years.
The Small Business Act of 1953 requires that 23% of Federal contracts go to small businesses. Last year, the SBA reported that 23.09% of contracts were awarded to small firms during FY 2004.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2313
The Small Business Act of 1953 requires that 23% of Federal contracts go to small businesses. Last year, the SBA reported that 23.09% of contracts were awarded to small firms during FY 2004.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2313
SBA Closes Veterans Assistance Office
Without consultation or notification, the Bush Administration has closed its office at the Small Business Administration (SBA) solely dedicated to helping veteran-owned small businesses gain access to federal contracts. The Administration has also informed the Veterans Advisory Committee, another group dedicated to helping veteran small business owners, that their charter will not be extended and instead will expire this September. These unprecedented moves hurt America's veteran entrepreneurs and raise serious questions about the Administration's commitment to comply with federal law.
Budget cuts and Barreto's resignation leave SBA toothless. One small- business advocate is sounding the alarm as best he can that companies should prepare for the possible closure of the Small Business Administration. It's just a matter of time, said Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League. President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress want to shut SBA's doors for good, he said.
Full Story:http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2313
Budget cuts and Barreto's resignation leave SBA toothless. One small- business advocate is sounding the alarm as best he can that companies should prepare for the possible closure of the Small Business Administration. It's just a matter of time, said Lloyd Chapman, president of the American Small Business League. President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress want to shut SBA's doors for good, he said.
Full Story:http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2313
Web Site Governance Hotly Contested In Many Agencies
Who should be responsible for the content on a federal agency’s Web site—the agency’s public affairs office, CIO office or some other oversight body? Or should the program managers actually control the material?
This is the issue that many federal agencies are now grappling with, according to two researchers at George Mason University.
“As agency [W]eb sites become the most public agency presence for most citizens, the approval process for content [within these agencies] appears to be increasingly contested,” argued Julianne Mahler and Priscilla Regan of GMU’s Department of Public and International Affairs. Professor Regan is currently on leave from GMU, serving as a program director at the National Science Foundation. The two researchers studied how agencies manage their sites. They presented their findings at the International Conference on Digital Government Research, held recently in San Diego.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2314
This is the issue that many federal agencies are now grappling with, according to two researchers at George Mason University.
“As agency [W]eb sites become the most public agency presence for most citizens, the approval process for content [within these agencies] appears to be increasingly contested,” argued Julianne Mahler and Priscilla Regan of GMU’s Department of Public and International Affairs. Professor Regan is currently on leave from GMU, serving as a program director at the National Science Foundation. The two researchers studied how agencies manage their sites. They presented their findings at the International Conference on Digital Government Research, held recently in San Diego.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2314
More Companies Watching E-mail
By LARRY FIORINO
Special to The Daily Record
Forrester Research recently released a comprehensive survey of 294 U.S. companies with more than 1,000 employees concerning e-mail usage in their corporate environments.
During the last year, almost 33 percent of the companies have fired an employee for inappropriate usage of corporate e-mail, and over half the companies have disciplined an employee for the same types of infringements.
Currently, 38 percent of companies surveyed employ staff to analyze or read outgoing messages. This statistic may make many employees bristle, if they happen to be using corporate e-mail services for personal reasons. However, the main reason behind this trend is a bit more justifiable when companies were asked why they were concerned about outgoing employee e-mail.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2315
Special to The Daily Record
Forrester Research recently released a comprehensive survey of 294 U.S. companies with more than 1,000 employees concerning e-mail usage in their corporate environments.
During the last year, almost 33 percent of the companies have fired an employee for inappropriate usage of corporate e-mail, and over half the companies have disciplined an employee for the same types of infringements.
Currently, 38 percent of companies surveyed employ staff to analyze or read outgoing messages. This statistic may make many employees bristle, if they happen to be using corporate e-mail services for personal reasons. However, the main reason behind this trend is a bit more justifiable when companies were asked why they were concerned about outgoing employee e-mail.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2315
Negotiation Strategies for Entrepreneurs
Negotiation skills – an increasingly important part of virtually every aspect of business and life – are especially valuable to entrepreneurs engaged in growing their companies.
This month, Kauffman eVenturing features new articles to help emerging business owners become better negotiators in their daily and longer term business dealings. The articles include “Negotiation for Mutual Gain” by William Ury, distinguished global expert and co-founder of Harvard Law School’s program on negotiation. Ury explains how to enable both sides in a negotiation to gain by expanding (rather than dividing) the economic pie.
Click here to read this month’s collection on Kauffman eVenturing.
This month, Kauffman eVenturing features new articles to help emerging business owners become better negotiators in their daily and longer term business dealings. The articles include “Negotiation for Mutual Gain” by William Ury, distinguished global expert and co-founder of Harvard Law School’s program on negotiation. Ury explains how to enable both sides in a negotiation to gain by expanding (rather than dividing) the economic pie.
Click here to read this month’s collection on Kauffman eVenturing.
2006 Congressional Procurement Conference
Monday, June 12, 2006
The Procurement Conference will highlight the many opportunities that exist in the private and public sectors, at the federal, state & local levels. Special sessions will be devoted to the many new programs geared towards helping small/mid-size; women; and minority businesses to succeed in winning procurement contracts. Opportunities of referrals to organization with programs that would assist you getting the services you need to develop and grow.
The annual Congressional Procurement Conference & Expo, presented by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, is intended to help small, mid-sized, women and minority businesses to get a piece of the procurement pie.
Speakers include: Gloria Berthold: Government Business Development; Herbert Jordon: Minority Business Opportunities; Lockheed Martin, Ft Deitrick, GSA, Montgomery County, Clark Construction and many more!
More Information:http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2305
The Procurement Conference will highlight the many opportunities that exist in the private and public sectors, at the federal, state & local levels. Special sessions will be devoted to the many new programs geared towards helping small/mid-size; women; and minority businesses to succeed in winning procurement contracts. Opportunities of referrals to organization with programs that would assist you getting the services you need to develop and grow.
The annual Congressional Procurement Conference & Expo, presented by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, is intended to help small, mid-sized, women and minority businesses to get a piece of the procurement pie.
Speakers include: Gloria Berthold: Government Business Development; Herbert Jordon: Minority Business Opportunities; Lockheed Martin, Ft Deitrick, GSA, Montgomery County, Clark Construction and many more!
More Information:http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2305
Tax Bill Contains Tax Withholding On Payments To Contractors
Inserted into the massive tax bill passed in May, the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 (H.R. 4297) signed by President Bush, is a new requirement mandating a 3% tax withholding on payments to contractors for goods and services provided to federal, state, and local governments. This new requirement could be potentially devastating to small federal contractors.
The provision does the following: requires tax withholdings at a rate of 3% on payments for products and services made by the federal government, as well as State and local governments with contracting expenditures of $100 million or more; imposes burdensome information reporting requirements on payments that are subject to the withholding; does not apply to payments for government employee wages, interest, real property, tax-exempt entities, foreign governments, classified contracts, and intra-governmental payments. The provision applies to payments starting in 2011.
The impetus for this provision came from five recommendations issued in Treasury’s Bluebook that was released with the President’s budget in February addressing the Tax Gap. The Treasury estimates this new requirement will result in raising $225 million in the next four years for the U.S. Treasury. WIPP is getting involved with a coalition headed up by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to address this provision. WIPP will continue to keep you informed of this issue.
The provision does the following: requires tax withholdings at a rate of 3% on payments for products and services made by the federal government, as well as State and local governments with contracting expenditures of $100 million or more; imposes burdensome information reporting requirements on payments that are subject to the withholding; does not apply to payments for government employee wages, interest, real property, tax-exempt entities, foreign governments, classified contracts, and intra-governmental payments. The provision applies to payments starting in 2011.
The impetus for this provision came from five recommendations issued in Treasury’s Bluebook that was released with the President’s budget in February addressing the Tax Gap. The Treasury estimates this new requirement will result in raising $225 million in the next four years for the U.S. Treasury. WIPP is getting involved with a coalition headed up by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to address this provision. WIPP will continue to keep you informed of this issue.
