- August 9, 2022 -
UPCOMING EVENTS
8/9/22
Acquisition Hour: The Federal Spend to the End
Webinar

8/23/22
Acquisition Hour: Disaster Contracting
Webinar
9/13/22
Acquisition Hour: The Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) Part 2 – Other Modules
Webinar

9/21/22
CONNECT! Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé Program Networking Event (In-Person)
MYTH BUSTERS
MYTH:

A GSA Federal Acquisition Service’s (FAS) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) will guarantee you federal government sales.
 
REALITY: 
 
The FAS MAS program streamlines the process of purchasing products and services for the federal government. It’s the largest purchasing program on the planet, with pre-negotiated prices, delivery terms, warranties, and other terms that make it easier for agencies to acquire everything they need to meet their missions and save taxpayer dollars. Many GSA schedule holders receive no sales. Contractors must aggressively market and compete against many other schedule holders. Contractors must generate at least $25,000 in sales during the first two years or the government may cancel their contract. It currently can take as much as 18 to 24 months to secure a contract.  
 
A list of current schedule holders can be found at the GSA eLibrary and data on schedule sales at FAS Schedule Sales Query Plus  
 
Wisconsin Procurement Institute (WPI) staff can assist in determining if a GSA schedule makes sense for your business. Please contact WPI staff at 414-270-3600.
NEWS & UPDATES
CMMC set for trial run, but criticism abounds for highly anticipated ‘CAP’ document

The Pentagon’s contractor cybersecurity certification program took a major step forward this week with confirmation that voluntary third-party assessments will kick off next month, while at the same time a newly released process document is causing consternation in industry.

For additional information or assistance on the CMMC program, contact Marc Violante at [email protected] or Matthew Frost at [email protected]
Department of Transportation Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released a long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modernize the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program regulations.  

Businesses looking for assistance with applying for their DBE certification or questions regarding their DBE certification, contact Truphosa Mwololo at [email protected] 
Top 100 Defense Contractors 2021

The following is a list of the Top 100 U.S. Department of Defense prime contractors in fiscal year 2021 ranked by total contract funds awarded. The DoD had defense contract award obligations of $395.52 billion in FY21, down 8.4 percent from $431.75 billion in FY20. The top 100 contractors accounted for $245.76 billion (62 percent) of the obligated dollars, compared to $273.72 billion (63 percent) in FY20.

In FY21, the DoD’s share of available funding was $1.51 trillion, or 12.4 percent, of the FY21 U.S. federal budget . This is an increase of 18 percent compared to the DoD’s share of the U.S. federal budget for FY20 of $1.28 trillion, or 11.2 percent.
The US SBA issued their FY2021 Scorecard. 

The annual Scorecard is an assessment tool to (1) measure how well federal agencies reach their small business and socio-economic prime contracting and subcontracting goals, (2) provide accurate and transparent contracting data and (3) report agency-specific progress. The prime and subcontracting component goals include goals for small businesses, small businesses owned by women, small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones). 
Defense Department Earns Top Performance Rating in Small Business Procurement Index

For the eighth consecutive year, the Defense Department achieved an “A” rating for performance against its small business procurement goals. Released on July 26, the annual U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) scorecard puts into context the critical role small businesses play in fulfilling the department’s mission.

During a virtual press event announcing the scorecard’s release, Dr. William A. LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, highlighted the contributions of the American workforce and small businesses throughout Fiscal Year 2021 alongside agency heads from the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Annual Northern Lightning Exercise Returns to Volk Field

Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center will host the annual Northern Lightning Counterland exercise Aug. 8-19, including almost 1,000 personnel from active-duty Air Force, National Guard, Navy and Marine Corps units.

Northern Lightning is a tactical-level, joint training exercise replicating today’s air battle space. A variety of the world’s most advanced aircraft, including the F-35, F-22 and F-16, will participate.
Improvements Coming Soon to the Entity Validation Process in SAM.gov

Changes are coming to SAM.gov for new and renewing entities completing the entity validation process. Validating your entity (making sure an entity is who it says it is) is a vital security step that helps prevent fraud.  
FEATURED EVENT
 September 21, 2022
2:30 - 5:00 pm
 
The event will be in two parts.

Part 1 is the panel, “Roadmap to doing Business with Private Companies and Public Agency Partners.” The panel will have representatives from a government agency, industry representatives, and general contractors who will discuss how to do business with their organizations.

Part 2 is reserved for networking. The networking will give businesses an opportunity to network with corporate buyers, resource providers, government agencies, lenders, and more.
Additional information will be posted at this page closer to the event.
Upcoming WPI Office Hours
Click date to schedule an appointment or request more information
OTHER NEWS
  • Be sure to follow WPI on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) for regular updates on events, news and opportunities.
  • Department of Defense Names 2022 Freedom Award Recipients! Read more
  • Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Newsletter -August 2022 Read more
WPI 10437 Innovation Dr. Suite 320, Milwaukee, WI 53226 414-270-3600
Newsletter Editor: Doug Clemons, [email protected]