🚀 Unveiling New Opportunities: VA & DOI Contracts, GSA Expenditures & More in GovCon This Week!

Author

Acquisition Box
November 20, 2023

Welcome to another exciting week in the world of government contracting! In this edition, we're diving deep into the dynamic landscape of federal spending and uncovering many opportunities waiting for you from the VA and DOI. From the GSA's impressive $8 billion expenditure to the latest contract trends, we've got the numbers that matter. Stay ahead with our insights on SAM.gov updates, the GAO's take on small business subcontracting, and a crucial cybersecurity advisory from CISA, FBI, and MS-ISAC.

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Last week's procurement landscape was notably competitive, with the average proposal scoring a substantial 3.66. BPA and Agency-only IDIQs (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contracts) were dominating the scene, which accounted for a striking 448 out of the 678 awards given. Meanwhile, GWACs (Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts) and GSA Schedules trailed with a combined total of 115 awards from the same pool.

In terms of expenditure, the General Services Administration (GSA) led the pack with an impressive $8 billion, closely followed by USAID at $7 billion and trailed by the Department of Agriculture at $605 million and NASA at $488 million. 

A significant portion of GSA's spending was funneled into the Public Building Service, which awarded 16 BPA construction service contracts, each capped at $500 million, cumulatively contributing to the $8 billion expenditure. Not to be overshadowed, GHGSAT, a space-focused company, made a remarkable entry with $476 million in earnings last week. Additionally, FCN, Inc. and Lyme Computer Systems, Inc., both technology firms, secured a $300 million BPA off the GSA Schedule for the USDA Enterprise Telecommunications Solutions. Interestingly, this solicitation, targeted at small businesses under one of the tech GSA Schedule SINs, attracted only four offers. Both winning companies are seasoned players with USDA, indicating a well-established rapport with the agency.

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This week, our focus zoomed in on the upcoming contract opportunities at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However, it's important to note that the VA maintains specific criteria for bidding, which may not be accessible to everyone. For those who qualify, particularly veteran-owned businesses, there's good news: we've identified 18,000 new contract opportunities. To delve deeper into these opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to reach out to the small business office for detailed requirements, or alternatively, they can use FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) the existing contract for more insights. 😊

If the VA sector isn't your primary focus, don't overlook the opportunities at the Department of the Interior (DOI). You might be inclined to dismiss them due to their seemingly modest budget, but as a former insider, I can assure you that the DOI holds significant influence. Their Assisted Acquisition Service is a game-changer, often pivotal in establishing prominent players in the field. So, give these opportunities a look – they might just be the stepping stone you need.

In other exciting news, we're on the brink of launching our new forecasting site. This platform promises a comprehensive view of all contract opportunities, absolutely free of charge. This could potentially save you up to $1,000 a month. As a way to show your support, feel free to share this newsletter with friends.

VA breakdown. There is a year-over-year increase in IT spending, indicating an expanding investment in IT infrastructure and services by the VA.

GovCon News

VA Professional Service Spending for FY2024

There is a year-over-year increase in IT spending, indicating an expanding investment in IT infrastructure and services by the VA.

For FY2024, the VA investment portfolio is categorized into several portfolios. Here's a breakdown of the main categories and their respective requests for the year 2024:

  • Health (DME): This includes investments in various health IT systems and has a total request of $319,334,000. It covers areas such as Access to Care, Health Data & Information, Health Management Platform, and Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM), among others.

  • Benefits: With a total request of $198,741,000, this category includes investments related to Benefits Appeals, Benefits Payments, Veterans Benefits Management, and Customer Relationship Management, among other systems.

  • Corporate: This portfolio, requesting a total of $139,884,000, includes Financial Management and various other corporate IT systems.

  • Enterprise: This is the largest category with a request of $576,317,000 and includes investments in Enterprise Data Services, Enterprise Security Services, IT Operations (covering Network, Data Center and Cloud, End User, Application, and Delivery), among others.

  • Memorial Affairs: This includes investments in Memorials Automation with a request of $20,494,000.