New Kauffman Index
New Kauffman Index Presents State of Entrepreneurship in America
A national assessment of entrepreneurial activity by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation provides some eye-popping numbers. The new report shows that there were 464,000 people creating new business each month in 2005 – a rate of 0.29 percent of the total adult population. Besides year-to-year changes in entrepreneurship activity, the Kauffman Index -- defined as the percent of the adult U.S. population of non-business owners who start a business as their main job each month -- captures long-term trends. While the 2005 figure is actually down slightly from the previous year, it is equal to the average rate for the past ten years.
All stories © 2006 The Public Forum Institute Content from this newsletter may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship and a link to www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2307
A national assessment of entrepreneurial activity by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation provides some eye-popping numbers. The new report shows that there were 464,000 people creating new business each month in 2005 – a rate of 0.29 percent of the total adult population. Besides year-to-year changes in entrepreneurship activity, the Kauffman Index -- defined as the percent of the adult U.S. population of non-business owners who start a business as their main job each month -- captures long-term trends. While the 2005 figure is actually down slightly from the previous year, it is equal to the average rate for the past ten years.
All stories © 2006 The Public Forum Institute Content from this newsletter may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution to the National Dialogue on Entrepreneurship and a link to www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.
Full Story: http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2307
GSA Has New Leadership and DHS Awards 32% Less
Doan Takes Oath of Office
Source: GSA Press Release
Lurita Doan Assumes Role as GSA AdministratorWednesday May 31, 4:52 pm ET
WASHINGTON, May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Lurita Doan took the oath of office, becoming the 18th Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Mrs. Doan is the first woman to hold this position. President George W. Bush nominated Mrs. Doan on April 6, and the Senate confirmed her nomination on May 26. U.S. District Court, Federal Judge, the Honorable Richard W. Roberts administered the oath of office at GSA headquarters with Mrs. Doan's husband, Doug, her two daughters and other family members, friends and GSA employees in attendance.
Full Story:http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2308
GSA Solicits Input on IT Contracts Worth $65 Billion
By Jenny Mandel
The General Services Administration on Thursday released a draft request for proposals for its long-delayed Alliant and Alliant Small Business contracts, two governmentwide information technology vehicles together valued at $65 billion over 10 years.
The draft RFP is the second to be released for this work; GSA first announced the two Alliant contracts in early 2004 and issued a draft proposal in March 2005. The procurement dragged on through delays and leadership changes, however, and the agency decided to reassess, leading to a February 2006 announcement of new plans for the contract.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34228&dcn=e_gvet
DHS Awards 32% Less Than Last Year In State, Local Grants
By Jonathan Marino
The Homeland Security Department on Wednesday announced that it has awarded $1.7 billion in grants this year to help states and localities combat terrorism and respond to disasters, representing a 32 percent decrease over grants awarded the previous year. DHS officials said they received applications for more than $5 billion in grants, but funding cutbacks forced them to re-evaluate some programs and make reductions. According to DHS documents published online, the department awarded more than $2.5 billion in grants in fiscal 2005. "We're dealing with significantly less money this year," said Tracy Henke, DHS' grants and training assistant secretary.
Summer: Doldrums or Sales Boon
"Our summer is extremely busy,"
"I expect some robust fiscal-year-end buying."
"Nearly $2 billion is sitting in vehicles that will probably be spent before Sept. 30."
"We see a fair amount of task order activity going on."
"Movement on procurements that were stalled earlier in fiscal 2006 provides another lift for summer sales."
These quotes came from an article on FCW.com which is listed as story number four, "Integrators brace for summer onslaught". Why are these companies seeing the summer months as a boon to their government sales while others are crying the blues about low sales or missed opportunities?
Generally, the successful people know how to work the federal sales cycle, they understand the importance of relationship-building and they are not afraid to aggressively pursue business opportunities when everyone else is settling in with a vacation attitude. Which camp are you in? Which camp do you want to be in?
Proactive marketing to government agencies can open doors to fiscal-year end business opportunities right now. And, even more important, you and your team will benefit from every targeted contact you make right now and for the rest of this last quarter.
Successful Strategies to Increase Summer Federal Government Sales:
1. Develop a strategy to identify and target the agencies with budgeted money left to spend.
2. Create a "fiscal-year-end" sales campaign to stress the benefits, advantages and special offers your company provides
3. Identify the SPECIFIC PEOPLE is the agencies who have purchased your services/products in the past.
4. Set up an aggressive contact schedule to include phone, email, direct mail and fax (if allowed) to these specific people.
5. Follow-up until you close the sales.
TargetGov is your secret weapon to zero in on the people who are involved in making purchasing decisions – become a subscriber and start using it today! Call toll-free: 866-579-1346. Want to learn more first hand from the experts? Attend the TargetGov Teleconference.
Click here for date/time details.
"I expect some robust fiscal-year-end buying."
"Nearly $2 billion is sitting in vehicles that will probably be spent before Sept. 30."
"We see a fair amount of task order activity going on."
"Movement on procurements that were stalled earlier in fiscal 2006 provides another lift for summer sales."
These quotes came from an article on FCW.com which is listed as story number four, "Integrators brace for summer onslaught". Why are these companies seeing the summer months as a boon to their government sales while others are crying the blues about low sales or missed opportunities?
Generally, the successful people know how to work the federal sales cycle, they understand the importance of relationship-building and they are not afraid to aggressively pursue business opportunities when everyone else is settling in with a vacation attitude. Which camp are you in? Which camp do you want to be in?
Proactive marketing to government agencies can open doors to fiscal-year end business opportunities right now. And, even more important, you and your team will benefit from every targeted contact you make right now and for the rest of this last quarter.
Successful Strategies to Increase Summer Federal Government Sales:
1. Develop a strategy to identify and target the agencies with budgeted money left to spend.
2. Create a "fiscal-year-end" sales campaign to stress the benefits, advantages and special offers your company provides
3. Identify the SPECIFIC PEOPLE is the agencies who have purchased your services/products in the past.
4. Set up an aggressive contact schedule to include phone, email, direct mail and fax (if allowed) to these specific people.
5. Follow-up until you close the sales.
TargetGov is your secret weapon to zero in on the people who are involved in making purchasing decisions – become a subscriber and start using it today! Call toll-free: 866-579-1346. Want to learn more first hand from the experts? Attend the TargetGov Teleconference.
Click here for date/time details.
Slowed Security Clearances
Agencies may not meet goal of speeding security clearances
Government contractors and potential federal employees anticipating that the wait for security clearances will get shorter in December may be disappointed, industry officials are cautioning.
The 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act requires federal agencies to cut the wait for clearances to a maximum of 120 days for at least 80 percent of applications by the end of 2006. The deadline is a warm-up for 2009 deadlines that will require security clearances to be processed in 60 days and all Top Secret clearance requests to be completed in 120 days. But Trey Hodgkins, director of defense and intelligence issues for the Information Technology Association of America, said he doubts agencies will be up to the task.
"They are not even close to where they should be," he said. "They aren't anywhere in the ballpark."
Multiple intelligence sources said that when requests for a Top Secret clearance or for access to Sensitive Compartmentalized Information are handled through the Office of Personnel Management, they can take up to 18 months to process. An OPM spokesman, however, challenged that estimate, saying the agency's average time for an initial clearance investigation was closer to 150 days, or five months. "In fact, for Top Secret clearances with priority handling, the average processing time is only 53 days, [and] for all other clearance levels with priority handling, it's 64 days," said OPM spokesman Peter Graves.
Full Story:
http://www.govexec.com/
Government contractors and potential federal employees anticipating that the wait for security clearances will get shorter in December may be disappointed, industry officials are cautioning.
The 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act requires federal agencies to cut the wait for clearances to a maximum of 120 days for at least 80 percent of applications by the end of 2006. The deadline is a warm-up for 2009 deadlines that will require security clearances to be processed in 60 days and all Top Secret clearance requests to be completed in 120 days. But Trey Hodgkins, director of defense and intelligence issues for the Information Technology Association of America, said he doubts agencies will be up to the task.
"They are not even close to where they should be," he said. "They aren't anywhere in the ballpark."
