To be certified as CMMC L3, a company must be able to demonstrate its ability to achieve of both practices and processes associated with L3 but also those associated with Level 1 and Level 2 requirements. As the level of cyber maturity increases so does the formality and documentation needed. As an example at CMMC L3 companies will require formal Policies. More importantly the "institutionalization" of these practices will be assessed and will in part ultimately determine the level…

Budgeted monies need to be spent and strategic plans require action. Future looking companies will want to explore information available in budget, strategic plans and a variety of other resources to understand their customers and position themselves to take advantage of any resulting opportunities. This webinar will review several of these resources and discuss how the available information can be incorporated into a company's federal market strategy.   Speaker: Marc Violante, Wisconsin Procurement Institute This webinar is eligible for 1…

If you are currently or are planning to be a contractor or subcontractor to the Federal government, it is important to know and understand the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The FAR is the principal set of rules governing the acquisition process and critical to your success as a contractor. What you will learn: How the FAR is structured Locate and search for FAR clauses Understanding how to determine what clauses apply to your solicitation / contract A BASIC understanding of the…

  Successful contractors do their homework – or their market research. They determine who is buying, how they are buying, when they will be buying, how much they have procured in the past, what they are currently buying and what they will be buying in the future. They also know who are the current contract holders and who are their competitors. This workshop will teach you how to do your own government contracting market research using on-line various tools that…

The government’s requirements for subcontracting can seem complex and even tedious. Let WPI help simplify this for you! This webinar will provide an up close  analysis of the FAR requirements on Subcontracting Plans required from large businesses, Subcontracting limitations imposed on small businesses, and clauses that are required to be “flowed down” into subcontracts. Please join us and gain a better understanding of what the federal government requires with regard to subcontracting.   Speaker: Helen Henningsen, Wisconsin Procurement Institute This…

  As the CMMC program evolves and matures, there will certainly be more information available that specifically addresses this topic. Even thought there is currently no formal guidance, there is considerable information that can be gleaned from the program goals, requirements and resources. Given program guidance, it is obvious that the assessment will look beyond documents, policies and various logs. These records will be very important, but it is also important to recognize that the company in its entirety will…

  This session will provide attendees with an update on federal wage-hour laws to help employers maintain compliance with Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, Service Contract Act and Fair Labor Standards Act provisions. Mr. Walton will offer guidance on a wide range of topics including prevailing wages, completing certified payrolls forms, the correct payment of overtime and the tests used to determine if an employee should be classified as exempt.   Speaker: Corey Walton, Community Outreach and Resource Planning Specialist –…

If you sell goods, supplies, equipment, or even non-construction services in the private sector, then chances are that the Federal government also buys what you sell using Commercial Item procurement procedures. This webinar will explain the regulations, provisions, and clauses related to procurement of Commercial Items and  Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Items.  It will provide an up close analysis of the FAR provisions on submitting an offer and on government evaluation of offers and will explain the FAR clauses that detail…

  Achieving a CMMC certification is both an end and a starting point. Certification is the end of a long involved process that focuses on practices and procedures. The certification indicates that the foundational elements that are required are in place. However, certification is also a beginning as now a company is eligible to be awarded a contract, receive, handle and most importantly protect Controlled Unclassified Information. This is not only the most difficult task, it is the most important.…

  Strategic plans require information and data. Data helps to identify and qualify customers, their needs and how they buy. This webinar will discuss a variety of data sources and how to select and use data elements accessible in the primary data source to answer these and other important questions.   Speaker: Marc Violante, Wisconsin Procurement Institute This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit. View a schedule of all upcoming Acquisition Hour webinars.  

As a manufacturer bidding or performing on Federal contracts or subcontracts, it is critical that you know, understand and can be compliant with your contract’s Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) clauses.  This session will focus on the requirements from these two documents most often included in contracts for manufactured products. Speaker: Daryl Zahn, CFCM, Senior Manager, Contracts and Compliance, DRS Naval Power Systems, Inc.   This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit. View…

The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program helps small businesses in designated urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities. This presentation is recommended for any business that is interested in becoming an SBA HUBZone certified business. The HUBZone program qualifies your business to compete for the program’s set-aside contracts. HUBZone-certified businesses also get a 10% price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions. A business must be certified by the U.S. SBA to qualify for…

  A Sources Sought notice is a market research tool that Contracting Officers use to determine the availability of specific capabilities in the marketplace.  Sources Sought are also used to determine if there are enough qualified small businesses able to perform to potentially set aside the specific requirement.  These Sources Sought are posted in beta.SAM.gov and provide businesses a significant opportunity to present their qualifications and capabilities to support a specific requirement. Along with Sources Sought, this session will discuss…

This is your chance to learn about some relatively unique aspects of selling services to the federal government! This webinar will cover the FAR regulations and clauses related to The Service Contract Act, extensions of service contracts, performance based service contracts, personal services contracts and consulting contracts. This webinar will provide an up close analysis of the FAR regulations and clauses related to these topics and attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of the requirements in federal service…

