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ACQUISITION ALERT



Wisconsin Federal Contracting Forum
Washington, D.C., July 21st and 22nd

 

Downsizing and consolidation, new spending priorities, technology, and changing regulations are driving the competitive pressures in government contracting.  Your best preparation for remaining competitive is to get ahead of the information curve so you can anticipate important changes and opportunities.

 

Join Wisconsin business in Washington for two days of briefings that will help you plan for your company's government business.  This program will give you advance information on spending plans and priorities with a focus on energy, health care, technology and water. Attendees will also receive up to date information on procurement reform and other proposed changes in the rules and regulations that govern federal acquisition.

The program format will allow you ample time to meet with government officials and members of Wisconsin's Congressional Delegation important to your business.  

 

The program will begin at 9:00am on July 21 with agency visits and move from there to GE's DC offices.  The second day we will be on Capitol Hill with morning briefings and afternoon meetings. 

 

We will be updating the website as speakers, meeting locations and other logistics are confirmed.

 

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UPCOMING EVENTS
7/8/15
Acquisition Hour: Preparing your Marketing Materials for a Government Sales Meeting
Webinar

7/21/15 to 7/22/15
Wisconsin Federal Contractor Forum
Washington, D.C.
Learn More
7/21/15
How to do Business with the Department of Veteran Affairs
De Pere
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  7/22/15
How to do Business with the Department of Veteran Affairs
Iron Mountain, MI
 

Energy Tech Solutions, LLC, a women-owned small business WBE Certified, celebrates 10 years in business. Since 2005, Energy Tech Solutions has specialized in the design, assembly, consulting and sale of LED lighting solutions for commercial and industrial customers and Federal agencies nationwide. Some of those Federal agencies are the Navy, Department of Energy, NASA, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

Offering a comprehensive product suite of interior and exterior lamps, retrofits and fixtures, Energy Tech Solutions works with customers on a project-to-project basis with product selection and analysis, environmental impact and energy calculations, ROI, rebate consulting and photometric designs. 

 

Owner Cynthia Everhart states, "As a result of our efforts, we have products installed in all 50 states and 15 foreign countries. Our technical approach has garnered the trust of our customers that is exemplified in continuous repeat business. Our impact has resulted in millions of kilowatt hours/year saved, the reduction of millions of pounds of pollutants entering the atmosphere and paybacks resulting in six months to two years."

 

"Our goal is to provide the most comprehensive selection of high-quality LED lighting products that exist while supplying our customers with a sound lighting solution that is sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible. Our mission is realized when one reviews the energy savings and environmental impact resulting from our efforts over the years. As products continue to become more cost effective with improved efficiencies and price reductions, our future holds tremendous potential."

 

In addition to researching and sourcing others' products, Energy Tech Solutions also builds a series of their own high-quality U.S.-made products that offer a wide range of options at their Iowa facility. Their goal is to gain a clear understanding of their customers' lighting needs and deliver a complement of products that serve those needs effectively and efficiently.

 

As more companies look for green solutions for their lighting needs, the future looks bright at Energy Tech Solutions.

 

 
Energy Tech Solutions Team at Marketplace 2014 Governor's Conference on Minority Business Development.  Recipient of the State of Wisconsin Governor's Award for Outstanding Women-Owned Small Business L to R: Bruce Lindsay, Rob Everhart, Cynthia Everhart, John Schmidt and Brian Cook

 

 

Businesses from the Midwest will have the opportunity to take advantage of two days of technical training, networking, selling, and marketing at this year's event.  All businesses including large, small, disadvantaged, minority, woman, HUB Zone, veteran and service-disabled veteran owned firms will benefit from this event. Topics will include:

  • Contracting opportunities in emergency preparedness and disaster relief
  • Growing your business capacity and capabilities
  • Current issues in government contracting
  • Financing and bonding for your small business
  • Social media and data security

Attendees will also have the opportunity for networking and individual meetings with prime contractors and agency representatives. Confirmed speakers include Eric Ness, District Director the Small Business Administration; Dane Deutsch, President and CEO of DCS Netlink; U.S. Forest Service, Fort McCoy, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; U.S. Property and Fiscal Office; U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Farm Service Agency.  

 
 
Under the rule all contractors must promulgate a new human trafficking policy. Furthermore, in many cases certification of compliance after due diligence must be done for contracts awarded after the effective date. In addition, the Defense Department has published its own rule on the subject. Many contractors are still unaware of the new rules as the new measures were only finalized Jan. 29. Because of the implementation date, government contractors are scrambling and playing catch-up to comply with these complex rules.

Human trafficking - obtaining labor or sex acts through force, fraud or coercion - is a modern day version of slavery. Its elimination has become a major priority of the Obama administration. More than 20 million persons worldwide are believed to have been the victims of trafficking in the past year.
Evaluation Report 15-10: Improvements Needed in SBA's Management of the Women Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program (WOSBP)

OIG's Evaluation Report 15-10, Improvements Needed in SBA's Management of the Women Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program (WOSBP), presents the results of our evaluation of the SBA's management and administration of WOSBP.

 

We found that Federal agencies' contracting officers awarded 15 of 34 set-aside awards without meeting WOSBP's set-aside requirements.  As a result, the $7.1 million these firms received in fiscal year (FY) 2014 set-aside awards may be improper.  For example, 10 of 34 WOSBP set-aside awards were for ineligible work, and 9 of these 34 were awarded to firms that did not provide required documentation to prove they were eligible for WOSBP.

 

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NATO Members' Defense Spending, in Two Charts   

Five NATO members are expected to meet the alliance's 2 percent target for defense spending in 2015, according to data released on Monday.

Poland joins Britain, Estonia, Greece, and the United States as the only members of the 28-country alliance to meet the threshold.

 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commended the change, but warned that total alliance spending will decline by roughly 1.5 percent this year.

 

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