Multiple intelligence sources said that when requests for a Top Secret clearance or for access to Sensitive Compartmentalized Information are handled through the Office of Personnel Management, they can take up to 18 months to process. An OPM spokesman, however, challenged that estimate, saying the agency's average time for an initial clearance investigation was closer to 150 days, or five months. "In fact, for Top Secret clearances with priority handling, the average processing time is only 53 days, [and] for all other clearance levels with priority handling, it's 64 days," said OPM spokesman Peter Graves.
Full Story:
http://www.govexec.com/
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Defense agency resumes processing some clearances
By Jonathan Marino
The Defense Security Service late Tuesday announced it has located enough funding to partially resume processing of security clearances.
In a brief statement posted on its Web site, the agency said it has started processing initial requests for secret clearances. It still has not resumed its work on Top Secret clearance requests – which take more time – or on re-investigations of already cleared contractors who are renewing credentials, but said it will do so when additional funding is available.
The agency's move came on the eve of Senate and House committee hearings Wednesday to examine how DSS ran out of funds to process clearance requests, and what can be done to remedy the situation quickly. DSS' unexpected move to halt clearance processing late last month stunned and enraged some private sector managers who said it exacerbates recruitment problems. Some requests take more than a year to process.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34105&dcn=e_ndw
The Defense Security Service late Tuesday announced it has located enough funding to partially resume processing of security clearances.
In a brief statement posted on its Web site, the agency said it has started processing initial requests for secret clearances. It still has not resumed its work on Top Secret clearance requests – which take more time – or on re-investigations of already cleared contractors who are renewing credentials, but said it will do so when additional funding is available.
The agency's move came on the eve of Senate and House committee hearings Wednesday to examine how DSS ran out of funds to process clearance requests, and what can be done to remedy the situation quickly. DSS' unexpected move to halt clearance processing late last month stunned and enraged some private sector managers who said it exacerbates recruitment problems. Some requests take more than a year to process.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=34105&dcn=e_ndw
Friday, April 07, 2006
Crisis at GSA
Agencies take their business elsewhere
After a decade-long stretch of red-hot IT sales at the General Services Administration, other federal agencies started looking elsewhere for IT procurements in 2004. In 2005, for the first time in years, GSA’s IT sales actually declined.
GSA’s information technology business is even more troubled than its chiefs initially let on. Revenues for its niche business of assisting agencies in buying highly customized systems and services — known as IT solutions — plummeted nearly $3 billion — about 40 percent — in the last two years.
Click here for full story
After a decade-long stretch of red-hot IT sales at the General Services Administration, other federal agencies started looking elsewhere for IT procurements in 2004. In 2005, for the first time in years, GSA’s IT sales actually declined.
GSA’s information technology business is even more troubled than its chiefs initially let on. Revenues for its niche business of assisting agencies in buying highly customized systems and services — known as IT solutions — plummeted nearly $3 billion — about 40 percent — in the last two years.
Click here for full story
Telework in the Buff
There is one advantage to working from home you won't hear about from those who advocate for greater flexibilities in government agency's telework policies. According to a recent survey, 10 percent of teleworkers worldwide work in the nude. Another 39 percent wear sweats when working out of their homes.
Click here for full story
Click here for full story
Lives of the Rich and Famous Tax Deadbeats
GAO finds 10 percent of GSA contractors owe back taxes
About 10 percent of all contractors hired by the General Services Administration owed $1.4 billion in unpaid taxes as of last June 30, GAO officials testified Tuesday before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.
In the third hearing on delinquent contractors, GAO officials told the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that the agency does not routinely check whether prospective contractors have tax liens against them or have failed to pay the payroll taxes they have collected from employees, which is a felony.
Some abuses were so egregious, said Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Norm Coleman, R-Minn., they could be turned into a reality TV show called, "Lives of the Rich and Famous Tax Deadbeats
Click here for full story
About 10 percent of all contractors hired by the General Services Administration owed $1.4 billion in unpaid taxes as of last June 30, GAO officials testified Tuesday before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.
In the third hearing on delinquent contractors, GAO officials told the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that the agency does not routinely check whether prospective contractors have tax liens against them or have failed to pay the payroll taxes they have collected from employees, which is a felony.
Some abuses were so egregious, said Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Norm Coleman, R-Minn., they could be turned into a reality TV show called, "Lives of the Rich and Famous Tax Deadbeats
Click here for full story
How a Loss Can Turn Into a Win
Thank you to the US Department of Health and Human Services for this story from their most recent newsletter: HHS Pulse. Subscribe here.
In 2003, the owners of a relatively new company, TurningPoint Global Solutions, pursued a small business contract with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). TurningPoint was one of 23 companies that submitted a bid even though it had no prior relationship with FDA staff. Not surprisingly, TurningPoint didn’t win the contract.
Instead, the firm’s managing partners, Bangalore Shivacharan and David Hughes, used the procurement post-award debriefing as an advantage to get TurningPoint’s foot in the door and meet what would soon become its future client. “The debriefing presented us with the opportunity to meet the FDA staff and develop personal relationships and gain the confidence with the individuals at FDA who make the procurement decisions,” said TurningPoint’s Hughes.
To learn How to Do Business with HHS and Access a $600 Billion Market click here.
In 2003, the owners of a relatively new company, TurningPoint Global Solutions, pursued a small business contract with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). TurningPoint was one of 23 companies that submitted a bid even though it had no prior relationship with FDA staff. Not surprisingly, TurningPoint didn’t win the contract.
Instead, the firm’s managing partners, Bangalore Shivacharan and David Hughes, used the procurement post-award debriefing as an advantage to get TurningPoint’s foot in the door and meet what would soon become its future client. “The debriefing presented us with the opportunity to meet the FDA staff and develop personal relationships and gain the confidence with the individuals at FDA who make the procurement decisions,” said TurningPoint’s Hughes.
To learn How to Do Business with HHS and Access a $600 Billion Market click here.
10 Cool Colleges for Entrepreneurs
Fortune Small Business (FSB) is out with an interesting list of ten cool colleges for entrepreneurs. Instead of ranking schools, FSB opted to list schools that are doing interesting and innovative things in terms of teaching entrepreneurship.
The list includes:
-DePaul
-Florida International (FIU)
-Harvard
-Howard
-Simmons College
-Sitting Bull College
-University of Arizona
-Tucson
-University of Colorado
-Boulder
-University of Texas
-Austin and the University of Rochester
Several of these schools (FlU, Howard, and Rochester) were winners of grants from the Kauffman Campuses Initiative, sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation. Others had unique niches like Sitting Bull College’s focus on Native American entrepreneurship, Colorado’s stress on “green” entrepreneurship, and Simmons College’s focus on supporting women entrepreneurs.
Click here for the article “Ten Cool Colleges for Entrepreneurs,” by Patricia Gray, which appears in the March 2, 2006 edition of Fortune Small Business.
The list includes:
-DePaul
-Florida International (FIU)
-Harvard
-Howard
-Simmons College
-Sitting Bull College
-University of Arizona
-Tucson
-University of Colorado
-Boulder
-University of Texas
-Austin and the University of Rochester
Several of these schools (FlU, Howard, and Rochester) were winners of grants from the Kauffman Campuses Initiative, sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation. Others had unique niches like Sitting Bull College’s focus on Native American entrepreneurship, Colorado’s stress on “green” entrepreneurship, and Simmons College’s focus on supporting women entrepreneurs.
Click here for the article “Ten Cool Colleges for Entrepreneurs,” by Patricia Gray, which appears in the March 2, 2006 edition of Fortune Small Business.
Security Institute Conference
The Third Annual Government Security Market:Opportunities and Challenges
•April 24-25, 2006
National Press Club529
14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045
The Security Institute was created to further the education and information sharing among providers of security services and security end users. We partner with many leading organizations and associations working to improve security by opening additional lines of communication between commercial vendors of security products and services and a wide range of security end users, including the corporate and government communities. The Security Institute offers educational programs for security service provider management regarding business operations and marketing, as well as targeted programs for security end users.
For more information and registration, click here
•April 24-25, 2006
National Press Club529
14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20045
The Security Institute was created to further the education and information sharing among providers of security services and security end users. We partner with many leading organizations and associations working to improve security by opening additional lines of communication between commercial vendors of security products and services and a wide range of security end users, including the corporate and government communities. The Security Institute offers educational programs for security service provider management regarding business operations and marketing, as well as targeted programs for security end users.
