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ACQUISITION ALERT


 
 
The 14th Annual Government Opportunities Business Conference (GOBC) is now virtual! Join WPI, Volk Field Air National Guard Base, Fort McCoy, Juneau County Economic Development and partners for a day of informative sessions.

Day 1: June 24, 2020
  • 6 webinar sessions of technical training focused for current and prospective Federal/ DOD contractors and subcontractors.
  • 8 am to 4:30 pm; 1-hour sessions with 30-minute breaks and 30 minutes for lunch.
  •  There is NO COST for DAY 1 of this event.
 
Save the Date, Day 2:  October 15, 2020
  • In-person at Volk Field in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin.
  • Our traditional Day 2 program with government agency and prime contractor representatives.
  • Watch for further details and registration information.
UPCOMING EVENTS
6/9/20
Acquisition Hour: Intellectual property for Government Contractors and Subcontractors and the STTR/SBIR Stakeholder
Webinar
  Learn More 
 
6/12/20
Acquisition Hour: Introduction to CMMC Level 1
Webinar
Learn More 
6/10/20
Acquisition Hour: Negotiation Strategies in Federal Contracting
Webinar



6/26/20
Acquisition Hour: How the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Will Impact Your Business
Webinar
Learn More

Public Category Management Dashboards & Analytics
 
Vendors have a new data source to find out where agencies are spending contract dollars. The General Services Administration makes its governmentwide category management awards exploration tool publicly available. This database lets users find information at the award level such as by contract name and spend under management tier. Previously, GSA made the tool only available to federal employees. The govermentwide category management awards tool is one of eight offered by GSA for vendors and other stakeholders. Check it out at https://d2d.gsa.gov/report/public-category-management-dashboards-analytics.
 

Big Changes Coming to the U.S. SBA Federal Women-Owned Small Business Program
 
If you missed the recent webinar on changes to the U.S. SBA Federal Women - Owned Small Business Program, join us July 1st for a second presentation of the webinar by Shane Mahaffy of the SBA, Jessie Leonard of the Women's Business Development Center and Kim Garber of WPI.  
 
Registration is available at Wispro.org.  
 

 
Contract Data Reports - Transition Extension
 
The transition of contract reporting from Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS https://www.fpds.gov) to its new home at beta.SAM.gov  and new title: Contract Data Reports was scheduled for May 16, 2020. Due to current events this transition has been postponed until later this year. Until the formal transition takes place, FPDS remains the authoritative site for accessing and obtaining contract data. While the transition has been postponed, the site is operational and contract data is being updated. Users are encouraged to login into beta.sam.gov and continue to familiarize themselves with the site and its functionality.

WPI has and will continue to provide training on using Contract Data Reports. Questions should be directed to Marc Violante marcv@wispro.org or 920-456-9990.
 
 

International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)

1. The Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has changed the process by which a company renews its registration for the ITAR program. The process was changed this past February and is known by its acronym - DECCS.

 
For companies that are currently registered, your point of contact will receive an email.  The email will contain a link that when clicked will direct the user to the company's account. The individual who is currently listed in the system will be identified as a Super User and Corporate Administrator. Clicking the link will redirect the user to the their account and will initiate the activation process. There is a separate process for others to be included in the account.
 

2. Please note, that if your ITAR registration was due to expire on May 31 or June 30 that these registrations have been extended by two months from the original date of expiration.

See web notice dated 4/23/2020 at https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/ddtc_public?id=ddtc_public_portal_news_and_events for all details.
 

3. Additionally, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) is temporarily reducing registration fees for DDTC registrants in Tier I and Tier II to $500 for registrations whose original expiration date is between May 31, 2020 and April 30, 2021. Also, DDTC is reducing registration fees to $500 for new applicants who submit their registration application between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021. All new registrants are in Tier I in the first year.

See web notice dated 5/1/2020 at https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/ddtc_public?id=ddtc_public_portal_news_and_events for all details.
 
4. Also note that on March 25, 2020 there were changes to ITAR encryption requirements that took effect. "T his rule, known as the Encryption Rule, clarifies and streamlines the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and creates new efficiencies for the exporting and importing communities by supporting the secure storage and transmission of technical data via the Internet and cloud networks. " Among the changes is the creation of a new definition that includes - ''activities that are not exports, reexports, retransfers, or temporary imports'' by combining existing text from the regulations with new text regarding secured unclassified technical data. The activities included in the new definition are: Launching items into space, providing technical data to U.S. persons within the United States or within a single country abroad, and moving a defense article between the states, possessions, and territories of the United States. Please see the following Federal Register Notice for complete details on this important update: 84 FR 70887.
 



The Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contractor Assessment Reference Guide is an educational resource being developed by the MAS Program Management Office (PMO) to provide the MAS contractor community with information about the Contractor Assessment process. As we approach the launch of the guide, GSA understands this is an excellent opportunity for industry to provide meaningful input to this key resource. 
 
The Request for Information linked in this notice below provides a draft version of this guidance, along with instructions for submitting feedback.
 
 
Thank you for your continued partnership.
 
DISCLAIMER: GSA is posting this notification of the MAS Contractor Assessment Reference Guide as a courtesy to industry. All comments
related to the information presented in this notification must be submitted by June 12, 2020. Instructions for providing comments are included within the body of the notification. Comments that are not made in accordance with these instructions or are made after June 12, 2020 will not be considered. GSA will consider all relevant comments and make changes to the DRAFT information as appropriate, but will not issue a formal response to industry comments or related inquiries.
   

 
 Federal buying season to be largely virtual this year
 
Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive's daily audio interviews on 
 
Can something be virtual and real at the same time? The answer is yes if you're talking about the end-of-fiscal-year federal buying season. It's almost here, and the government people,  and contractors for that matter, are just starting to trickle back into their offices. How will that all work? For one prediction, longtime federal sales and marketing consultant Larry Allen spoke to Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
 
Continue reading at federalnewsnetwork.com.
 


WPI on YouTube
 
As a courtesy, presentation recordings will be available as a resource for clients to review after select events. Recordings of webinars can be found on the Client Portal section of Wispro.org. For quickest access to WPI's educational content, we recommend registering and attending live events if possible.