We're just getting warmed up, and your early support means the world. As The Acquisition Box fine-tunes its frequency, we're eager to hear your thoughts. What's hitting the mark? What's missing it? Your feedback is our compass. Wishing you a week brimming with success and bids that turn heads. Happy bidding, and here's to the journey ahead! 🚀

Acquisition Box Dashboard

Good morning, GovCon leaders! Pour yourself a strong one because last week's figures are in. On average, RFQs/Ps are pulling in 2.53 proposals, but let's divide that up: 2.14 for the big fish and a nifty 2.8 for small businesses. It's almost enough to make you think twice about becoming a large, right? Now, let's talk shop on spending—GSA spent $361M, VA is doling out $231M, and DOT is not too far behind at $208M. But the headline grabber? Deloitte snagged a whale of a contract at $218M with the VA, to give their financial and acquisition systems a 21st-century facelift. The RFQ ONLY had two competitors. All of this off the GSA Schedule, folks. It's a head-scratcher for sure—because with deals like these, one has to wonder: where was the rest of the pack?

White Swan - Forecasting List

🔍 Hot Off the Press: FedSIM Opportunities Added!

We've sprinkled some gold dust into our spreadsheet this week by including FedSIM opportunities. For those not in the loop, the GSA FedSIM acquisition team is where contracting officer excellence hangs its hat. Agencies don't just knock on their door; they walk away from their own procurement teams with checkbooks in hand to leverage FedSIM's top-tier contract management services.

Keen to rub elbows with the best in federal contracting? There's an Industry Day brewing in January and February 2024 that you won't want to miss. Consider this your golden ticket to understanding the ins and outs of FedSIM. Don't just meet them; get to know them. They're the folks you want in your corner. Click here to find out more: FedSIM Industry Day ✨

GovCon News

🚀 GovCon Alert: Federal Acquisition Regulation Update

Heads up, GovCon captains! It's time to mark your calendars for a critical input opportunity. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is proposing an update that requires a second glance at your size and status in the big game. If you've got thoughts on the "Rerepresentation of Size and Socioeconomic Status," get them in by November 28, 2023. Make your voice heard through the Federal eRulemaking portal right here: FAR-2020-0016-0001.

What's on the radar?

📏 Size Check-In: Post-award, if your business has ballooned from a small to a larger size during your Period of Performance (PoP), you're stepping out of the ring for small business set-asides. No more bidding on those if you've outgrown your boots.

💼 Who's Affected?: This shake-up zeroes in on IDIQs. So, if you're juggling a few, pay attention!

🛒 Supply Schedules Get a Pass: Those operating under GSA Schedules (MAS) can breathe easy; you're off the hook for automatic rerepresentation. But stay sharp—contracting officers can still tap you for a status update on specific orders.

🔍 A Closer Look: Picture this—your firm, 'Small Biz Inc.', landed a spot on a lucrative IT services contract. Initially, you fit snugly in the small business category. With this update, before you can snag a set-aside order, you've got to prove you haven't outgrown that label. If 'Small Biz Inc.' is now 'Big Biz Inc.', you'll be bowing out of that set-aside stage.

In essence, these changes are setting the stage for fair play, ensuring that the set-aside spotlight really goes to businesses playing in the small business league, not just those who were there at the opening act. Keep it current, keep it honest, and let's keep the competition keen!

T4NG Awarded: From 177 proposals to 30 winners.

From a whopping 177 bids,  the VA selected 30 tech titans for the T4NG2 contract — with a whopping $60.7 billion ceiling, 10 years of performance for cybersecurity, health care IT, strategy planning, enterprise network engineering, operations, and maintenance, program management and systems and software engineering support services—this sequel to the 2016 T4NG. Find out who won and read more about the award by clicking here.

Also, check out the VA’s forecasting tool by clicking here.

White House Executive Order on AI

The White House's Executive Order on AI invites tech leaders to act swiftly, promoting adopting AI solutions that prioritize safety, security, and ethical alignment with new federal guidelines. This will have an impact on any AI projects you have going on. We read it, so you don’t have to. Here is a summary: 

• Tech companies must ensure that their products and services comply with new federal guidelines and standards for AI safety, security, and ethics.

• Invest into robust AI system testing and security measures.

• Prioritize ethical AI development that aligns with civil rights and American values.

• Make sure to incorporate strong privacy protections into AI systems.

For tech CEOs, this means finding a balance between innovation and compliance, strengthening data and AI security, and leading in ethical AI development on a global scale. You may also anticipate potential modifications to your IDIQ or contracts to incorporate these AI guidelines.  😊

Find out more by clicking here.

Tip of the Week

🎄 Pro-tip: Contract Specialists - The Unsung Heroes of Acquisition

While the spotlight often shines on Contracting Officers (COs) and Contracting Officer's Representatives (CORs), it's the Contract Specialist who is often the powerhouse behind the scenes. These are the dedicated individuals piecing together the acquisition puzzle, from drafting the package to steering the solicitation process, evaluating bids, and recommending awards. A CO's override on their sage advice? It's a rare sight indeed.

So, as the holiday season approaches, why not show some appreciation where it's due? A Christmas card to your Contract Specialist could be the perfect touch of cheer! 📬✨

GAO Story Time

📜 The Briefing:

New Generation Solution, LLC (NGS) out of McLean, VA, threw their hat in the ring for a DISA IT contract. Their quest hit a snag over a pesky detail — the submission of a DD Form 254 format type.

🚫 The Stumble:

NGS submitted their proposal. DISA axed NGS from the running. The reason? NGS’s DD Form 254 was not in a fillable format as describer verbatim in the solicitation, a clear no-no.

💼 The Aftermath:

They protested. NGS claimed DISA’s instructions were as clear as mud. The GAO, however, begged to differ. In their legal prose, they essentially said, “Rules are rules, folks,” and NGS’s interpretation didn’t fly. It was a straightforward case of a contractor not dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s.

📚 Lesson Learned:

This isn’t just legalese and bureaucratic rigmarole. It’s a vivid reminder to all of us at the helm of GovCon enterprises that the minutiae matter. So, when the government says ‘fillable PDF,’ they mean it — as in, it must still blink with the cursor after you hit 'save.'

☕ Morning Reflection:

Sometimes, it’s the smallest checkbox that stands between us and our next big win. Stay vigilant, GovCon leaders. May our proposals be compliant, our coffee strong, and our attention to detail unfailing.

If you liked this newsletter and think this will be helpful to members of your team or teammates, please share and unlock our BPA/IDIQ forecasting list.

Thanks for reading!

That's all for now, folks! Stay tuned for more procurement tales. Cheers! ☕📦🌟