For more information and registration, click here
OSDBU Conference April 20, 2006
Come by the TargetGov booth #205 on Thursday, April 20, 2006
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Show Place Arena
14900 Pennsylvania Avenue
Upper Marlboro, MD
The OSDBU Procurement Conference is a national conference fostering business partnerships between the Federal Government, its Prime Contractors, and small, minority, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses.
The cost to attend the OSDBU 2006 Conference is $100 for industry attendees registering before 4/1/2006 and $175 for industry attendees registering on or after 4/1/2006.
Click here to go to the secure on-line attendee registration form.
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Show Place Arena
14900 Pennsylvania Avenue
Upper Marlboro, MD
The OSDBU Procurement Conference is a national conference fostering business partnerships between the Federal Government, its Prime Contractors, and small, minority, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses.
The cost to attend the OSDBU 2006 Conference is $100 for industry attendees registering before 4/1/2006 and $175 for industry attendees registering on or after 4/1/2006.
Click here to go to the secure on-line attendee registration form.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Hiring Strategies for Entrepreneurs Seeking Top Talent
Identifying and hiring the top team to help take a company to the next level is one the toughest challenges faced by entrepreneurs. A new collection of articles on the Kauffman eVenturing website addresses that challenge, looking to help business owners become more successful in their quest to hire more “A-list” winners. Filled with practical, actionable advice written by experienced entrepreneurs and hiring experts, the articles emphasize the longer-term value of using a more structured, disciplined approach to add an element of ‘science’ to the art of hiring the best people for an entrepreneurial company.
To read the full collection on “Methods for Evaluating Top Team Candidates” please visit Kauffman eVenturing at www.eVenturing.org.
To read the full collection on “Methods for Evaluating Top Team Candidates” please visit Kauffman eVenturing at www.eVenturing.org.
Monday, March 06, 2006
U.S. Department of Defense Contracts
McDonnell Douglas Corp, St Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $240,060,000 firm fixed price with cost reimbursement type for alternate disputes resolution contract for Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Lot 10 Guided Vehicle (GV) kits quantity of 10,000. The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapon system provides the Air Force and the Navy with an improved aerial delivery capability for existing 500, 1000 and 2000-pound bombs. The JDAM is a strap-on kit with Inertial Navigation System (INS/Global Positioning Systems (GPS) capability. At this time, total funds have been obligated. Solicitations began in November 2005 and negotiations were complete in March 2006. This work will be complete March 2008. The Headquarters Air to Ground Munitions Systems Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8681-06-C-0058).
For more information:
http://www.dod.mil/contracts/2006/ct20060303-12595.html
For more information:
http://www.dod.mil/contracts/2006/ct20060303-12595.html
DHS earns poor marks from House Democrats
By Alice Lipowicz
3/02/2006
Government Computer News
The Homeland Security Department scored a D grade for emergency preparedness, critical infrastructure protection, redress for errors on the terrorist watch list, and overall procurement and contracting, according to the 2006 annual report card issued by Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee.
The department received C’s for port, aviation and transportation security, border security, chemical plant protection, information-sharing, science and technology, and cybersecurity. The highest grades were B-minuses for the Safecom interoperability program and for privacy protection.
“In the past three years, the department’s evolution has been a troubled one,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), senior Democrat on the committee, said in a news release.
While, thankfully, the department has not yet been tested by another terrorist attack, its performance fell well below expectations in the face of Mother Nature and Hurricane Katrina last year,” he wrote.
For full story
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/38366-1.html
3/02/2006
Government Computer News
The Homeland Security Department scored a D grade for emergency preparedness, critical infrastructure protection, redress for errors on the terrorist watch list, and overall procurement and contracting, according to the 2006 annual report card issued by Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee.
The department received C’s for port, aviation and transportation security, border security, chemical plant protection, information-sharing, science and technology, and cybersecurity. The highest grades were B-minuses for the Safecom interoperability program and for privacy protection.
“In the past three years, the department’s evolution has been a troubled one,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), senior Democrat on the committee, said in a news release.
While, thankfully, the department has not yet been tested by another terrorist attack, its performance fell well below expectations in the face of Mother Nature and Hurricane Katrina last year,” he wrote.
For full story
http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/38366-1.html
The Incredible Shrinking Company: Corporate giants snag federal small business set-aside contracts
By Christopher Moraff
January/February 2006
Dollars & Sense Magazine
Between 2002 and 2005, St. Augustine, Fla., exercise equipment vendor Raul Espinosa watched mystified as, one after another, a series of Air Force contracts he had placed bids on were given to other companies. Of the 14 bids that Espinosa has documented, his company, FitNet International, did not win one. To his surprise, Espinosa learned that some of the competitors he was losing contracts to had never even bothered to bid on them.
Espinosa was no stranger to adversity. At 14 he came to the United States alone from Cuba and managed to work his way through college and graduate school. He formed FitNet in 1995 to sell exercise equipment to the U.S. military. A certified minority-owned small business, FitNet describes itself as a purchasing alliance that represents over 400 equipment suppliers. The company has three employees and grosses under $1 million a year.
Now, Espinosa was getting a first-class lesson in corporate pandering that he'd never bargained for; it would take him three years to uncover the full story.
Click here for full story:
http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2006/0106moraff.html
January/February 2006
Dollars & Sense Magazine
Between 2002 and 2005, St. Augustine, Fla., exercise equipment vendor Raul Espinosa watched mystified as, one after another, a series of Air Force contracts he had placed bids on were given to other companies. Of the 14 bids that Espinosa has documented, his company, FitNet International, did not win one. To his surprise, Espinosa learned that some of the competitors he was losing contracts to had never even bothered to bid on them.
Espinosa was no stranger to adversity. At 14 he came to the United States alone from Cuba and managed to work his way through college and graduate school. He formed FitNet in 1995 to sell exercise equipment to the U.S. military. A certified minority-owned small business, FitNet describes itself as a purchasing alliance that represents over 400 equipment suppliers. The company has three employees and grosses under $1 million a year.
Now, Espinosa was getting a first-class lesson in corporate pandering that he'd never bargained for; it would take him three years to uncover the full story.
Click here for full story:
http://www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2006/0106moraff.html
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Federal IT Dollars
President Bush’s fiscal year 2007 budget, released by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will favor information technology (IT) requests in support of the war on terror and homeland security. The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) IT budget increase is the most significant, with an increase of 21% to more than $4.4 billion. The President’s budget adds $772 million to the DHS fiscal ’07 budget, which represents 44% of the new money added to federal IT spending overall.
Federal agencies plan to spend $64.3 billion on IT in fiscal ’07, which represents a 3% increase from the fiscal ’06 budget. “The message delivered by OMB is that performance and measurement will play critical roles in the review and approval of budgeted spending, especially the close review of agency-by-agency progress reports on meeting administration goals for managing IT projects and developing effective business cases,” said James Krouse, acting director, public sector market analysis for INPUT.
Overall, 21 of 27 civilian agencies received an IT budget increase. Other significant agency winners in the President’s budget request include the Department of Labor, with a more than 13% increase, and the Department of the Interior, with a nearly 9% increase. Cybersecurity has also been elevated as a priority area with a budget increase to $5.2 billion.
Federal agencies plan to spend $64.3 billion on IT in fiscal ’07, which represents a 3% increase from the fiscal ’06 budget. “The message delivered by OMB is that performance and measurement will play critical roles in the review and approval of budgeted spending, especially the close review of agency-by-agency progress reports on meeting administration goals for managing IT projects and developing effective business cases,” said James Krouse, acting director, public sector market analysis for INPUT.
Overall, 21 of 27 civilian agencies received an IT budget increase. Other significant agency winners in the President’s budget request include the Department of Labor, with a more than 13% increase, and the Department of the Interior, with a nearly 9% increase. Cybersecurity has also been elevated as a priority area with a budget increase to $5.2 billion.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Federal Government Contracting Driving Growth
Record federal spending, which has increased significantly in the Greater Washington area since 9/11, continues to be the engine driving the current economic upswing. At an Economic Conference today, Stephen Fuller, PhD, Director, Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, announced that the U.S. Government spent $339 billion nationally in federal procurement in fiscal year 2004. More than 15 percent ($52.6 billion) of this national total stayed in the Greater Washington region. This represents a 19 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.
