SBA
Small business contract awards hit record $154B
But fewer of those companies are entering the federal market or competing for the work, the Small Business Administration says.
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.
Federal CIO tees up 7 new TMF awards
The awards, the first since TMF's $1 billion plus-up in the American Rescue Plan Act, are expected to be made public soon.
Vote delayed on Biden's SBA nominee amid GOP-led filibuster attempts
Republicans have condemned Dilawar Syed, nominated to serve as deputy administrator for the Small Business Administration, over his involvement with a Muslim advocacy group that has been critical of Israel.
The risks of pushing for procurement equity
A White House plan to steer $100 billion towards small disadvantaged businesses could prove transformative for historically underserved communities nationwide -- but only with proper regulation.
White House leverages procurement authority to address racial wealth gap
The Biden administration is hoping to steer $100 billion in federal contracting opportunities to small, disadvantaged businesses over the next five years in an effort to narrow economic divides in the United States.
Agencies feel IT staff shortages from Trump administration hiring freezes
Trump administration hiring freezes have been causing a strain on federal agencies trying to cope with the demands put on IT staff because of telework.
FITARA grades mostly stable
Most agencies maintained their grades on the latest FITARA scorecard, but the new telecom category produced some failing marks.
Pandemic spotlights the promise and weakness of government tech
Governments should not aim for "a return to the technology status quo before the pandemic," according to a new white paper by Microsoft and the Partnership for Public Service.
SBA taps cloud for loan forgiveness platform
The Small Business Administration is using a commercial off the shelf software as a services platform to process applications for its loan forgiveness relief program.
A call for visionary investment
Investing in IT modernization is not an either-or proposition, Rep. Connolly writes. This pandemic has presented Congress a choice: We can put our head in the sand and pretend these failures didn't happen, or we can take action to be prepared for the future.
IG: GSA system erred on small business designation
Large businesses were misidentified as small businesses in General Services Administration's procurement data system, according to the agency's watchdog.
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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.
Scammers spoof SBA to get disaster loan dollars
The campaign was still active in early August, the latest evidence that the economic assistance tied to COVID-19 remains an attractive target for cyber criminals.
SBA defends data exposure response
The notification of companies whose data had been exposed by the Small Business Administration's effort to set up advanced electronic emergency loan portals was slowed by a contracting issue, the agency's deputy CIO told Congress.
CARES Act delivery hampered by old tech, bad data
Aspects of the federal government's economic response to the coronavirus pandemic were marred by outdated state technology software and a crushing volume of beneficiaries that overwhelmed many systems, according to a new report from the watchdog Government Accountability Office.
Pandemic oversight begins to take shape
The Pandemic Response Accountability Council will look at IT challenges, safety measures and funding oversight.
Sen. Hassan digs into agency IT plans
The push comes, the New Hampshire Democrat explained, because of technology weaknesses exposed in the federal government response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NITAAC says it can fill in for STARS
The National Institutes of Health's governmentwide contracts can pick up the slack for GSA's STARS II 8(a) small business set aside contract’s early cut off.
Paycheck protection, other pandemic response to garner 'flash' oversight
Agency inspectors general told Congress that the $2.2 trillion in spending to speed recovery and heal economic damage caused by the pandemic would be subject to quick oversight.
