Today, companies deal with emails, prints, models, algorithms, computer code, and more. Employees meet, discuss and converse about opportunities and projects. For companies in the defense space, much of the information that they work with is sensitive or controlled unclassified information (CUI). No matter the medium, this type of information needs to be safeguarded and protected from unauthorized disclosure, inadvertent sharing, or outright theft. Some companies state that they have full development systems which are “air tight.” Others, who have…

Small businesses that work with the Federal government are well aware of the SAM.GOV and U.S. SBA Small Business Programs. Over the last few years, the requirement of being registered in SAM.GOV and having small / diverse business certifications has expanded. It is no longer uncommon for these requirements to apply to subcontractors on Federal prime contracts or non-Federal Public and Private projects. As you begin targeting subcontract work with large corporate or public entities, you should not put SAM registration…

Small businesses that work with the Federal government are well aware of the SAM.GOV and U.S. SBA Small Business Programs. Over the last few years, the requirement of being registered in SAM.GOV and having small / diverse business certifications has expanded. It is no longer uncommon for these requirements to apply to subcontractors on Federal prime contracts or non-Federal Public and Private projects. As you begin targeting subcontract work with large corporate or public entities, you should not put SAM registration…

The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program assists 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…

Quality, price, and on-time performance remain important factors to consider when identifying and selecting subcontractors and suppliers. However, changes to cybersecurity requirements have established new regulations and, consequently, concerns that must be addressed. Awareness is the first requirement. Companies need to know about these requirements. Then conversations need to be open, frank and recurring with subcontractors and suppliers. Vetting needs to include all of the information, processes and procedures used to get to know members of your supply chain and…

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…

Companies that are handling or anticipate handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) must comply with all federal contract clause requirements. However, not all requirements are contained in these clauses. Two important examples are – those related to mandatory initial and annual refresher CUI training and guidance for destroying CUI documents and materials. This webinar will provide an overview of these requirements and associated references.   Speaker: Marc Violante, Wisconsin Procurement Institute This webinar is eligible for 1 CPE credit. View a…

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 notices 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 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 developing…

The Department of Defense announced major changes to CMMC requirements in November 2021. As a result of the changes, CMMC 2.0 requirements will undergo the normal rule making process which is expected to take between 9 and 24 months. During the rule making period formal CMMC actions will be placed on hold. Even so, it is important for companies to continue to strengthen their cyber security plans, procedures, and additionally preparations for achieving their respective level of CMMC. This webinar…

Supply Chains are vital to the Department of Defense being able to execute its mission. They are often complex, lengthy and involve numerous businesses. Supply Chain security issues continue to evolve and threaten not only major defense contractors but also smaller firms. The impact of these threats affects where we are today with respect to new and evolving security requirements, business expectations and how businesses select and engage with existing and prospective suppliers. The focus of this webinar will be…