Which sector is benefiting most from the increase in federal dollars? The area’s technology sector has been the winner for the past few years. According to Dr. Fuller, the government accounts for more than 70 percent of the sales of technology products and services in Greater Washington.
www.greaterwashington.org
Which sector is benefiting most from the increase in federal dollars? The area’s technology sector has been the winner for the past few years. According to Dr. Fuller, the government accounts for more than 70 percent of the sales of technology products and services in Greater Washington.
www.greaterwashington.org
Small businesses (under 500 employees) won over $100 billion in federal contracts in 2004
Small businesses (under 500 employees) won $69 billion in federal prime contracts in fiscal 2004, or 23 percent of the total pot of almost $300 billion that was open to small companies, according to a report released Thursday by the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy.
Subcontracting figures were unavailable for 2004, but were estimated at nearly $50 billion based on projections from 2003 subcontracts valued at about $45.5 billion, according to the document.
Click here for the full story:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=33104&printerfriendlyVers=1&
Subcontracting figures were unavailable for 2004, but were estimated at nearly $50 billion based on projections from 2003 subcontracts valued at about $45.5 billion, according to the document.
Click here for the full story:
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=33104&printerfriendlyVers=1&
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
SBA adjusts size standards for inflation
Almost 12,000 companies will be re-classified as small businesses after a move by the Small Business Administration to factor three and one-half years of inflation into its monetary-based size standards. SBA increased the size standard for business and personal services firms from $6 million to $6.5 million. Size standards for other industries that are higher than $6 million also reflect similar percentage increases, the report states. Full Article
Minority-Owned Joint Venture Lands Federal IT Work
By Roseanne Gerin
Special to The Washington PostMonday, December 5, 2005; Page D04
Energy Enterprise Solutions LLC won a $1 billion contract from the Energy Department to provide consolidated information technology services, one of the largest federal IT services contracts ever awarded to a small business.
The contract also appears to be the first ever billion-dollar award made to a joint venture of two minority-owned firms, said Rodney P. Hunt, president and chief executive of RS Information Systems Inc. of McLean, one of the contract partners. The other is 1 Source Consulting Inc. of Seabrook.
Click here to read more.
Special to The Washington PostMonday, December 5, 2005; Page D04
Energy Enterprise Solutions LLC won a $1 billion contract from the Energy Department to provide consolidated information technology services, one of the largest federal IT services contracts ever awarded to a small business.
The contract also appears to be the first ever billion-dollar award made to a joint venture of two minority-owned firms, said Rodney P. Hunt, president and chief executive of RS Information Systems Inc. of McLean, one of the contract partners. The other is 1 Source Consulting Inc. of Seabrook.
Click here to read more.
IRS SETS STANDARD MILEAGE RATES FOR 2006
The IRS this week lowered the optional standard mileage rate for 2006 to 44.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, down from the 48.5 cent rate set for the last third of 2005.
The standard mileage rate is used to calculate the deductible costs of operating a vehicle for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. The 48.5 cent rate set for the last four months of 2005 was a one-time adjustment in response to the sharp increase in gas prices, which topped $3 a gallon. The standard mileage rate for the first two-thirds of 2005 was set at 40.5 cents per mile.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, the standard mileage rates for use of a car (including vans and pickup trucks) for medical or moving purposes will be 18 cents per mile. The rate for miles driven in service of charitable organizations, other than activities related to Katrina, will be 14 cents per mile. For 2006, the Katrina-related charitable rates will be 32 cents per mile for deduction purposes and 44.5 cents per mile for reimbursement purposes.
The standard mileage rate is used to calculate the deductible costs of operating a vehicle for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. The 48.5 cent rate set for the last four months of 2005 was a one-time adjustment in response to the sharp increase in gas prices, which topped $3 a gallon. The standard mileage rate for the first two-thirds of 2005 was set at 40.5 cents per mile.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, the standard mileage rates for use of a car (including vans and pickup trucks) for medical or moving purposes will be 18 cents per mile. The rate for miles driven in service of charitable organizations, other than activities related to Katrina, will be 14 cents per mile. For 2006, the Katrina-related charitable rates will be 32 cents per mile for deduction purposes and 44.5 cents per mile for reimbursement purposes.
Small businesses struggle to win hurricane relief contracts
By Kimberly Palmer mailto:Palmerkpalmer@govexec.com
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Kevin Arvay, a satellite communications consultant based in Leesburg , Va. , started calling federal agencies charged with cleanup and reconstruction. He thought he could help build their communications systems.
Arvay is still waiting for a return call. "It's frustrating, because you're sitting here knowing you can do something," he said.
Like hundreds of other small contractors, Arvay wants to be part of the enormous relief effort, but he has had difficulty getting the right people on the phone. As in many emergency situations, contracts are being awarded quickly, outside the normal competitive process, meaning that relationships matter as much as skills. Small companies could have a tough time winning government business in this environment.
Full Article
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Kevin Arvay, a satellite communications consultant based in Leesburg , Va. , started calling federal agencies charged with cleanup and reconstruction. He thought he could help build their communications systems.
Arvay is still waiting for a return call. "It's frustrating, because you're sitting here knowing you can do something," he said.
Like hundreds of other small contractors, Arvay wants to be part of the enormous relief effort, but he has had difficulty getting the right people on the phone. As in many emergency situations, contracts are being awarded quickly, outside the normal competitive process, meaning that relationships matter as much as skills. Small companies could have a tough time winning government business in this environment.
Full Article
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Ramping up quickly to win a contract: A solution for small and medium-sized contractors
In the wake of disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, government contracting opportunities grow. But winning those contracts often depends on hiring and orienting new employees quickly. For a large company with a sizable human resources department, bringing on a new workforce is merely a challenge. For smaller organizations, it can seem like an insurmountable obstacle.
A growing number of contractors are finding a solution by hiring a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), which functions as an HR department for small and medium-sized companies.
The advantages of a PEO include:
§ Assistance with hiring and orientation: A full-service PEO such as Administaff can assist client companies in all facets of hiring, including placing ads, reviewing resumes, interviewing and conducting background checks, and employee orientation.
§ Accurate contract proposals : A PEO gives a company the capability to quantify the annual cost of each employee to make an accurate calculation of direct hourly costs.
§ Answers from specialists: A PEO can provide guidance and answers to many of the questions regarding personnel-related issues.
§ Regulatory compliance: PEOs stay updated on changes in employer-related laws and regulations and assist companies in staying compliant.
§ Access to reports for contract audits : Some PEOs provide 24/7 access online to information and reports for complying with contract audit requirements.
§ Attract new employees with big-company benefits : Some PEOs offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement programs, tuition reimbursement, and adoption assistance – benefits typically found at large corporations.
Outsourcing their HR to a PEO allows small companies to function like big ones. It is just one of the reasons behind the growing trend. In fact, the Gartner Group predicts that more than 85 percent of U.S. employers will outsource at least one HR function in the future.
Whether it is landing a first-time contract or adding larger contracts to the roster, working with a PEO can give contracting companies a competitive edge in winning proposals.
Article provided by Rob Kimmel and Peter Pfeiffer, district managers in Administaff’s Washington , D.C. offices. Administaff (NYSE: ASF), the nation’s leading Professional Employer Organization, serves as a full-service human resources department for thousands of small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States. For more information, call 1-800-465-3800 or visit www.administaff.com.
A growing number of contractors are finding a solution by hiring a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), which functions as an HR department for small and medium-sized companies.
The advantages of a PEO include:
§ Assistance with hiring and orientation: A full-service PEO such as Administaff can assist client companies in all facets of hiring, including placing ads, reviewing resumes, interviewing and conducting background checks, and employee orientation.
§ Accurate contract proposals : A PEO gives a company the capability to quantify the annual cost of each employee to make an accurate calculation of direct hourly costs.
§ Answers from specialists: A PEO can provide guidance and answers to many of the questions regarding personnel-related issues.
§ Regulatory compliance: PEOs stay updated on changes in employer-related laws and regulations and assist companies in staying compliant.
§ Access to reports for contract audits : Some PEOs provide 24/7 access online to information and reports for complying with contract audit requirements.
