Expiration of Simplified Acquisition Pilot Authority: Cause for Alarm?
With little publicity, it appears that Congress may have dropped the ball on an important but little-known provision that gives contract officers more flexibility in the application of the simplified acquisition process.
The Simplified Acquisition Pilot Authority
The Simplified Acquisition Pilot Authority, which began in 1994, allows agencies to employ the simplified acquisition procedure described by FAR Part 13 for purchases of commercial goods (and only commercial goods) in excess of the ordinary simplified acquisition threshold. Since 1994, it's been renewed every two years, and with each renewal, the test program threshold has crept upward.
Exfed Aims to Change the Way Job Seekers with Govt Experience Find Private Sector Jobs
There is a new player in town in the growing market for services that help skilled professionals find jobs in the contracting industry. Led by a mother-daughter team, ExFed aims to disrupt the landscape, currently dominated by staffing firms, Deltek, and Indeed.com by being the first to present private-sector government contracting job listings, across firms, with a simple and elegant user interface on the web.
Preparation of Bids and Proposals for Federal Contracts: Increase Your Odds of Success
In this 90-minute webinar Jeffrey Weinstein and Scott Honiberg will provide a comprehensive and in-depth primer for contractors seeking to gain an advantage in their bid and proposal preparation techniques. The speakers will draw from their extensive legal and business experience to prepare participants with the knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed in an atmosphere of heated competition as the government begins reducing contract opportunities, eliminating programs and terminating long-standing contracts simply to save money.
ASBL Reports Many Small Business Contracts Actually Going to Large Companies
The federal government has a statutory goal of awarding 23% of contracts to small businesses, which are defined as businesses that are "independently owned." However, according to a new report issued by the American Small Business League (ASBL), 77.6 percent ($16 billion) of the federal government's contracting spending on small businesses actually went to large companies in 2011.