Acquisition

FirstNet should be reauthorized before it sunsets, GAO says

Any significant changes to the public safety broadband network would be complex, expensive and may disrupt services delivery if the contract with AT&T is interrupted or changed before 2042, GAO warned.

Acquisition

FBI cancels agile BPA

The Criminal Justice Information Services division of the bureau is expected to conduct its own acquisition program for vendors specializing in agile development.

Acquisition

FAR proposal looks to implement key small business regulatory changes

The proposal sets new grounds for protests based on contractors operating under socioeconomic set-asides are "unduly" relying on other vendors, among other significant revisions.

Acquisition

The Army's top buyer wants to test limits of flexible software spending

Douglas Bush, the Army's newly confirmed acquisition chief, wants to do more to reform how the service buys and sustains software.

Acquisition

GSA won't hang up on legacy telecom just yet

The agency is accounting for delays in the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions transition by adding more time before requiring agencies to move off of current legacy services.

Acquisition

Oracle’s cloud can now host select top secret defense data

The company will make use of special regions to store the government’s data.

Acquisition

Legislation to expand federal contracting opportunities reaches president’s desk

The legislation aims to improve government contracting opportunities for small businesses but could have a major impact on governmentwide procurement. 

Acquisition

GSA, DOD seek clean electricity to meet emissions targets

The federal government's two top buyers of electricity are exploring ways to procure carbon-pollution free electricity to meet the demands of a Biden administration executive order.

Acquisition

Lawmakers ask Biden to make sure DOD follows climate rules

The Pentagon has said it will not seek an exemption to the climate goals.

Acquisition

Biden administration touts ‘significant progress’ in Made in America Office's first year

The office’s purpose is to coordinate federal efforts and maximize the use of domestic goods by taxpayer-funded federal agencies when appropriate.

Acquisition

IRS plans new version of its $700M digital platform contract

The Integrated Enterprise Portal 2.0 procurement will cover some of the most widely used, public-facing IRS applications.

Acquisition

Can Project Maven help shape acquisition policy?

The DOD's inspector general found that the lack of a formal documentation process for acquisition metrics and procedures could prevent future growth of Project Maven and similar projects.

Acquisition

Supreme Court hearing turns to the contractor mandate

Chief Justice John Roberts invoked the federal contractor mandate – currently blocked from taking effect due to a lawsuit – at a hearing at which two separate vaccine authority cases were argued on Friday.

Acquisition

GAO uses uses covert testing scheme to assess SBA screening processes

The Government Accountability Office sent applications from four fake firms to the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program to see whether SBA had made progress addressing long-standing oversight issues.

Acquisition

USAID plans new ‘Digital Front Door’ portal for contractors

The U.S. Agency for International Development is seeking public feedback on a plan to streamline data reporting requirements for contractors by establishing a single portal for all digital information.

Acquisition

DISA done with MilCloud 2.0

The program, which has a contract set to expire in May 2022, was designed to help DOD users from the military services and combatant commands leverage commercial cloud services.

Acquisition

GSA preps draft solicitations for major cloud BPA

The General Services Administration released new details this week about an upcoming multiple-award blanket purchase agreement to help speed up enterprisewide modernization initiatives and meet increased demand for secure commercial cloud products and services.

Acquisition

Why NSA has to rebid its $10 billion top-secret cloud buy

Evaluation mistakes sunk NSA's first try at the $10B cloud award known as Wildandstormy.

Acquisition

Government watchdog calls out TMF for low rate of cost recovery

The Government Accountability Office said its previous recommendations for the Technology Modernization Fund have not been followed, leading to unrecovered operating costs and unreliable proposal cost estimates for new projects.

Acquisition

A non-traditional IT contractor looks a gift horse in the mouth

Steve Kelman checks in with Agile Six, and that firm's efforts to adapt to labor rates on a major VA contract.