Acquisition

Nortel keeps SSA contract

The company prevailed in a protest of its $300 million contract to build a VOIP network for the agency.

Acquisition

GSA awards $2.5 billion contract for contact center services

Nine companies win spots on the USA Contact contract, designed to help federal agencies set up contact centers quickly during emergencies.

Acquisition

Officials: Reconsider inherently governmental functions

Flexibility in defining the term leads to concerns about acquisition policies, procurement officials say.

Acquisition

EPA IG wants fewer cost-plus contracts

The agency also gave the contractors high ratings without sufficient documentation, the inspector general says.

Acquisition

New method weds enterprise architecture, acquisition

A soon-to-be-issued RFI would ask for best practices for model-based acquisition strategy.

Acquisition

Officials try to clarify acquisition rules

The proposal tries to ensure that the Federal Acquisition Regulation clearly reflects the Small Business Administration’s interpretation of the Small Business Act and precedence of small-business programs.

Acquisition

Letter: Contract should remain bundled, but keep small businesses involved, too

The answer isn't to unbundle contracts; it is to insure that the bundled contracts specify small-business participation in a measurable and enforceable way.

Acquisition

Letter: Ignoring small-biz goals should have consequences

A reader says agencies shouldn’t be able to get away with not achieving small-business contracting goals.

Acquisition

Denett: Bundling recommendations likely by May

Rep. Nydia Velázquez says OFPP has stalled on setting a policy on unbundling contracts.

Acquisition

Court stops work on $50 billion Alliant contract

GSA failed to give adequate weight to prices as it reviewed the 62 proposals for the 10-year, $50 billion contract, claims court judge finds.

Acquisition

Judge rules in favor of Alliant protesters, source says

Many of the protesters say the bid evaluations didn’t match the criteria in the Alliant request for proposals, and that GSA failed to treat each company equally.

Acquisition

GSA launches new initiative to help veterans

The 21 Gun Salute initiative aims to increase the number and percentage of agency contracting dollars going to businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.

Acquisition

FAR Council issues final security configuration rule

Contracting officers are also required to consult with program officials to include the proper standards.

Acquisition

Guerra: Regulating profit

The government shouldn't care if companies are making a profit as long as they are delivering value.

Acquisition

Officials debate disclosure of executives' pay

A bill that proposes that executives of some government contractors would have to submit their salaries to a public database has met opposition.

Acquisition

Letter: Too much competition can be wasteful

A reader responds to a letter to the editor by saying that the government only needs a handful of contract vehicles to ensure healthy, productive competition.

Acquisition

Lawmaker opposes agencies proving their own discrimination

Rep. Nydia Velázquez also said SBA's proposed rule would excessively reduce the number of industries for which woman-owned small businesses could receive set-aside contracts.

Acquisition

Letter: Health benefits should be up to the company

A reader says the new law requiring agencies to ask contractors about the health benefits they offer their employees is a waste of resources.

Acquisition

Education Department in market for security tools

The department wants software for two-factor authentication that it can use with many online applications, including Federal Student Aid.

Acquisition

USPTO reveals plans for 2008 IT procurements

The agency plans to issue four RFPs for work such as systems and network engineering, database management, and help desk support.