government contracting

By Jonathan Sanders, Director, Research, GovExec

On Monday, July 25, the Department of Defense (DoD) took a major step in its efforts to protect the United States’ defense supply chain by sending the proposed Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) rule to the White House for review. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget will now begin its review process.

The CMMC Rule

CMMC will replace the existing self-certification process for DoD contractors. It will require them to achieve specific levels of cybersecurity maturity in order to continue doing business with the government.

Cyber AB, the nonprofit organization created to authorize and accredit third-party assessment organizations involved in conducting cybersecurity assessments for defense contractors, recently held a town hall meeting. Cyber AB CEO Matthew Travis led the meeting, which walked through the major milestone this represents to the DoD moving forward.

Travis noted the success of the Washington Technology sponsored CMMC Ecosystem Summit. In partnership with Cyber AB, the second iteration takes place November 8th.

The proposed CMMC rule will now undergo OMB’s regulatory review. OMB has 60-90 days to complete their review of the rule, after which it will be published in the Federal Register (estimated for September or October). After posting, the rule will undergo a 60-day public comment period where the public can provide suggestions and feedback on the suggested requirements.

One of the major obstacles is the NIST revision of the compliance standards, expected to be released in late FY 2023 or early FY 2024, which generally aligns with the Pentagon’s proposed timeline for implementation of Fall 2024. This update will include additional cybersecurity controls/requirements for contractors, which means that the bar for cyber compliance assessments will continue to rise.

What does this mean for you?

As CMMC moves one step closer to becoming law, it is imperative for your organization to keep up with the requirements and make necessary changes to cybersecurity practices to remain viable and competitive in the DoD marketplace. Keep in the know by attending Washington Technology’s CMMC Summit in partnership with Cyber AB taking place November 8th from 8am – 6pm ET. (Click here to register.)

Insights, Research, and YOUR Path to More Awards

GovExec’s Insights & Research Group (comprising Market Connections, Government Business Council, and Leading Brands) and GovTribe can keep you up to date on what is happening in this rapidly changing contract environment.

GovTribe is a collaborative platform that lends business development teams a hand through research and tracking of contracting vehicles as well as targeted intelligence on GSA Federal Supply Schedules, GWACS, IDIQs, and other multiple award vehicles.

Combining the data, insights, and expert analysis you get at Market Connections with the ease, agility, and usability of GovTribe can help you strategically position yourself right where you want to be for future opportunities.

Questions? Please reach out to Jonathan Sanders at jsanders@govexec.com.

By Jonathan Sanders, Director, Research, GovExec

From the beginning of 2023, GovExec’s Insights & Research Group has covered the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ongoing RFP drafting for the Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation (T4NG2) contract. The T4NG2 represents a potential $60.7 billion contract vehicle for information technology products and services.

The VA had delayed the release of the final solicitation to incorporate further feedback from industry partners, and has since been at the center of the spotlight in the wider GovCon community.

As of Tuesday March 14, 2023, the Veterans Affairs Department has released its final solicitation for the 10 year, $61 billion contract vehicle with the overarching goal of modernizing the VA’s healthcare technology infrastructure and improving healthcare delivery to veterans.

The T4NG vehicle includes a range of services and solutions, including:

Program management
Strategy planning and assessment
Enterprise architecture
Systems engineering and integration
Software design and development
Cybersecurity
Data analytics
Cloud computing
Mobility solutions
Health IT

The current T4NG contract, originally awarded in 2018, will be phased out in March 2026, with nearly $12 billion obligated on the current contract.

Final requests for proposals due April 14, 2023, keeping pace with the VA’s accelerated timelines since the initial draft RFP stages.

What this means for you

With the final solicitation released March 14th, final proposals due April 17th, and awards presented by the end of the calendar year, there is absolutely no time to waste.

Insights, Research, and YOUR Path to More Awards

Questions? Please reach out to Jonathan Sanders at jsanders@govexec.com.

By Jonathan Sanders, Director, Research, GovExec

On 02/01/23, the US Army released its long anticipated solicitation for AI/ML development processes and technologies, and pathfinder processes to identify militarily relevant technologies.

