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    Archives for January 14

    Contractors should resolve to adapt in 2014
    Jan 8, 2014

    From shutdowns to changed buying methods, the federal contracting market is evolving. Smart contractors will not only face down these changes, but find the best ways to take advantage of them.

    Here is a look at how to get ahead in 2014:
     
    Move past sequestration and the shutdown. The federal sequester and recent budget cuts — in addition to the 2013 shutdown — mean that federal spending is being scrutinized like never before, putting extra pressure on government contractors.
    Companies should focus on winning future business, rather than past obstacles. Smart business development strategies include finding new money in the federal budget.
     
    For example, the 2014 federal budget request includes $76.5 billion in information technology spending. The more important figure could be $17.9 billion, or the amount of money included for new projects — as opposed to maintenance costs — in the budget number.
     
    Stay ahead of the contract-type curve. Over time, agencies change their contracting practices. Some contract types grow popular while others fall out of favor.
     
    In 2009, General Services Administration schedules and government-wide acquisition contracts began losing market share to agency-specific, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract vehicles.
     
    Now, spending patterns are shifting back, with GSA schedule and government-wide acquisition contract spending increasing, while agency-specific vehicles decline in use. Though agencies give up some control by using multi-agency contracts, it’s cheaper and easier to rely on a program that’s already in place. Read Full Article.

     

    Posted in In the News
    Tags: Fy14 Procurement forecast Government contractors
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    2014 FAR agenda includes rule to encourage small business set asides
    Jan 10, 2014

    Proposed changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulations for 2014 include a rule that would encourage agencies to set aside contracts for small businesses.

    The interim rule would codify part of the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act that addressed set-asides of task- and delivery-orders as well as partial set-asides under multiple-award contracts, the 2014 FAR regulatory agenda says.
    The interim rule would only strengthen what's already happening in the government, said federal procurement expert Larry Allen. Agencies already regularly set aside contracts for small businesses, he added.
     
    "It's a further step to enshrine a practice that already happens," Allen said. This year's agenda will also include a proposed rule to clarify regulatory coverage on organizational conflicts of interest--when a contractor provides two types of services to the government that have conflicting interests.
     
    Another proposed rule would implement a uniform Procurement Instrument Identification numbering system. That system will require the use of Activity Address Codes to identify contracting offices and other offices in an effort to standardize procurement transactions across agencies.
     
    But the gears of regulatory reform might move slowly this year, Allen said, because there will be no full time head of the office of procurement policy when Joe Jordan leaves at the end of January.
    "History has shown, with the absence of someone there full time, the wheels will turn more slowly," he said.
    For more: - go to a Federal Register notice for the FAR regulatory agenda

     

    Posted in In the News
    Tags: Far Nprm Small business set asides Sba
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