Defense act gives government contractors clearer picture - John Rogers, CEO of Capstone National Partners, says contractors will see government spending continue to decline.

Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/tablet/business/defense-act-gives-government-contractors-clearer-picture-b99171796z1-237826831.html#ixzz2oov660Cv 
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OSHKOSH - A modification to a contract will mean tens of millions of dollars for Oshkosh Corporation. The company announced Monday it will build an additional 545 medium tactical vehicles and 79 trailers for the U.S. Army.In all, the order is worth almost $105 million.  CLICK HERE to read more

New military spending deal includes help for small business contractors .  By J.D. Harrison, Published: December 20 E-mail the writer  - Two small-business contracting bills crafted by the House Small Business Committee found their way into the final military spending agreement for 2014.  In unusually speedy fashion, Congress this week approved both a new federal budget and a military spending bill, both of which provide a sense of clarity to small business owners, particularly those who sell goods and services to the federal government.  CLICK here for the Washington Post story

Wisconsin National Guard unveils new unmanned aircraft facility -December 16, 2013 -By Vaughn R. Larson -Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs

VOLK FIELD, Wis. - Leaders from the Wisconsin Army National Guard and Wisconsin Air National Guard, along with political representatives and community leaders, were on hand Dec. 6 for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for a tactical unmanned aerial system (TUAS) facility. 

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

USS Milwaukee to be christened in Marinette -Navy's littoral ship program goes full speed ahead despite questions about performance, capability -By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel

"There's a place for these ships ... just look at world events," said John Rogers, a former high-ranking Department of Defense official and now president of Capstone National Partners, a Milwaukee-based consulting firm. "We are no longer building fleets, for the most part, to line up and do major battle against other fleets. Obviously we reserve the right to do that, but we're also building vessels that can support operations in ways that 40 years ago we didn't even consider. That is where the action is." Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/tablet/business/uss-milwaukee-to-be-christened-in-marinette-b99165697z1-236304171.html#ixzz2nvfhZ5tr
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Lawmakers Reach Deal on U.S. Defense Authorization Bill-By Roxana Tiron Dec 10, 2013 2:56 AM CT -U.S. House and Senate negotiators settled on a $552.1 billion defense authorization bill for fiscal 2014 that would revamp how the U.S. military handles sexual assault cases and approve the Pentagon’s request for F-35 fighters. CLICK here for story

Defense contract to help Wisconsin, Illinois businesses -Solution Dynamics, Big Lift to benefit from $633 million deal to make forklifts - Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/business/defense-contract-to-help-wisconsin-illinois-businesses-b99160078z1-235157361.html#ixzz2n4sYsZh0
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White House releases second open government action plan - The White House Office of Science & Technology Policy issued the second U.S. Open Government National Action Plan, which introduced 23 new or expanded commitments to open government.   CLICK here for article and links to document

New DOD Instruction Aims to Streamline Acquisition Process -By Jim Garamone - American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2013 – In one of his last acts as deputy defense secretary, Ash Carter signed a memorandum putting in place a DOD instruction designed to streamline the acquisition process, Pentagon officials announced yesterday. DOD Instruction 5000.02, entitled the Operation of the Defense Acquisition System and signed Nov. 26, is an interim document put in place, “to create an acquisition policy environment that will achieve greater efficiency and productivity in defense spending and effectively implement the department’s Better Buying Power initiatives.” CLICK HERE for full article

GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service Instructional Letters (ILs) for FY2013 now on the DATA.GOV website  CLICK HERE for details

Annual WPI NCMA Federal Contractor Update
December 5, 2013
Brookfield, WI (Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center)

Market Connections CEO Lisa Dezzutti and Michael Fischetti, executive director of the National Contract Manager's Association will discuss some of the big issues affecting contractors including lowest price, technically acceptable (LPTA).  CLICK here for download.

DoD SBIR
The three-phase SBIR Program directly funds up to $1.15 million in early-stage R&D by small companies. Eligible projects must fulfill an R&D need identified by the DoD and have the potential to be developed into a product or service for commercial or defense markets.
SBIR 2014.1 Solicitation is in pre-release. The solicitation will be open to proposal submission from December 20, 2013 at 6:00 AM ET through January 22, 2014 6AM ET.

SAM UPDATE
Effective November 1, BioPreferred reporting for FY2013 is closed. Beginning November 5, FOUO (Federal Government) users will be able to access the FY2013 year-end summary report via Data Access > EM Extracts > BioPreferred Product Report. BioPreferred Reporting for FY2014 will begin the second week of November.

BioPreferred Questions??? Please visit the FSD.gov website http://www.FSD.gov and search “Bio.”

