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Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI) Annual Meeting and Wisconsin Federal Contractor Forum - January 30th
WPI is celebrating 32 years, but it is not about us.
It is about the businesses we serve and the services and products they provide to our country.
The WPI Board of Directors would like to invite you to join them, government contractors from around the state and government influencers for a discussion on the "State of Government Contracting in the State" and how to expand Wisconsin's Federal contracting power to truly increase businesses sales, profits and jobs.
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1/29/20
Acquisition Hour: Overview of GSA's Schedule Consolidation - New Schedule, Features & Opportunities
2/11/20
Selling to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
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2/5/20
Acquisition Hour: How the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Will Impact Your Business
2/12/20
Acquisition Hour: Introduction to Certifications Available to Minority Owned Businesses
Webinar
Learn More
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Federal HUBZone Program: Obtaining Certification and Maximizing Opportunities
The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program can help small businesses in designated areas (urban and rural communities) gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities (both as direct and subcontractors).
Currently, many Federal agencies and Federal Prime contractors are NOT meeting their HUBZone goals. This could be a significant potential opportunity for your business.
During this session we will cover:
* The very basics of selling to the Federal Government
* HUBZone certification requirements
* HUBZone certification application process
* Recent changes to the HUBZone program
* Locating HUBZone set aside opportunities
* Marketing your HUBZone certified business
* Renewing your HUBZone certification
This event will be held in other locations around the state. Each event has separate registration.
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12th Annual End of Year Federal Contractor Update
On January 23rd, join Wisconsin's Federal contractors for a series of briefings focusing on changes and challenges!
Topics this year will include:
- Federal Case Law Update
- Export Controls and Security Issues
- Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification
- 2019 Updates in Contract Management
- 2019 FAR and DFAR Updates
- 2019 Small Business Updates
- Impact of Mentor Protégé, Joint Venture and Affiliation Regulations on Small Businesses
- End of Year Federal Contracting Blog
Speakers include:
- Lieutenant Colonel Susan M. Depisstyer (Styer), Commander, Defense Contracting Management Agency, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Mike Warner, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Oshkosh Corporation
- William Hughes, Attorney, Husch Blackwell LLP
- Brian P. Waagner, Partner, Husch Blackwell LLP
- Natalia Kruse, Attorney, Husch Blackwell LLP
- Jason Rathsack, Group Lead, Business Operations, DCMA Milwaukee
- Eric Ness, Wisconsin District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
- Nathaniel Milsap, Director, Industrial Security & Technology, Fincantieri Marinette Marine
- Daryl Zahn, CFCM, Manager, Contracts and Compliance, DRS Naval Power Systems, Inc.
- Helen Henningsen, Government Contract Specialist, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI)
- Aina Vilumsons, CEO, Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI)
This year's event will be held in Oshkosh.
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Department of Energy Announces $32 Million for Small Business Research and Development Grants
WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) will award 158 grants totaling $32 million to 118 small businesses in 32 states. Funded through DOE's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, today's selections are for Phase I research and development.
The Phase I grants will allow small businesses to research technical feasibility of new innovations that advance the mission of the Office of Science. Phase I grants are 6-12 months in duration with a median award amount of $200,000. Successful Phase I grantees will be eligible to apply for Phase II awards in fiscal year 2021 that will allow them to develop novel prototypes or processes to validate their Phase I research findings. Phase II grants have a median award amount of $1,100,000 and a duration up to 2 years.
For assistance please contact Marc Violante at
marcv@wispro.org or 920-456-9990.
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Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs -Update
OFCCP's Federal Contract Compliance Manual (FCCM) has been updated! The Manual provides guidance for OFCCP's compliance officers ("COs") in conducting compliance evaluations, complaint investigations and providing federal contractors with compliance assistance. It has been updated throughout to reflect revisions to OFCCP's regulations, changes in practices, and to ensure transparency and provide greater clarity for the user on a number of issues.
