News
CYBERSECURITY
WHAT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT'S CYBER CERTIFICATION WILL MEAN FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
The Defense Department’s impending cybersecurity certification requirement for all contractors has caused no shortage of concerns among small businesses worried about the cost. But the Pentagon’s lead for the effort made the case Wednesday that the move is necessary and, in some cases, will help small contractors. Read more.
PREPARING FOR CMMC? WHY COMPANIES SHOULD START NOW
It's a new year -- and a new cybersecurity regime for vendors working on defense contracts is coming.
The Defense Department has been steadily working on its new unified standard, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), and is expected to release a final version and a list of accrediting bodies in January. But while companies shouldn't wait until things are finalized to prep for certification, many are stuck. Keep reading.
DOD AIMS TO ISSUE PROPOSED RULE FOR CERTYING CONTRACTORS' CYBERSECURITY IN THE FALL
A sweeping plan to conduct independent third-party cybersecurity audits of prospective Defense Department contractors’ management of sensitive information will be subject to a formal rulemaking process, but the department and the nonprofit organization being established to train and approve certifiers are still moving at a quick clip. Keep reading.
CYBERSECURITY 'HAS TO BE IN YOUR DNA' TO FEND OFF HACKING THREATS
Small- to mid-sized businesses may not face the tens of thousands of daily cyber attacks directed at big corporations or governments, but that doesn’t mean that there aren't hackers happy to take a crack at your computer system to pry out trade secrets or customer or employee data you're trying to protect. Read more.
BETA.SAM NEWS
FEDERAL CONTRACT AWARD DATA FROM FPDS WILL BE ON SAM BEFORE SPRING
With the FedBizOpps transition done, the Federal Procurement Data System reporting tool—one of the main functions of the website—will be the next to migrate to GSA’s central contracting site. Learn more.
NEW FUNCTIONALITY ON THE WAY FOR FEDBIZOPPS REPLACEMENT
The transition from the standalone Federal Business Opportunities—better known as FedBizOpps or FBO—was a rough one for users of the federal contracting website. But program managers at the General Services Administration say they’re working through the problems and plan to launch new capabilities in the near future. Read more.
SMALL BUSINESS OPEN HOUSE
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District is very excited to announce the hosting of a Small Business Open House!
The Open House will bring together many of the Omaha District’s key staff and subject matter experts to 1 room, allowing for an exceptional networking experience to help your business grow in federal contracting.
The Open House is being designed to allow for new (or relatively new) small business contractors to the Omaha District. Learn more and get registered today!
GSA ISSUES MASS MODIFICATION FOR CURRENT SCHEDULE CONTRACTORS
The GSA has begun issuing a Mass Modification (Mass Mod) to current Schedule contractors. The Mass Mod will update current contracts to conform with the terms and conditions of the new consolidated Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) that was released on Oct. 1, 2019. Contractors must accept this Mass Mod by July 31, 2020 - failure to do so will result in their offerings no longer being accessible on GSA eTools. Current contracts will be moved to GSA’s new single Schedule solicitation for products, services, and solutions after the Mass Mod is accepted. Read more.
SBREA FINAL RULE
SBA issues a final rule to modify its method for calculating annual average revenues.
On December 5, 2019, SBA issued a final rule changing its method for calculating the average annual receipts used to prescribe size standards for small businesses.
For all of SBA’s receipts-based size standards, and for other agencies’ proposed receipts-based size standards, SBA will calculate the average annual receipts using a 5-year averaging period (rather than the previous 3-year averaging period). This change is in accordance with the Small Business Runway Extension Act (SBREA) passed in December 2018. Read more from news release or the official Code of Federal Regulations.
ND DOT TRANSFERING TO ONLINE APPLICATION FOR ANNUAL CONTRACTOR PREQUALIFICATION PROCESS
NDDOT has been transitioning to an online application for our annual contractor prequalification process for the past two years with many of our contractors utilizing it. Effective 2020, NDDOT will be requiring that all contractor prequalifications be submitted through our online application. This includes the current prequalification period and the upcoming period starting July 1, 2020. The online application can be found on our website at https://dotnd.diversitycompliance.com. The paper statement will no longer be accepted and will be removed from our website after December 31, 2019. Read more.
CATHY LINDQUIST NAMED CERTIFIED PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONAL
The UND Center for Business Engagement & Development is pleased to announce that Cathy Lindquist of the North Dakota Procurement Technical Assistance Center (ND PTAC), has achieved certification as a Certified Procurement Professional (CPP). Read the full story.