As noted by initial pre-solicitation in August 2022, the overall objective of this effort is to develop concepts that incorporate visualization, include coalition interconnectivity, allow for the ability to obtain data from all information sources, to include Unattended Ground Sensors, improve situational awareness, and decrease the current analyst workload.In particular, this effort will support contested/dense urban environment operations to include subterranean environments.

In order to advance its AI/ML capabilities, the Army has established a number of programs and initiatives that focus on the development and integration of these technologies into its operations. One such program is the Army AI Task Force, responsible for overseeing the Army’s AI/ML development efforts and providing guidance on the integration of these technologies into the force.

The task force works closely with other military organizations, government agencies, and industry partners to ensure that the Army is at the forefront of AI/ML research and development.

Through the power of GovTribe, we are able to glean some of the likely bidders. The likely bidders tool is a powerful machine learning algorithm combining industry attendees and question & answer lists with those that have past performance similar to this type of work, of which include:

Discovery Machine Inc.
Wallaroo Labs Inc.
Scale Ai, Inc.
Mile Two LLC
Prescient Edge Corporation
Oncospace Inc.
Systems & Technology Research LLC
Objectsecurity LLC
Cerebras Systems Inc.
DS2 LLC
And Others

In addition to the above, there have been many small businesses that have received small business funding from the Army Contracting Command in the last year in the same parents NAICs as the current solicitation, of which include:

Colsa Corporation
Torch Technologies Inc.
Galley Power
Mid-Michigan Research LLC
3Dflexible Inc.
Cornerstone Research Group Inc.
Precision Combustion Inc
Autonomous Solutions Inc.
Kestrel Rechnology LLC
Molyworks Materials Corporation
Among others

These ongoing solicitation efforts will ensure that the Army has the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively use and integrate Al/ML technologies into its operations for years to come.

The due date for the current solicitation is 03/08/23.

What this means for you

Overall, the Army’s continued efforts in AI/ML demonstrate its commitment to staying ahead of the curve in modern warfare, and they need your team’s help to do so.

Insights, Research, and YOUR Path to More Awards

Questions? Please reach out to Jonathan Sanders at jsanders@govexec.com.

By Jonathan Sanders, Director, Research, GovExec

The White House-led National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Task Force has recently requested $2.6 billion in funding to support AI research and development over an initial six year period.

In a final report titled, “Strengthening and Democratizing the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Innovation Ecosystem,” the NAIRR Take Force has provided a roadmap to fund its plan to stand up a national research infrastructure that would increase accessibility to resources quintessential to AI research and development.

Originally organized by the National AI Initiative Act of 2020, the NAIRR Task Force is a federal advisory committee co-chaired by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The final report is the culmination of the Task Force’s 18-month effort to develop and vision an implementation plan for establishing the NAIRR, with the overall goal of strengthening and democratizing the US AI Innovation ecosystem in a way that protects privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

The NAIRR Task Force notes four measurable goals to meet its overall goals:

Spur innovation
Increase diversity of talent
Improving capacity
Advance trustworthy AI

NAIRR is allocating $2.25 billion of the investment to fund resource availability through appropriations across multiple Federal agencies. It also suggests a funding scheme to include:

Resource providers should be brought online every two years with a six-year lifetime so that a new $750 million investment is made every two years to ensure that the NAIRR resources remain state-of-the-art
The non-government operating entity behind the NAIRR would receive about $55-$65 million every year to support the coordination and management of NAIRR activities
An additional $5 million per year is budgeted for external evaluation of the operating entity and NAIRR performance

Existing and upcoming Federal AI policy and guidance will serve as the bedrock for the NAIRR’s operations, including the Biden Administration’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, and the AI framework from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

What this means for you

While AI research and development advances rapidly in the United States, there is still time for your organization to contribute to this critical technology development that will go on to shape US national capabilities across Federal, State and Local, and Department of Defense markets for years to come.

Insights, Research, and YOUR Path to More Awards

Questions? Please reach out to Jonathan Sanders at jsanders@govexec.com.

By Jonathan Sanders, Director, Research, GovExec

In early January 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued a draft RFP for the Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology Next Generation (T4NG2) contract. The T4NG2 represents a potential $60.7 billion contract vehicle for information technology products and services.