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GSA Is About to Make Changes to the MAS Consolidation Solicitation
Here are four of the changes which will go into effect January 15, 2020.
- Clause exception to using prohibited technology - instead of certifying on an order by order basis, companies can make an annual certification.
- Open ratings was one of three methods for determining acceptable past performance.- Open Rating reviews ordered prior to Dec 6, 2019 will be effective for 1 year. Otherwise, companies will have to follow one of the alternative methods specified and GSA will conduct the review.
- FAR 51 Deviation which allowed Primes to purchase on behalf of Agencies will be expiring. The solicitation is being adjusted.
- Name changes to some SINs - special items numbers
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U.S. DOT SBIR's FY20 pre-solicitation period is now open from January 6, 2020 through January 29, 2020, 5:00 pm ET.
Note: This is pre-solicitation notice; no submissions are accepted at this time.
During the pre-solicitation period, technical questions concerning the proposed research topics shall be directed to the U.S. DOT SBIR Program Office via email.
Please read the pre-solicitation notice for instructions.
Proposed FY20 Research Topics
Full descriptions of each proposed research topic are included in Appendix A of the pre-solicitation notice.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)
- 20-FA1: Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) of Critical Nickel Turbine Engine Parts
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION (FHWA)
- 20-FH1: Physical Intervention System for Wrong-way Driving on Ramps
- 20-FH2: Innovative Layered Composite Metal Deck System
- 20-FH3: Real-time Monitoring and Modeling of Scour
FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION (FRA)
- 20-FR1: Autonomous Track Inspection Technology
- 20-FR2: AI-Aided Machine Vision for Grade Crossing Safety
- 20-FR3: Platform Edge Proximity Detection to Prevent Inadvertent Passenger Car Door Opening
- 20-FR4: Crushed Aggregate Gradation Evaluation System
NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA)
- 20-NH1: In-Vehicle Occupant Detection System
PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (PHMSA)
- 20-PH1: Development and Validation of Inline Inspection (ILI) Technologies for Circumferential Anomalies and Bending Stresses
- 20-PH2: Internal Repair of Steel Transmission Pipelines
- 20-PH3: Geohazard Identification and Quantification for Pipeline Risk Models
- 20-PH4: Scaling up of Composite Metal Foam Manufacturing for HazMat Packaging
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SBA Issues Final Rule on Calculation of Average Annual Receipts for the Purposes of Certain Size Standards
Many people think that they know a small business when they see one. But when it comes to eligibility for various government programs designed to assist small businesses, agencies must have a definition of small business that is applied consistently for all. The U.S. Small Business Administration establishes such definitions for small businesses by industry, as identified by OMB-approved industry NAICS codes. These "size standards" are widely used throughout government and are published in the Code of Federal Regulations.
[1] Most are based on either a firm's number of employees or its amount of average annual receipts.
On Dec. 5, 2019, SBA published a
final rule modifying its method for calculating average annual receipts used to determine size standards for small businesses. Specifically, in accordance with the Small Business Runway Extension Act of 2018,
[2] SBA is changing its regulations on the calculation of average annual receipts for all of SBA's receipts-based size standards from a three-year averaging period to a five-year averaging period. The five-year average will also be used for other agencies' proposed receipts-based size standards. SBA's Business Loan and Disaster Loan Programs are excepted from the new annual receipt calculation rule. SBA intends to seek comment on the Business Loan and Disaster Loan Programs in a separate proposed rulemaking.
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Open Ratings Retirement and Past Performance Requirements for new MAS Offerors
Please be aware that as of Friday Dec. 6, 2019, Open Ratings stopped accepting new orders for Past Performance Evaluations. This means MAS offerors must demonstrate a pattern of past performance by using one of the other methods outlined by the solicitation:
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WPI 10437 Innovation Dr. Suite 320, Milwaukee, WI 53226 414-270-3600
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