§ Attract new employees with big-company benefits : Some PEOs offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement programs, tuition reimbursement, and adoption assistance – benefits typically found at large corporations.
Outsourcing their HR to a PEO allows small companies to function like big ones. It is just one of the reasons behind the growing trend. In fact, the Gartner Group predicts that more than 85 percent of U.S. employers will outsource at least one HR function in the future.
Whether it is landing a first-time contract or adding larger contracts to the roster, working with a PEO can give contracting companies a competitive edge in winning proposals.
Article provided by Rob Kimmel and Peter Pfeiffer, district managers in Administaff’s Washington , D.C. offices. Administaff (NYSE: ASF), the nation’s leading Professional Employer Organization, serves as a full-service human resources department for thousands of small and medium-sized businesses throughout the United States. For more information, call 1-800-465-3800 or visit www.administaff.com.
FEMA, Small Business Administration Work Together To Award Hurricane Katrina Recovery Contracts To Small And Minority-Owned Businesses
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the opening of competition for 15 contracts with a value up to $100 million each. The five-year contracts will be awarded to local, small and small disadvantaged businesses for temporary housing maintenance and support for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery.
FEMA expects to award seven small business and eight Section 8(a) contracts by Feb. 1, 2006. All interested companies may go to Rebuilding the Gulf Coast at www.rebuildingthegulfcoast.gov to find the Request for Proposal (RFP), which will be available for downloading no later than Nov. 18, or FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. For those without Internet capabilities, written requests for an RFP can be made by faxing Nancy Costello at (202) 646-4373 or e-mailing nancy.costello@dhs.gov.
For more information about FEMA’s efforts, visit www.fema.gov. More information about SBA, visit www.sba.gov.
FEMA expects to award seven small business and eight Section 8(a) contracts by Feb. 1, 2006. All interested companies may go to Rebuilding the Gulf Coast at www.rebuildingthegulfcoast.gov to find the Request for Proposal (RFP), which will be available for downloading no later than Nov. 18, or FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. For those without Internet capabilities, written requests for an RFP can be made by faxing Nancy Costello at (202) 646-4373 or e-mailing nancy.costello@dhs.gov.
For more information about FEMA’s efforts, visit www.fema.gov. More information about SBA, visit www.sba.gov.
WIPP
CONFERENCE INCHES CLOSER TO LOWERING 7(a) LOAN FEES: The House of Representatives recently approved a measure by voice vote instructing the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations conference to report $79 million for the 7(a) loan program in its final bill. This funding would lower fees to small businesses obtaining Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. Additionally, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Ranking Member John Kerry (D-MA) called for the conferees to keep the funding for 7(a) loan program at $79 million.
Please click here to read Senator Kerry’s press release concerning the newly-passed motion.
VELAZQUEZ RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT CARD: House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) released her annual report card that scores Federal Agencies on contracting. The report shows that women-owned businesses came in at 2.89% – just over half of its 5% goal. It is estimated that the cost to women-owned businesses is more than $6 billion in lost contracting opportunities.
Please click here to view the report and see how women and small businesses fared (on page 13).
These two stories provided by Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. (WIPP) www.wipp.org
Please click here to read Senator Kerry’s press release concerning the newly-passed motion.
VELAZQUEZ RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT CARD: House Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) released her annual report card that scores Federal Agencies on contracting. The report shows that women-owned businesses came in at 2.89% – just over half of its 5% goal. It is estimated that the cost to women-owned businesses is more than $6 billion in lost contracting opportunities.
Please click here to view the report and see how women and small businesses fared (on page 13).
These two stories provided by Women Impacting Public Policy, Inc. (WIPP) www.wipp.org
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Acquisition -- Enterprise IT, Domain IT, and IT Asset Management Support for WHS
The Washington Headquarters Services, Information Technology Management Directorate (WHS/ITMD), is developing its requirements for Enterprise IT, Domain IT, and IT Asset Management Support for WHS. The purpose of this Request for Information is to gather information to assist WHS ITMD in formulating its requirements and identify vendors who can demonstrate a capability to meet the requirements.
Responses to this RFI must be received by Wednesday, 16 November 2005, at 4:00 PM EST. Please provide responses in electronic format (CD-ROM) using Microsoft Office products or .pdf files. Five copies of each response must be hand delivered or sent via courier to Juan R. Lopez, WHS A&PO, Rosslyn Plaza North, Suite 12063, 1777 North Kent Street, Arlington VA 22209-2209, phone 703-696-3970.
The FebBizOpps listing for this RFI is at: http://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/OSD/PRPO/HQ0034%2D06%2DAPO%2DEDAM%2D1/listing.htm l. (The 17 down-loadable documents are also available at this site.)
Responses to this RFI must be received by Wednesday, 16 November 2005, at 4:00 PM EST. Please provide responses in electronic format (CD-ROM) using Microsoft Office products or .pdf files. Five copies of each response must be hand delivered or sent via courier to Juan R. Lopez, WHS A&PO, Rosslyn Plaza North, Suite 12063, 1777 North Kent Street, Arlington VA 22209-2209, phone 703-696-3970.
The FebBizOpps listing for this RFI is at: http://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/OSD/PRPO/HQ0034%2D06%2DAPO%2DEDAM%2D1/listing.htm l. (The 17 down-loadable documents are also available at this site.)
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
NAWBO FORMS KATRINA TASK FORCE
Looking to find out how you can help women entrepreneurs affected by Hurricane Katrina? Or are you a woman entrepreneur who was affected and seeking resources?
Visit www.womenbizrelief.com to find out resources that other women entrepreneurs are offering, or to post resources that you can offer. Started by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), many WIPP Coalition partners and sponsors have come together to support the efforts on the Hurricane Katrina Task Force.
Visit www.womenbizrelief.com to find out resources that other women entrepreneurs are offering, or to post resources that you can offer. Started by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), many WIPP Coalition partners and sponsors have come together to support the efforts on the Hurricane Katrina Task Force.
A Critique of Minority Set-Aside Programs
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has taken a close look at Federal government contracting set-aside programs, and they don’t like what they see. The basic message from their report ( Federal Procurement after Adarand ) is pretty clear: all government contracting decisions should be race-neutral. In other words, all federal preferential contracting programs, like the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, should be eliminated. The Commission is recommending a major policy shift, as small and disadvantaged business programs now help fund $19.5 billion in prime contracts (about 7% of all contracting dollars). The Commission’s report recommends that all federal agencies establish new race-neutral procurement programs, and expand marketing efforts so that more small business owners are made aware of new federal contracting opportunities.
The September 2005 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report, Federal Procurement after Adarand , is available at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/080505_fedprocadarand.pdf
This story provided by: www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.
The September 2005 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report, Federal Procurement after Adarand , is available at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/080505_fedprocadarand.pdf
This story provided by: www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.
The Biggest Small Government Contractors
Washington Technology is out with its latest edition of the Fast 50, the fifty fastest growing small government contractors. The firms on Washington Technology’s list are all service contractors that do a minimum of $100,000 of government business every year. Not all the firms are located “inside the Beltway.” In fact, this year’s number one, Merlin Technical Solutions, is based in Greenwood Village Colorado . This information technology services provider posted a 362% compound annual growth rate between 2000 and 2004. Hot areas for contractors are IT services, consulting, and systems integration. The issue also lists the top 25 8(a) companies – firms that are minority-owned and specially designated by the Small Business Administration. As in past years, firms owned by Native Americans and Alaska natives dominate the list, with the number one spot held by last year’s winner, Chenega Corporation of Anchorage , Alaska .
The Fast 50 appears in Washington Technology’s annual small business issue (appearing in the September 26, 2005 issue), which is available on-line at www.washingtontechnology.com
This story was provided by: www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.
The Fast 50 appears in Washington Technology’s annual small business issue (appearing in the September 26, 2005 issue), which is available on-line at www.washingtontechnology.com
This story was provided by: www.publicforuminstitute.org/nde.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Current Update on $69+ Billion in Contracting Opportunities for Disaster Reconstruction
Current Update on $69+ Billion in Contracting Opportunities for Disaster Reconstruction
A National Teleconference to update the contracting opportunities for the Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2005 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST. This is the third is a series of teleconferences addressing the extraordinary contracting opportunities opening up to business throughout the US .