Pentagon officials are "very close" to finishing their work on an overhaul of the official guidebook to DoD's byzantine acquisition system, and the process led them to the conclusion that they need Congress' help to help unwind a cumbersome maze of laws that have been layered on through decades of well-intentioned reform efforts.The document in question is officially known as DoD Instruction 5000.02 — the key collection of guidance that describes the military acquisition process. Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, logistics and technology, has been working on a revamped version for months.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY

Kendall: Sequestration Will Make Hollow Force Inevitable - By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. - American Forces Press Service - WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2013 - Budget cuts imposed by sequestration will leave the Defense Department with a hollow force and debilitating shortfalls, the Pentagon’s top acquisitions chief said today.   At a conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, outlined the difficultly that the on-going budget sequester is causing in the department’s ability to plan for the future.  CLICK HERE FOR STORY

Acquisitions Chief Seeks System Improvements, Not Reform - By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. - American Forces Press Service - WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2013 – The Pentagon’s acquisitions chief today discussed the state of the defense acquisitions system and methods the Defense Department, working with industry, can use to improve it.  CLICK HERE FOR STORY

Army awards Oshkosh Corp. $74 million truck order By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel
Read more from Journal Sentinel: CLICK HERE   Follow us: @NewsHub on Twitter

Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase I Solicitation FY-2014 (Release 2) (SBIR) - Due December 2, 2013 and Small Business Technology Transfer Program Phase I Solicitation FY-2014 (Release 2) (STTR) - Due December 4, 2013

DLA director recognizes industry partners’ contributions - including Wisconsin company Xact Tool, Inc., Shell Lake, WI - Each year, DLA field activity commanders are asked to nominate businesses that have significantly helped the agency meet its mission. Nominations are reviewed and judged by a panel of subject matter experts at DLA Headquarters. - CLICK HERE to link to the article

Acquisition Process: Task and Delivery Order Contracts, Bundling, Consolidation

• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations governing small business contracting procedures. Specifically, this rule amends SBA's regulations to establish policies and procedures for setting aside, partially setting aside and reserving Multiple Award Contracts for small business concerns.
• SBA is also is establishing policies and procedures for setting aside task and delivery orders for small business concerns under Multiple Award Contracts.
• In addition, SBA is addressing how it will determine size under certain Agreements and when recertification of status will be required.
• Finally, SBA is establishing a new definition of consolidation and reorganizing its prime contracting assistance regulations.

CLICK HERE to link to the REGULATION

White House Plans a Single FOIA Portal Across Government
The White House plans to launch a single online portal where journalists, researchers and other citizens can file Freedom of Information Act requests, according to an early draft of commitments to the international Open Government Partnership.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY

House panel looks at reforming DoD acquisition process
A new panel in the House Armed Services Committee will look at reforming the acquisition process inside DoD.
Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) says the vice chairman of the committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), will lead the panel. DoD's acquisition process takes a lot of criticism. But some parts of it should be a model for other agencies to use. Bill Greenwalt, a visting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, testified to a subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee about how DHS could apply some lessons learned from the Pentagon. He talks about what he told the subcommittee.
DOWNLOAD at FEDERAL NEWS RADIO

Acquisitions Chiefs Describe Effects of Budget Uncertainty
By Claudette Roulo - American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2013 – With assessments ranging from “sobering” to “painful,” acquisitions chiefs from each of the military services yesterday described the devastation being wreaked upon their branches by sequestration and the continuing resolution.
CLICK HERE for more.....

EPA REGION 5 SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE
November 6, 2013 in Chicago, IL
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Q&A with FAS Commissioner Tom Sharpe

He will talk about the Federal Acquistion Service's Value Proposition and speciific programs such as IT GWACs, assisted services and multiple award schedules.

Sharpe will also go into detail about category management, explaining what it is, and what it means for FAS and its industry partners.

CLICK HERE to listen to the interview

Comptroller: Shutdown Cost DOD $600 Million in Productivity
By Claudette Roulo -  American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2013 – Furloughs of civilian employees as a result of the government shutdown cost the Defense Department at least $600 million in productivity, the Pentagon’s top financial officer said today.  CLICK HERE for the story

DOD moves to shore up obsolete parts pipeline
DOD logistics planners are taking further steps to cope with diminishing sources of spare parts.
With declining number of manufacturers supplying the Pentagon and other federal agencies with spare parts, the Defense Logistics Agency has moved to shore up its “Diminished Manufacturing Sources Shared Data Warehouse” program. The cluster of web-based database applications is designed to link unconnected sources of information about obsolete parts, declining manufacturing sources and material shortages.
CLICK HERE for the Story

GSA extends OASIS deadline to Oct. 30
Businesses will have until Oct. 30 to submit proposals for the General Services Administration’s One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) request for proposals, according to an Oct. 17 notice on Fed Biz Opps.

The First Destination Transportation and Packaging Initiative (FDTPI) supports the 2010-2017 Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Plan to leverage industry capabilities, and realize process excellence by balancing efficiency and effectiveness. FDTPI is an enterprise-wide initiative to reduce acquisition costs for eligible procurements and gain other efficiencies by leveraging the government’s negotiating clout and inherent economies of scale within targeted supply chains. Currently, FDTPI targets primarily Class IX material as well as some Class IV and VII materials. Aviation, Construction and Equipment, Industrial Hardware, Land and Maritime are the supply chains participating in FDTPI at the present time.  CLICK HERE for additional information.           

