Happy New Year! 2024 is here and we are back to work after time with loved ones. Relaxed and recharged, we head into the 2nd quarter of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This is the quarter where new solicitations will start to drop (unless we have a shutdown) and many agencies will be pushing to meet their mid-year spending needs and budget for the remainder of the FY. This month we are going to look at solicitations and how they are organized. Yes, many of you have seen your share of solicitations. But do you know how they are organized, what they include, and how the parts of a solicitation are interrelated? The first of our feature articles this month breaks it all down. Next we look at the role of the Federal buyer at each of the three major purchasing thresholds in Federal acquisition. Is the Federal buyer the person that decides what the Government buys? Or how the Government buys? We provide some inside knowledge and highlight other people that you may know or meet that play a role with the Federal buyer in procurements. New this month, on our Small Business Events page we've added a list of known upcoming conferences and events of interest to small businesses. A direct link is provided in this newsletter and will be included each month. As always, please drop us a note if there are things you'd like to see us feature in future issues or add to our website. Here's to a fruitful, happy, and healthy 2024 for all! Shauna P.S. Thank you for your patience this month as I took some extra time getting our newsletter out. I'm meeting my first grandchild this week (a beautiful baby girl, Ruthie) and wanted to take time to enjoy this precious time with her on our visit to our daughter and active duty son-in-law at their current duty station. |
|
|
New!!! 2024 Upcoming Conferences and Expos |
|
|
Recent Regulatory Changes (Click on each title for a link to our breakdown) Upcoming Regulatory Changes (Click on each title for a link to our breakdown) SBA Small Business Size Standards: Revised Size Standards Methodology would revise the methodology used for development of SBA small business size standards. SBA has published a white paper titled, "SBA's Size Standards Methodology (December 2023),” for public review and comment. Published 12/11/2023; Comments due 2/9/2024. DFARS Case 2019-D044 Rights in Technical Data would implement sections of the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) for Fiscal Years 2012 and 2017, which address deferred ordering of technical data, including in cases when the Government does not challenge a restrictive marking or asserted restriction in technical data. Published 11/17/2023; Comments extended through 2/15/2024 DFARS Case 2023-D010 Data Requirements for Commercial Products for Major Weapon Systems would amend DFARS to modify DFARS 234.7002 to implement section 803 of the James M. Inhofe NDAA for FY 2023. Section 803 clarifies the data an offeror is required to provide when a subsystem of major weapon system or a component or spare part for a major weapon system or subsystem is proposed as a commercial product. This proposed rule also clarifies the data to be provided to the contracting officer to determine price reasonableness for such actions. Published 12/22/2023; Comments due 2/20/2024
DoD-2023-OS-0063 Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program would establish requirements for a comprehensive and scalable assessment mechanism to ensure defense contractors and subcontractors have, as part of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program, implemented required security measures to expand application of existing security requirements for Federal Contract Information (FCI) and add new Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) security requirements for certain priority programs. Published 12/26/2023; Comments due 2/26/2024
DFARS Case 2018-D074 Inapplicability of Additional Defense-Unique Laws and Certain Non-Statutory DFARS Clauses to Commercial Item Contracts would implement section 849 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 (Pub. L. 115–91). Section 849 paragraph (b) requires that DoD review the DFARS and propose revisions to eliminate certain contract clause requirements applicable to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) part 12 commercial product and commercial service acquisitions, except for regulations required by law or Executive order, unless the Secretary of Defense determines that there is a specific reason not to eliminate the regulation. Published 11/17/2023; Comments extended to 3/15/2024
|
|
|
FedSubK Features -- A Deeper Dive Into Federal Acquisition Topics |
|
|
Finding Your Way Around a Federal Solicitation -- Being able to find information in a solicitation saves time in the proposal review and preparation process, allowing businesses to cross-check between sections for various aspects of the work requirements to ensure an offer submitted to the Government takes into account a 360°view of the requirement. We explanation the sections of a solicitation, what they include, how they are interrelated, and what happens when there are conflicts between sections. |
|
|
Mythbusting the Role of Federal Buyers in the Acquisition Process If your marketing targets the wrong Federal buyer, you could be missing out on a chance to influence other critical players in the game before a contracting person ever sees a requirement and starts their work. We go over the basics of who the Federal buyer is at each of the three major buying thresholds and others that may have a bigger impact that you might think on what and how the Government buys. |
|
|
Extended Agency Moratoriums: |
|
|
FedSubK is Your One-Stop Resource! |
|
|
New for 2024!!! Federal Marketplace Action Plan |
|
|
FedSubK has teamed with an Expert Analyst in Federal marketplace data to offer small businesses a tailored Federal Marketplace Action Plan! In a series of three meetings, you'll learn about the Federal contracting process, the data behind what the Government is buying and who is buying, your primary competitors in the space, and receive a strategic and actionable plan to market to targeted agencies buying the products and services you are selling. This gives you the opportunity to accelerate your marketing timeline dramatically. Learn more about this exciting new offering here. |
|
|
Expand Your Federal Contracting Knowledge |
|
|
Resource Library - Free resources in one location |
|
|
FedSubK NOW! Blog - All the latest news |
|
|
Question, Comment, Feedback? Contact Us! |
|
|
Coming in 2024 Live FedSubK Office Hour Q&A Sessions (ask me anything and get an insider's perspective) More Templates & Guides Federal Contracting Basics - On-Demand Micro-Training |
|
|
Missed any of our past issues? Find them here. |
|
|
|
|