Since its inception in 2016, the T4NG vehicle has seen $11.7 billion in task order obligations, and will run alongside the T4NG2 contract as the VA winds down task orders once the original contract reaches its $22.3 billion ceiling.

Originally designed to allow the VA to acquire services for IT programs that help ensure the timely delivery of healthcare for Veterans, the T4NG2 program will continue to be the VA’s primary IT vehicle.

With the draft RFP becoming publicly available January 13, there is a tight turnaround with comments due this coming Friday, January 20.

Keeping with this pace, the VA’s Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) will host an industry day for the T4NG2 procurement on Thursday, February 2 from 11:00AM – 12:30PM EST. Planned topics include acquisition strategy, basis of award, overview of changes from T4NG, solicitation walkthrough, and questions and answers, with a final solicitation in February.

T4NG2 will covering the below services:

Program Management
Strategy, enterprise architecture and planning
Systems and software engineering
Software technology demonstration and transition
Test and evaluation
Independent verification and validation
Enterprise network
Enterprise management framework
Operations and maintenance
Cybersecurity
Training
IT Facilities

The VA plans to make 30 awards, and if companies are tied for the 30th spot, there will be more than 30 awards. However, the VA will only make 29 awards if six or more companies are tied in that final position.

What this means for you

With a ceiling increase from nearly $22 billion from the original T4NG, to upwards of $60 billion in the T4NG2 program, it is imperative now more than ever to be ahead of the GovCon pack. As they say in GovCon, when the RFP is released, it’s already too late.

Insights, Research, and YOUR Path to More Awards

Questions? Please reach out to Jonathan Sanders at jsanders@govexec.com.

By Jonathan Sanders, Director, Research, GovExec

In October 2022, the General Services Administration (GSA) issued a draft RFP for Alliant 3, their latest governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) that aims to provide Federal Government agencies with integrated IT solutions services for evolving needs on a global basis.

“GWACs serve as a springboard for small businesses to grow,” said Exodie C. Roe III, Associate Administrator for the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.

This contract will allow for the application of technology to meet current and evolving business needs required to satisfy all IT requirements worldwide at any time, fostering a “Anything IT Anywhere” philosophy. This service contract does not have a specific ceiling, and will leverage a self-scoring approach for prospective bidders, which has worked on procurements including OASIS, ASTRO, HCaTS, and Alliant 2.

GSA anticipates that multiple awards shall be made up to a maximum of 60 awards to the highest scoring bidders.

As a restricted GWAC, small businesses are eligible to participate in the solicitation. The average value of each contract under Alliant 2 is $116M.

When asked about the planned features of Alliant 3, GSA mentioned:

Providing an Unpriced Master Contract (subject to approval)
Maintaining a Best-in-Class (BIC) solution designation
Sustaining Standardized Labor Categories (LCATS) and the Prices Paid Portal
No Master Contract Ceiling (subject to approval)
Implementing Innovative Environmental and Sustainability Plans
Enhancing the Customer Experience
Increased IT Modernization Capabilities
Performance Standard Improvement
Provisioning for Regular Open Seasons
Streamlining Proposal Submissions and Evaluations
Increased Focus on Small Business through Subcontracting Plans, Performance Standards, and Evaluation Factor

Alliant 3 builds upon the successful Alliant and Alliant 2 GWACs. It is a new unrestricted enterprise GWAC that will have an increased focus on emerging technology, performance based contracting measures, small business subcontracting. It will also have open seasons and an environmental and sustainability plan.

Additional differentiating features in Alliant 3 include:

Providing an Unpriced Master Contract (subject to approval)
Eliminating a Master Contract Ceiling (subject to approval)
Provisioning for Open Seasons opportunities

What this means for you

Alliant 2 received a $25 billion ceiling increase in August, 2022, bringing the total ceiling to a staggering $75 billion. With add ons and efficiencies for the Alliant 3 GWAC underway, one can expect a nominal increase in estimated value. Now is the time to prepare your business to get on the next GWAC.

Insights, Research, and YOUR Path to More Awards

Questions? Please reach out to Jonathan Sanders at jsanders@govexec.com.