May P-TALK News, Upcoming Events and More!

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Featured Event

Bye-Bye Beta!

Please join Washington PTAC in wishing the “Beta” in Beta.Sam.Gov a fond farewell! That’s right, “Beta” is going away and the end of this month at which point SAM.gov will fully merge with Beta.Sam.Gov. Why does this matter?

After May 24, the place where you register to do business with the government will be the same as the place you find opportunities and award notices.
A “refreshed” design of Beta.Sam.Gov has already occurred. They’ve also enhanced the searching – now the Place of Performance is a defaulted field AND you can search multiple states!
Anyone will still be able to do basic searches, but to access important functions like saved searches, registration status check, and interested vendors, users must be logged in and their role with the entity must be defined.
The sharks are out! Watch for scammers who want to sell you SAM registration. The official site is free. If you get stuck your local PTAC can assist.

Washington PTAC will be hosting a workshop on the updated platform functions June 9, 11:00 a.m. Click here to register.

The Top Five Things PTAC Loves to Hear from YOU!

1. “I’m bidding on this solicitation. Will you look over my draft proposal and provide feedback?”

2. “I’d like to expand further into the government marketplace. Can we meet to define a strategy?”

3. “What contracts are expiring in the next 6-18 months for my NAICS code?”

4. “Can you review my government marketing strategy and capabilities statement?”

5. “Boy, there are a ton of certifications for me (women, veteran, minority, hubzone, etc). Which ones are a good match for my business goals?”

Find yourself asking these questions or something similar? Contact your local PTAC today to set an appointment. Advising services are offered at no cost to you.

Contact a PTAC Counselor today for assistance with all your government contracting questions. Click on a counselor's name to email them or give them a call at the phone number listed.

Main Center

Thurston EDC

4220 6th Ave.

Lacey, WA 98503

360-464-6041

Program Manager

Counselors

Support

Sub Centers

(425) 248-4223

(509) 321-3646

Columbia River Economic Development Council

(503) 694-9403

(253) 520-6267

Kitsap Economic Development Alliance

(360) 377-9499

Kathy Cocus

(509) 491-3231

NEWS

Washington PTAC would like to welcome Jennifer Mitchell to the team! Jennifer Mitchell joins Washington State Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) as a new counselor following her retirement after 25 years of civilian service with the federal government. Jennifer most recently served as the Small Business Specialist at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) in the U.S. Army’s Mission and Installation Contracting Command.

Earlier in her career, she served as an active duty JAG at March Air Force Base and later as a government contracting attorney in private practice in Los Angeles where she represented clients ranging from small businesses to large defense contractors. Jennifer joined the civilian acquisition workforce as a member of the National Buying Team in support of national emergencies with the U.S. Forest Service and as a Small Business Specialist and Procurement Analyst with the U.S. Coast Guard in Washington D.C. and Northern California. To connect with Jennifer, email jmitchell@thurstonedc.com.

Department of Defense SBIR/STTR 2021

The second pre-release of the Department of Defense SBIR/STTR for 2021 was posted April 19. Small businesses who are at the cutting edge of their field and who think they may have a solution to a challenge faced by the US Department of Defense may want to check out the topics and consider applying for SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) funding. Learn more here.

Manufacturing Grants: US Department of Transportation will provide $3 Billion in grants to eligible aerospace manufacturers impacted by the pandemic to help cover employee compensation costs for up to six months. Firms must be registered in SAM.gov. Click here for eligibility and here for other details on the Aerospace Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program (AMJP.)

State Supplier Diversity: Washington State Department of Enterprise Services is in the process of updating its Supplier Diversity Policy and wants to hear from vendors! The June 3 Vendor Policy Workshop will be from 8:30 – 11:30 AM via Zoom.

NEW Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors: President Biden issued an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage to workers who work on Federal Contracts. Starting January 30, 2022 all agencies will need to incorporate the $15 minimum wage in NEW contract solicitations and by March 30, 2022 all agencies will need to implement the new wage into new contracts and existing contracts as option years are exercised.

Bid Opportunities

Seattle Housing Authority Apartment Project Subcontractor Opportunities with Walsh Construction Co. Bids due May 20. Learn more here.

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. requests quotes from subcontractors for US Army Corps of Engineers Dredging Project in Gold Beach, Oregon. Sub bids due May 6. Email devanta.black@kiewit.com or 360-314-3767.

Upcoming Events

What You Need to Know About the May 24 SAM.gov Transition

5/5/2021 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

This program by GSA will provide a detailed presentation of what is (and what is not) changing when SAM.gov integrates with beta.SAM.gov on May 24, 2021. If you are a non-federal entity administrator, use data entry tools on SAM.gov, or are a system account user of SAM.gov, this event is for you.

Contracting Coffee Hour - Silverdale

5/5/2021 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Any and all government contracting questions welcome! Answered by combined 60+ years’ experience from retired contracting officers.

Complying with DOD Cybersecurity Requirements- What have we learned?

5/5/2021 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

The Pacific Northwest has been the site for a pilot program to help businesses comply with Department of Defense supplier cybersecurity requirements, such as the emerging Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This event will share lessons learned and address your questions on how to effectively and efficiently comply and protect your business.