Speakers:
US Army Corps of Engineers; Chief, Small Business Office, Associate Director for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Judith W. Blake
National Business Development Expert, Author and Instructor, Gloria Berthold
Contractors from all over the US have unprecedented opportunities to become involved in the reconstruction contracting process. This process will involve both short and long term contracting needs utilizing all types of services and products. Opportunities will continue to open up for many months to come, as long as you know how to open those doors. Upon registration, you will immediately receive the 95 page resource guide: Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Contracting Business Development Toolkit . This downloadable book details the federal and state agencies, prime contractors, related contact people, specific processes and methods to find contracting and subcontracting opportunities. Cost: $119.00 for both the Teleconference and Toolkit.
For full details, or to register go to: http://www.targetgov.com/, click on the “Teleconference” link http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2178 or call toll-free: 866-579-1346.
Options:
No time to attend the teleconference? Order the teleconference CD and 95-page Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Contracting Business Development Toolkit from the most recent teleconference. http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2181
Or, order just the 95 page Toolkit and get started on your business development process immediately!
http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2189
A National Teleconference to update the contracting opportunities for the Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts will be held on Thursday, October 13, 2005 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST. This is the third is a series of teleconferences addressing the extraordinary contracting opportunities opening up to business throughout the US .
Speakers:
US Army Corps of Engineers; Chief, Small Business Office, Associate Director for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Judith W. Blake
National Business Development Expert, Author and Instructor, Gloria Berthold
Contractors from all over the US have unprecedented opportunities to become involved in the reconstruction contracting process. This process will involve both short and long term contracting needs utilizing all types of services and products. Opportunities will continue to open up for many months to come, as long as you know how to open those doors. Upon registration, you will immediately receive the 95 page resource guide: Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Contracting Business Development Toolkit . This downloadable book details the federal and state agencies, prime contractors, related contact people, specific processes and methods to find contracting and subcontracting opportunities. Cost: $119.00 for both the Teleconference and Toolkit.
For full details, or to register go to: http://www.targetgov.com/, click on the “Teleconference” link http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2178 or call toll-free: 866-579-1346.
Options:
No time to attend the teleconference? Order the teleconference CD and 95-page Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Contracting Business Development Toolkit from the most recent teleconference. http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2181
Or, order just the 95 page Toolkit and get started on your business development process immediately!
http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2189
Judge denies Small Business Administration's Motion to Dismiss
The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce's nearly year-old claim against the Small Business Administration received a strong message of support yesterday. The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce claim against the SBA seeks the implementation of a five-year-old law that would expand opportunities in the federal marketplace for women business owners in industries that have historically been closed to them.
On Friday, September 30, 2005, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton issued an order denying the Small Business Administration's Motion to Dismiss the USWCC Claim and ordered that the SBA provide the court a written statement of the progress made towards implementation of the law.
Read more here
On Friday, September 30, 2005, U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton issued an order denying the Small Business Administration's Motion to Dismiss the USWCC Claim and ordered that the SBA provide the court a written statement of the progress made towards implementation of the law.
Read more here
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Addressing emergency contracting needs
To help federal and state agencies better understand your capabilities to address emergency contracting service and products, we strongly recommend that you follow these GSA requests:
Update your website by highlighting items needed for the relief effort, discounts in effect for those items, after hours point of contact, and any new emergency delivery times
Provide temporary price reductions for relief products, making sure that you keep your GSA Advantage! listings current with any changes
Check eBuy at least once a day so you can quickly answer calls for quotes for relief efforts
Handle any orders from federal agencies assisting in the relief effort as expeditiously as possible
Request how your company may assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina by directly emailing katrinasupport@gsa.gov
Update your website by highlighting items needed for the relief effort, discounts in effect for those items, after hours point of contact, and any new emergency delivery times
Provide temporary price reductions for relief products, making sure that you keep your GSA Advantage! listings current with any changes
Check eBuy at least once a day so you can quickly answer calls for quotes for relief efforts
Handle any orders from federal agencies assisting in the relief effort as expeditiously as possible
Request how your company may assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina by directly emailing katrinasupport@gsa.gov
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
2nd National Teleconference to Address Subcontracting Needs For Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction
The 2nd National Teleconference to Address Subcontracting Needs For
Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction will be held on Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST. The reconstruction efforts will affect virtually all states and contractors throughout the US have unprecedented opportunities to become involved in the reconstruction contracting process. The reconstruction process will involve both short and long term contracting needs, so opportunities will continue to open up for many months to come, as long as you know how to open those doors.
Attend this teleconference and learn how to step up to the plate, what processes need to be followed, who is involved, how decisions are made and what you need to do to be considered for the contracting opportunities. You attend over your telephone so there is no travel time or expenses. For full details and registration information, click here. (http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2178)
Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction will be held on Thursday, September 29, 2005 at 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST. The reconstruction efforts will affect virtually all states and contractors throughout the US have unprecedented opportunities to become involved in the reconstruction contracting process. The reconstruction process will involve both short and long term contracting needs, so opportunities will continue to open up for many months to come, as long as you know how to open those doors.
Attend this teleconference and learn how to step up to the plate, what processes need to be followed, who is involved, how decisions are made and what you need to do to be considered for the contracting opportunities. You attend over your telephone so there is no travel time or expenses. For full details and registration information, click here. (http://www.targetgov.com/Content.asp?id=2178)
Sunday, September 11, 2005
The First National Subcontracting Opportunities for Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Teleconference
Date of first teleconference: September 15, 2005
Time: 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST (or check your local time zone)
Location: Attend directly over your telephone. No wasted travel time or expenses.
Cost: $119.00 includes teleconference and Contracting Toolkit as detailed below
National Expert Speakers:
Confirmed:
Department of Homeland Security: Chief of Staff and Director, Industry and Acquisition Relations, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Mui Erkun
National Marketing Expert Author and Instructor, Gloria Berthold
Invited (due to the nature of the emergency, speaker availability may change, but the information for each contractor will be provided):
US Army Corps of Engineers
Contractors: Phillips & Jordan, Ashbritt Environmental, IAP, Shaw Group, Carothers Construction
Attend this TargetGov Teleconference and learn how to:
-Find out how to participate in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Efforts
-Uncover subcontracting opportunities with the Prime Contractors
-Develop your best resource for building relationships with Prime Contractors
-Uncover opportunities at the Federal, state and local level
-Understand and use the compelling factors that decision-makers employ to determine the contracting and subcontracting relationships
-Plan an effective strategy to focus your efforts and be most effective
Register at www.targetgov.com
By the end of this Teleconference you will:
Know the processes needed to find the contracting opportunities in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts. This teleconference is geared to contractors already familiar with the government contracting process. But if you are new to government contracting, we will send you the connections to the resources you need to get started.
For those contractors already familiar with government contracting, you will learn how to fine-tune your efforts so that you get more opportunities for larger contracts with the federal agencies and prime contractors involved in disaster relief and reconstruction efforts.
The Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Toolkit handout includes the following information:
-Specific contacts and details relating to the disaster relief and reconstruction efforts for both short term and long term contracting opportunities.
-Listing of Federal Agencies and contact information
The Department of Homeland Security
FEMA
US Army Corps of Engineers
And others....
-Listing of State contact information for Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida
-Listing of Prime Contractors and contact information
-Subcontracting Guidelines
-Guidelines Regarding the Changes in the Acquisition Process Due to the Katrina Disaster
-Doing Business with DHS -- The Rules of the Game
-List of DHS Prime Contractors
And much more…..
Who Should Attend
If you want to find out about the rules, regulations and processes involved in participating in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts, building your business revenues through subcontracting, or you are involved in government business development this is a Do Not Miss opportunity to speak directly with the people who can help you open the door to the government procurement opportunities. Presidents, CEOs, CFO's, Business Development Managers, Government Business Specialists and Sales Representatives will find this the most effective hour ever spent in developing government business opportunities relating to disaster contracting.
Industries needed by the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Effort:
This is an unprecedented disaster that involves every aspect of life in the Gulf States: citizen services such as food, shelter, clothing, health, mental-wellbeing, communications, debris removal and reduction, and transportation and other support issues such as police and fire responders are in great demand. It also affects business life at every level: communications, trucking, transportation, data recovery, employee training and hiring, etc. Local governments need to reconstruct their operations as well.
If you are involved in emergency services, debris removal and reduction, power supply, information technology, architecture and engineering, commodities, supplies, travel, personnel, construction, services, maintenance, energy, communications, training, accounting, legal, transportation, shipping, security, research and equipment, there are opportunities for you in either the short term or long term.
Why the TargetGov Teleconferences?
Through one-on-one interviews and instruction, your host, Ms. Gloria Berthold, gives you unprecedented access to the inner circles of government contracting. This exclusive opportunity to interact with people who know how to get business done in government agencies will help your business development processes become much more effective.
The Teleconference format allows you to attend from any telephone, anywhere. From your desk or your cell phone, you can fit this hour into your schedule - no wasted travel time to worry about.
Do you offer a Guarantee? Yes!
Every Teleconference we offer carries a money back guarantee.
That's correct, register for any Teleconference and we are so confident that you will take away valuable access and information that will be well worth the registration fee that we are giving you a money-back guarantee. If you decide that you did not receive the information as promised simply call us at 410-579-1346 within 24 hours of the Teleconference with your confirmation number and reason so that we can process your refund.
Register at www.targetgov.com or call toll-free 1-866-579-1346 for details
Time: 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST (or check your local time zone)
Location: Attend directly over your telephone. No wasted travel time or expenses.
Cost: $119.00 includes teleconference and Contracting Toolkit as detailed below
National Expert Speakers:
Confirmed:
Department of Homeland Security: Chief of Staff and Director, Industry and Acquisition Relations, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, Mui Erkun
National Marketing Expert Author and Instructor, Gloria Berthold
Invited (due to the nature of the emergency, speaker availability may change, but the information for each contractor will be provided):
US Army Corps of Engineers
Contractors: Phillips & Jordan, Ashbritt Environmental, IAP, Shaw Group, Carothers Construction
Attend this TargetGov Teleconference and learn how to:
-Find out how to participate in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Efforts
-Uncover subcontracting opportunities with the Prime Contractors
-Develop your best resource for building relationships with Prime Contractors
-Uncover opportunities at the Federal, state and local level
-Understand and use the compelling factors that decision-makers employ to determine the contracting and subcontracting relationships
-Plan an effective strategy to focus your efforts and be most effective
Register at www.targetgov.com
By the end of this Teleconference you will:
Know the processes needed to find the contracting opportunities in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts. This teleconference is geared to contractors already familiar with the government contracting process. But if you are new to government contracting, we will send you the connections to the resources you need to get started.
For those contractors already familiar with government contracting, you will learn how to fine-tune your efforts so that you get more opportunities for larger contracts with the federal agencies and prime contractors involved in disaster relief and reconstruction efforts.
The Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Toolkit handout includes the following information:
-Specific contacts and details relating to the disaster relief and reconstruction efforts for both short term and long term contracting opportunities.
-Listing of Federal Agencies and contact information
The Department of Homeland Security
FEMA
US Army Corps of Engineers
And others....
-Listing of State contact information for Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida
-Listing of Prime Contractors and contact information
-Subcontracting Guidelines
-Guidelines Regarding the Changes in the Acquisition Process Due to the Katrina Disaster
-Doing Business with DHS -- The Rules of the Game
-List of DHS Prime Contractors
And much more…..
Who Should Attend
If you want to find out about the rules, regulations and processes involved in participating in the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction efforts, building your business revenues through subcontracting, or you are involved in government business development this is a Do Not Miss opportunity to speak directly with the people who can help you open the door to the government procurement opportunities. Presidents, CEOs, CFO's, Business Development Managers, Government Business Specialists and Sales Representatives will find this the most effective hour ever spent in developing government business opportunities relating to disaster contracting.
Industries needed by the Katrina Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Effort:
This is an unprecedented disaster that involves every aspect of life in the Gulf States: citizen services such as food, shelter, clothing, health, mental-wellbeing, communications, debris removal and reduction, and transportation and other support issues such as police and fire responders are in great demand. It also affects business life at every level: communications, trucking, transportation, data recovery, employee training and hiring, etc. Local governments need to reconstruct their operations as well.
If you are involved in emergency services, debris removal and reduction, power supply, information technology, architecture and engineering, commodities, supplies, travel, personnel, construction, services, maintenance, energy, communications, training, accounting, legal, transportation, shipping, security, research and equipment, there are opportunities for you in either the short term or long term.
Why the TargetGov Teleconferences?
Through one-on-one interviews and instruction, your host, Ms. Gloria Berthold, gives you unprecedented access to the inner circles of government contracting. This exclusive opportunity to interact with people who know how to get business done in government agencies will help your business development processes become much more effective.
The Teleconference format allows you to attend from any telephone, anywhere. From your desk or your cell phone, you can fit this hour into your schedule - no wasted travel time to worry about.
Do you offer a Guarantee? Yes!
Every Teleconference we offer carries a money back guarantee.
That's correct, register for any Teleconference and we are so confident that you will take away valuable access and information that will be well worth the registration fee that we are giving you a money-back guarantee. If you decide that you did not receive the information as promised simply call us at 410-579-1346 within 24 hours of the Teleconference with your confirmation number and reason so that we can process your refund.
Register at www.targetgov.com or call toll-free 1-866-579-1346 for details
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Hurricane Katrina Emergency Contracting Information
http://www.fedbizopps.gov/katrina.html
Due to the immediacy of emergency opportunities, it is unlikely that opportunities dealing with the hurricanes will be advertised through the FedBizOpps system.
Vendors looking to provide products or services in Alabama , Louisiana , Mississippi or Florida should contact the following resources that are coordinating the disaster relief efforts:
Please note:
In general, proposals must include the following information:
Company name
Business address
Contact information
Type of service or product offered
Type of equipment
Number of workers being provided
Cost for service or product
Whether the company is volunteering services
FEMA
For information concerning disaster contracting, please call FEMA's acquisition voice message system at:
Phone: 202.646.4006
and visit the FEMA website at: http://www.fema.gov/
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
To register with the National Emergency Resource Registery please visit the following website: http://www.swern.gov/
SWERN is the Central Repository for all Hurricane relief.
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Contractors interested in assisting should fill out the subcontractor forms on the following two websites, please go to:
For Alabama and Florida:
Phillips & Jordan, Inc. ( for cleanup in Alabama and Florida ) Phone (Toll Free): 1-800-763-4718 Website: http://disaster.pandj.com/primaries/subcon.html
For Louisiana and Mississippi:
ASHBRITT (for cleanup in Louisiana and Mississippi) Phone (Toll Free): 1-800-244-5094 Phone: 954-545-3535 Website: http://www.ashbritt.com/sub_conract.shtmlemail: mailto:info@ashbritt.com
For other disaster response work in Louisiana , call the Memphis Corps of Engineers Office at (901) 544-3117 or (901) 544-3116.
For other disaster response work in Mississippi , call the Vicksburg Corps of Engineers office at (601) 631-5814 or (601) 631-7262 or submit an email to: cemvk-ct@usace.army.mil
DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Alabama
Phone: 205-280-2200 (Press 0 to speak with the operator) http://ema.alabama.gov/
If you are interested in contracting opportunities with the State of Alabama , on your Company Letterhead, list your capabilities and contact information. Fax this information to: 334-409-4663 Attention: FEMA Contract
Louisiana
Phone: 225-925-7500 http://ohsep.louisiana.gov/Note: You may experience problems calling Louisiana at this time.
Mississippi
Phone (Toll Free): 1-800-222-6362Phone: 601-352-9100Website:http://www.mississippi.gov/ Website: http://www.msema.org/Note: You may experience problems calling Mississippi at this time.
Florida
Florida County Emergency Management Contacts: Phone: 850-413-9969 Website: http://www.floridadisaster.org/County_EM/county_list.htm
Florida Disaster Contractors Network: Website: http://www.dcnonline.org/Email: mailto:dcn@dcnonline.org
Florida Home Builders Assistance at:Phone: 850-385-1414 Website: http://www.fhba.com/
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