Defense Budget Picture Begins to Take Shape  
October 2013 by Lt. Gen. Lawrence P. Farrell, Jr., USAF (Ret) - president National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ARTICLE

Government shutdown, spending cuts pinch businesses in Wisconsin  By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel
Read more from Journal Sentinel: CLICK HERE

No. 2 at Pentagon, Ashton Carter, stepping down as deputy defense secretary
CLICK HERE for story

REGISTER NOW
MARKETPLACE 2013 - TEAMING FOR SUCCESS
October 15 -16, 2013 - Milwaukee, WI
An opportunity for small, minority, woman, veteran, MBE, WBE, DVB, 8(a), SDB, WOSB, EDWOSB, HUBZone, SDVOB, VOB, DBE, EBE, or SBE
to LEARN, NETWORK, participate in ONE ON ONE MEETINGS with government agency and prime representatives and locate TEAMING PARTNERS to
GROW YOUR BUSINESS.
Visit THE MARKETPLACE WEBSITE for additional information and REGISTRATION.

VA retains the decider role over veteran-owned status protests
The Veterans Affairs Department decided to remain the final decider on all acquisition protests to whether a company is a service-disabled veteran small business, a veteran-owned small business or not.
CLICK HERE for the story

Contractors Start to Feel the Shutdown Pain
As the government shutdown drags on, contractors both large and small are raising alarms about ripple effects on their workforces and cash flow that threaten to worsen if the budget stalemate continues.
CLICK HERE for the full story

Wisconsin delegation reacts to shutdown with dismay, disgust 

By Patrick Marley of the Journal Sentinel
Read more from Journal Sentinel: CLICK HERE

National Contract Management Association (NCMA) summarized a number of changes / proposed changes post October 1:

• DOD Proposes to Increase Protections for Personally Identifiable Information - 10/02/2013
• DOD, GSA, and NASA Expand the Definition of “Contingency Operation” - 10/02/2013
• DOD, GSA, and NASA Propose to Shorten Contractor Comment Period on Past Performance Evaluations - 10/02/2013
• DOD, GSA, and NASA Standardize Past Performance Evaluations - 10/02/2013
• DOS Amends ITAR Brokering Regulations - 10/02/2013
• GSA Proposes to Increase Standards for Non-FAR Acquisition of Transportation Services - 10/02/2013
• House Introduces Bill to Implement Information Security Requirements for Federal Procurements - 10/02/2013
• House Passes Bill Requiring Congressional Approval of Major Rule Changes to Federal Regulations - 10/02/2013
• Senate Introduces Bill to Force Federal Contractors to Disclose Corporate Owners - 10/02/2013

Nearly 200 furloughed at 128th Refueling Wing due to shutdown CLICK HERE

Government shutdown will affect southeastern Wisconsin  CLICK HERE

Shutdown to Freeze DoD Contracting  CLICK HERE

Government shutdown shutters refuge, furloughs military employees - Juneau Times - CLICK HERE

Fort McCoy to furlough 900 civilian workers - Leader-Telegram -  CLICK HERE

3 Wisconsin firms land $62 million in defense contracts  CLICK HERE for details

66 questions and answers about the government shutdown  CLICK HERE for details

Agency-by-agency shutdown guidance  CLICK HERE for details

MARKETPLACE 2013 - TEAMING FOR SUCCESS
October 15 -16, 2013 - Milwaukee, WI
An opportunity for small, minority, woman, veteran, MBE, WBE, DVB, 8(a), SDB, WOSB, EDWOSB, HUBZone, SDVOB, VOB, DBE, EBE, or SBE
to LEARN, NETWORK, participate in ONE ON ONE MEETINGS with government agency and prime representatives and locate TEAMING PARTNERS to
GROW YOUR BUSINESS.
Visit THE MARKETPLACE WEBSITE for additional information and REGISTRATION.

Pentagon Prepares for More Furloughs as Government Shutdown Looms
CLICK HERE for todays memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter

GSA moves to get other agencies to trim real estate costs, improve efficiency
In the next two years, roughly 25 percent of the federal government’s real estate leases are set to expire. And with each of those expirations, Dan M. Tangherlini, the administrator of the General Services Administration, which manages much of that real estate, sees what he called “a huge opportunity” to remake the federal government as a leaner, more efficient, more eco-friendly workplace.
CLICK HERE TO LINK TO STORY
 

OMB issues shutdown guidance to agencies
The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo Wednesday providing guidance to prepare federal agencies for the possibility of a government shutdown. The memo seeks to remind agencies of their responsibility in planning for such a contingency.
CLICK HERE to link to the story

Pentagon Increases Efforts to Protect Defense Industrial Base
The Pentagon is stepping up efforts to sustain and preserve the health of the U.S. industrial base in the event  sequestration continues into 2014 by assessing vendor capabilities, watching for mergers and acquisitions, and analyzing the supply chain as it relates to producing critical capabilities.
CLICK HERE for the complete article