Companies are responsible for their suppliers’ and subcontractors’ quality, price and delivery. In addition, they must ensure that a recipient of specified contract information is both eligible to receive that information and can provide adequate cyber security while they use or are in possession of the information. This webinar will provide an overview of the most common programs, program requirements, and discussion points for both new and current supply chain members. Speaker: Marc Violante, Wisconsin Procurement Institute   This webinar…

Businesses that are considered Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) due to social and economic disadvantage may qualify for certification under the 8(a) program. This presentation is recommended for any small business that may qualify as socially and economically disadvantaged, and wants to take advantage of the benefits of the 8(a) program. While there is no goal for the 8(a) program, the SBA supports a goal of 5% set aside for SDB. The 8(a) program is not a minority business program, but…

  Identifying and accessing data related to federal procurement is for the most part a relatively easy task. Making sense of the data; seeing patterns and answering specific questions can be extremely challenging  without the use of commonly available software tools. This webinar will review tools such as Excel, Excel Pivot Tables and Microsoft BI and how these tools can be used to gain insight, understand patterns and in general turn data into a viable and usable strategic resource.  …

Woman-owned businesses can receive advantage when selling to various Public entities. In most cases, a certification process must be completed to qualify. It is important for businesses to understand the certification requirements and the potential benefits to their business prior to investing their time and resources in the certification process. This webinar will provide an overview of these programs, application processes, describe eligibility requirements as well as the benefits and obligations for certifications with: Federal Government agencies State Government agencies…

The federal government spends billions of  dollars on construction each year. This webinar will explain, in easy to understand terms, the FAR regulations and clauses related to bonding and alternate payment protections, the Davis Bacon Act, the Changes clause, the Suspension of Work Clause, Differing Site Conditions, Brand Name or Equal Specifications, Certified Cost or Pricing data and Audits. Join us for an up close analysis of the FAR clauses related to these topics and gain a better understanding on…

Government contracting offers tremendous financial opportunities for Wisconsin’s veteran-owned small businesses, but it can be difficult to compete in the marketplace. SBA and its local resource network help set veteran entrepreneurs up for success no matter where they are in their government contracting journey. WPI is hosting the SBA and the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program to present on federal and state certifications available for veterans and how these certifications can lead to new customers and new business. Speakers: Shane Mahaffy,…

The federal process for procurement of Architect Engineer (A/E) Services is unique and fully understanding this unique process is key to getting federal AE contracts. This webinar will provide a comprehensive, up close analysis of the A/E procurement processes specified in FAR 36.6, including both the normal AE procurement process and the Simplified Streamlined AE procurement process. In addition, attendees will learn about the 6% statutory Fee limitation for A/E contracts, the special FAR clauses used in A/E contracts, and…

Every day brings both old and new cyber threats. Is that email legitimate? How about the link? - should I click it? Additionally, there are new devices, new settings, and even new staff. Each and every change brings some probability of risk which in the worst case can shut down a company. This webinar will review why trusting last year's, last month's or even last week's cyber plan may be overly optimistic and will provide suggestions for staying abreast of…

Minority owned business can receive advantage when selling to various Public and Private entities. In most cases, a certification process must be completed to qualify. It is important for business to understand the certification requirements and the potential benefits to their business prior to investing their time and resources in the certification process. This presentation will provide an overview of these programs, application process, describe eligibility requirements as well as the benefits and obligations for certifications with: Federal Government agencies…

Having a plan is one thing, trusting that it is adequate may be optimistic, and waiting to see if it works against an attack is not acceptable. There are many alternatives from which a company can choose. Internal testing and using exercise scenarios is one option. This webinar will explore the use of scenario planning (using exercises) to review the strengths, weaknesses, overall readiness, and completeness of cybersecurity plans as well as provide suggestions on how to identify and develop…

Companies have various options for developing their cybersecurity plans. A company can treat all security requirements as being equally likely to occur and having the same impact on the company's operations and security of information. Alternatively, a company can assess both the risk of occurrence and potential impact of the occurrence on an item-by-item basis. This webinar will explore the pros and cons of these different approaches, and review resources that can be used should the risk based approach be…

If the internet "goes down,” your computer crashes, or if your database is corrupted, can your business survive? What if all your records are totally and irreparably damaged? That is what could happen with an errant click of a link or update that was not installed. Poof - all history - old and recent is extinguished. Companies seek to manage risk by outsourcing technical matters. This webinar will discuss this issue from the perspective of compliance with DoD requirements. Speaker:…

This webinar will provide an overview of Blockchain technology, common terminology and prospective uses of this technology in government contracts and by government contractors. What once was thought to be bogus technology has continued to grow in use and to an extent become an accepted tool in today's business world. Speaker: Marc Violante, Wisconsin Procurement Institute   This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit. View a schedule of all upcoming Cyber Friday webinars.