First Friday Follow-up - Special Guest from Naval Undersea Warfare Center-Keyport

5/7/2021 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

This month we have a special guest joining us for Friday Follow-up session. David Walz the Deputy Small Business Program will cover the following topics: What are the important aspects in a Capabilities Statement, How to engage with Small Business Liaison's, Do's and Don'ts with relationship building, Tips and techniques on how to market to Federal Agencies, and how they use the Dynamic Small Business Search.

Missile Defense Agency Office of Small Business Programs 2021 Virtual Conference

5/11/2021 6:00 AM - 3:00 PM

The MDA Small Business Programs Conference is designed to assist small and large contractors in doing business with MDA by providing information about opportunities to support the Missile Defense System requirements in upcoming procurements; provide opportunities for matchmaking with MDA Representatives, MDA Prime Contractors, other Government agencies and networking with small and large businesses.

Everett Community College-Learning Resource Center Virtual Industry Outreach Event

5/11/2021 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Mortenson Construction invites you to learn more about upcoming GC/CM Bid Package opportunities for the new Learning Resource Center at Everett Community College. The project is fully funded, bidding starts mid May, and construction is scheduled to start in September 2021.

Kiewit S/DBE Virtual Outreach Event WSDOT's - SR 167/ I-5 to SR 509 New Expressway (Stage1b) Project

5/11/2021 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Come Learn more about S/DBE Subcontracting opportunities and partnership with Kiewit in our Bid/Proposal/Performance of WSDOTs – SR 167 / I-5 to SR 509 Expressway Project.

How to Do Business with the Department of the Navy

5/12/2021 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

PTAC and the Department of the Navy Office of Small Business Programs are teaching a small business workshop educating businesses on how to compete for opportunities to support our Sailors and Marines.

Where Are the Opportunities

5/12/2021 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Learn how and where to find government contract opportunities.

Doing Business with DLA with Special Emphasis on SDVOBs: DLA-TKO

5/12/2021 11:00AM - 12:00PM

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Office of Small Business Programs offers monthly webinars to educate small businesses and others about DLA's mission and opportunities to participate in our various supply chains.

University of Washington Virtual Workshops for Suppliers

5/13/2021 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

The orientations will provide a learning opportunity to assist in navigating potential business prospects at the University and with other state agencies, as well as educational and other resources to assist businesses.

Government Procurement Basics - Laying the Groundwork

5/14/2021 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

If you are a small business owner and are brand new to government procurement. This class will lay the ground work for you to decide is government contracting in your future. We will cover the basics of government procurement. Who are you selling to? What are they buying? How do they buy it?

Discover Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics Small Business Opportunities! -GSA

5/18/2021 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

During this virtual event, you will learn about the types of AI products and services the Federal government is purchasing and hear directly from GSA Primes, representing fortune 500 companies.

Complying with DOD Cybersecurity Requirements- Where to Start Program Two

5/18/2021 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Automotive and Washington State Purchasing Opportunities

5/19/2021 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Please join via Zoom Washington PTAC and staff at the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services for a discussion on Automotive Industry Contracting in Washington State. DES manages nearly 2 dozen master contracts for various automotive supplies and services.

SE PTAC/SBDC Business Roundtable

5/20/2021 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

The SE WA PTAC/SBDC Business Roundtable is an open forum discussion where you can learn from PTAC about government contracting, and SBDC Business Advisors about growing your business.

Marketing to the Government

5/20/2021 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Marketing to the government is not the same as marketing to other businesses or consumers. Learn the details.

Creating an Effective Capabilities Statement

5/26/2021 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

This workshop is for firms with a desire to start networking and developing relationships with local, state and federal government agencies. The ability to market your firm’s strengths through a capabilities statement is one of the first steps in being successful with government contracting. Please be prepared to create or improve your firm’s capabilities statement to increase your visibility with government agencies. Subject Matter Expert Sandy Bjorgen will be leading us through an exercise of writing for impact and being memorable.

Wednesday with the Deputy's (for small business) NUWC and PSNS/IMF

5/26/2021 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Wednesday with the Deputy for Small Business is an opportunity for Industry partners to meet with the Deputy for Small Business from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Keyport Division, and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS/IMF). Learn more about the types of supplies and service contract opportunities, set-aside opportunities, and how to do business with NUWC Keyport and PSNS/IMF.

Tabor 100 Lunch & Learn: Opportunities in Business Professional Services & Training- DES

5/27/2021 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Weekly 1-hour sessions from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM to help walk you through how to do business with Washington State. Real procurements to pilot DES Master Contract for Business Professional Services and DES’s agency training procurements.

Dissecting an RFQ - Day 1

5/27/2021 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

If you are interested in learning how to dissect a Request for Quote properly and have several hours to read through a sample RFQ prior to this workshop then please sign up by May 14th. This webinar workshop will provide information and tools on how to extract the important parts of an RFQ and create useful tools for future RFQ's and RFP's. Instructor Matthew Rhinehart, owner of MastPoint has 20+ years of experience with the federal government market and he's is ready to share his knowledge.

Dissecting an RFQ - Day 2

5/28/2021 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM

If you are interested in learning how to dissect a Request for Quote properly and have several hours to read through a sample RFQ prior to this workshop then please sign up by May 14th.

Laying the Groundwork: Basics of Government Contracting

5/28/2021 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

This class is for small business owners who are brand new to government procurement. This class will lay the ground work for you to decide if government contracting should be in your future.

PTAC CALENDAR

PTAC provides technical assistance to help Washington businesses successfully compete in the government marketplace. A program of the Thurston Economic Development Council, in partnership with the following subcenters: