Acquisition

Air Force looks to bridge 'valley of death' for small tech firms

The service's acquisition chief hopes to change how small businesses interact with the service through its innovative research program and eventually adopting the In-Q-Tel model.

Acquisition

GAO: SSA's contracting guidance lacks agility

The Social Security Administration has embraced agile software development, but needs to delineate how contracting personnel fit into the picture, says federal watchdog

Acquisition

BPAs play out amid schedule consolidation

The General Services Administration has almost all contractors on its combined buying schedule, but a handful remain to be converted, according to the agency's administrator.

Acquisition

GSA won't budge on STARS II deadlines

GSA isn't moving away from a new, shorter period of performance for one of its popular small business governmentwide IT contracts.

Acquisition

GSA imagines new small business GWAC

GSA sketched out its initial ideas for a new small business governmentwide contracting vehicle to replace Alliant 2 SB.

Acquisition

NASA doesn't know what's on its network

According to an oversight report, the space agency can't provide an accurate count of the number of contractor-owned devices connected to its networks.

Acquisition

STARS III deadline draws near

The STARS II small business contract proved so popular that its ceiling value has been extended several times, but the General Services Administration is ready for its successor.

Acquisition

DOD's China-tech waiver targets high-volume buys, excludes major weapons systems

Nearly three-fourths of what the Defense Department buys will be temporarily exempt from the government-wide Huawei ban.

Acquisition

Pentagon advances domestic drone plan

The Defense Department names five U.S. vendors for domestic sourcing of small drone aircraft.

Acquisition

Engineering hurdles to clear ahead of tech 're-shoring'

The Trump administration has national security concerns when it comes to foreign dominance in microelectronics, but research and engineering advances are needed as a precursor to new policy, a top official said.

Acquisition

Extend Section 3610 of the CARES Act

Without an extension to the legislation that compensates federal contractors unable to work because of pandemic-related facility closures, more people would lose their jobs, more companies could fold and the government could lose access to highly experienced and skilled members of their workforce who are critical to supporting national security, defense and other federal mission areas.

Acquisition

DOD eyes large COVID payments for contractors

Ellen Lord, the Defense Department's chief buyer, said the organization is considering lump-sum payments for COVID-19 claims rather than negotiating contract-by-contract.

Acquisition

Huawei ban looms for contractors

Federal contractors are still facing uncertainty about new rules to get rid of Chinese-made gear.

Acquisition

Lawmakers push for border tech assessment

Legislation would have the Department of Homeland Security assess its border security technologies and consider new ones.

Acquisition

Army extends software contracts under ITES

The Army's enterprise software office extends a multiple award contract.

Acquisition

TVA rescinds plans to fire tech workers

The federally owned power company called the plan to fire workers and outsource IT operations as a "disappointing misstep" after the president blasted the move.

Acquisition

Lawmakers push back on STARS shutoff date

Changes the GSA made to one of its most popular governmentwide small business set-aside acquisition vehicles draws congressional scrutiny.

Acquisition

Trump fires TVA chairman over IT outsourcing

The federally owned power company is rethinking plans to fire its internal IT staff and shift to managed services in light of Trump's intervention and a new executive order on federal contracting.

Acquisition

DHS seeks permanent flexible acquisition authorities

Temporary acquisition authorities that aid the Department of Homeland Security in getting innovative commercial technologies and goods in response to the COVID-19 crisis should be lasting tools in the department's acquisition toolbox, the agency's top acquisition official told a Senate panel.

Acquisition

Sustainment issues plague F-35’s logistics IT backbone

Questions remain about the replacement for the F-35’s logistics infrastructure, Autonomic Logistics Information Systems, which has been riddled with errant alerts and corrupted data transfer.