News
REGIONAL NEWS
The Department of the Air Force awarded an Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program to Northrop Grumman on Sept. 8. The contract award of $13.3 billion is an investment in enhancing the United States’ nuclear deterrence, as it is the cornerstone of national security policy and fundamental in continued protection for the U.S. and its allies. "Modernizing the nuclear....
The North Dakota Department of Transpiration (NDDOT) has sent a notice out to all prime contractors and subcontractors. Subcontractor registration expires on December 31. Contractors that are not currently prequalified as a prime and only with to work on NDDOT projects as a subcontractor must fill out a Subcontractor Registration Request annually. Full details are available in the official notice.
COVID-19
- Resources for Connecting Industry Capabilities to Requirements in Support of COVID-19 Response
- Practical Advice for Uncertain Times - Surviving COVID-19
- Manufacturing Changes & Medical Supply Donation in response to COVID-19
- Network Resources
- State Resources
- Raising the Roofs...and Floors: Acquisition Thresholds in the Time of Emergency
WOSB UPDATES
WILL YOU BE WOSB READY?
Becoming certified for the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program means your business is eligible to compete for contracts that are set aside for WOSBs and economically disadvantaged WOSBs and sole-source federal contracts within eligible industries. Learn more about the process and steps.
SBA ISSUES NEW REGULATIONS FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS FEDERAL CONTRACTING PROGRAM
The U.S. Small Business Administration published Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting program regulations that will provide a free, online certification and eligibility application process for women-owned small businesses and economically-disadvantaged women-owned small businesses. The timeline for implementation of changes to SBA’s WOSB program has been delayed to accommodate those affected by the current pandemic. Full details are available on the SBA website.
CYBERSECURITY

Tips to Prepare for a First CMMC Assessment
With cyberterrorism acknowledged as an ever-increasing threat to national security, it came as no surprise when the Defense Department last year introduced a more robust cybersecurity framework in the form of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Businesses must meet one of five levels of certification. Businesses must meet one of five levels of certification.
PENTAGON'S CONTRACT WITH THE CMMC ACCREDITATION BODY OUTLINES SPINOFF UNIT FOR ASSESSOR TRAINING, PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
The independent accreditation body behind the Pentagon’s cyber certification program will be required to separate its assessor and training programs into business units, one of the many conditions in a no-cost contract signed by the Defense Department and the new non-profit reviewed by Inside Cybersecurity. The new agreement replaces..
DOD'S FIRST AGREEMENT WITH ACCREDITATION BODY ON CONTRACTOR CYBERSECURITY NEARS END

The Defense Department is on the cusp of signing a new agreement with the volunteer organization that has been training auditors for its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, according to DOD’s Katie Arrington, who is leading its implementation. Read the full story and don't miss the related podcast included at the end of the article.
BETA.SAM NEWS
GSA Providing Automatic 180-Day Extension of Expiring Entity Registrations in SAM.gov
The U.S. General Services Administration is working to support implementation of many aspects of the American Rescue Plan Act. GSA’s Integrated Award Environment specifically is working to administer relief for certain entities already registered in SAM.gov in order to do business with the government. Details about the extension.
SAM.GOV TRANSITION TO BETA.SAM.GOV
On May 24, 2021, the current SAM.gov will be integrated into the beta.SAM.gov environment. Once integrated, the location will be renamed SAM.gov. At that point, beta.SAM.gov and SAM.gov will no longer operate in parallel and the “beta” will be retired. Learn more about the transition!
UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER UPDATE - TRANSITION NOW SET FOR APRIL 2022
By April of 2022, the federal government will stop using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a unique entity identifier (UEI) created in SAM.gov. They will no longer have to go to a third-party website to obtain their identifier. Active registrants will have....
There is also a helpful video on How to Drill in Reports.
The beta.SAM.gov domains contain data that has been migrated from key legacy systems. The domains support two distinct types of federal awards: acquisition and federal assistance. Review the data sets.