Here is a list of projects the VA plans to spend big bucks on: Dental Care Workflow Modernization and Platform Evolution, Clinical Decision Support Platform, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, Telemedicine (Store & Forward), eScreening, Status Query and Response Exchange (SQUARES), COVID-19 Patient Manager - Clinical Decision Support, GovDelivery Cloud-Based API Solution, Check-in Experience (CIE), Community Care Clinical and Business Intelligence Solution, VA Online Scheduling (VAOS), Web VistA Remote Access Management (WebVRAM), Digital Corps program utilization, Agile Center of Excellence (ACOE) Metrics and Analytics Support, VA Enterprise Research and Advisory Services Contract, Office of Strategic Sourcing (OSS) Support Contract, Administrative Support - Strategic Sourcing, Quality Continuous Improvement Organization (QCIO), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) Support, Enterprise IT Support Contracts, IT BIOS - Client Management Services, IT BIOS - Replacement Contract Funding, Digital Veterans Platform (DVP), and various operations and maintenance programs and projects.

The trio of cybersecurity bigwigs – CISA, FBI, and MS-ISAC – have updated the latest on Rhysida Ransomware. This advisory, a key slice of their #StopRansomware initiative, uncovers the shadowy workings of Rhysida. Operating on a ransomware-as-a-service model, Rhysida has been targeting key sectors like education and government with a clever twist: sharing the ransom spoils with their affiliates.

Their method? Exploiting weaknesses in external remote services, including VPNs and the Zerologon vulnerability, coupled with phishing forays for network infiltration. But it's not all doom and gloom. The advisory is a call to arms, nudging organizations to peruse and implement suggested defense tactics. For the full playbook on dodging ransomware woes, CISA's #StopRansomware page is the go-to, now equipped with an updated guide. Stay sharp and cyber-safe! Read more by clicking here.

SAM.gov Updates

Starting November 18, SAM.gov introduces a handy "Email Settings" page, allowing users to fine-tune their email notifications. Here's the lowdown: If you're happy with your current email alerts, no sweat - they'll stay the same unless you opt for a change. Tweaks made in the new Email Settings will affect the types of records you're tracking. You have the choice to adjust notifications for future emails only or extend the changes to both current and future messages with a simple checkbox. Want to get savvy with these new settings? Check out the SAM.gov Email Notification Settings video or dive into the article "How do I use SAM.gov email settings?" for a quick tutorial.

Small Business Subcontracting Goals: Suggested or Mandatory? An Exploration of Who's Asking

Federal contracts often require contractors to set goals for subcontracting to small businesses. However, a lack of effective monitoring makes it difficult to meet these goals. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that most agencies don't report data on contractors' compliance with these small business subcontracting goals. This makes it challenging to assess if contractors are making good-faith efforts to meet these goals.

Furthermore, the Small Business Administration (SBA) only reviews a few contracts for compliance, and their findings suggest general noncompliance with subcontracting plan requirements. The SBA's limited number of reviews isn't seen as representative of the broader spectrum of federal contracts. The GAO recommends that the SBA and other agencies improve their review and reporting processes for contract data to address this issue better.

To summarize, there's a disconnect between the reported achievements of contractors in meeting small business subcontracting goals and the actual compliance due to insufficient review and reporting mechanisms by federal agencies and the SBA. The GAO suggests that enhancing these processes could provide a clearer picture of contractors' adherence to subcontracting commitments to small businesses.

Tip of the Week

Last week, our discussion centered around gearing up for the major Request for Quotes (RFQs) expected soon. However, it's not uncommon for unexpected 'blue bird' opportunities to arise. Often, these are overlooked due to perceptions of them being pre-arranged or 'wired'. Drawing from my experience as a former Contracting Officer, I'd advise that if it's a new requirement and you're aware of it, chances are it's not predestined for a specific bidder. If it were, a direct sole source approach would have likely been employed.

To keep you informed, here's the timeline the Program Office follows to submit their requirements to the procurement team, aimed at securing an award date within Fiscal Year 2023.

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