In the first quarter of the fiscal year, the Pentagon awarded its prestigious $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract to Microsoft. 

For now. 

That's because if you've been reading up on this contract, you would know it was riddled with disputes. One of which was a bid protest made by Oracle Corporation. Then, right after Microsoft was awarded, it was expected Amazon Web Services would file one as well. 

In this blog post, we're going to give you the rundown on bid protests.

We are going to answer:  

• What is a bid protest? 
• Why are bid protests filed?
• Where do I file a bid protest? 
• How should I approach bid protests? 

Let's begin. 

This November, FedBizOpps (FBO) is set to merge with beta.SAM. 

With that in mind, it's time to talk about past big changes in the federal marketplace. That's because with every major change comes major problems. How you handle these problems will determine your success or failure in government contracting. 

In this blog post, we're going to cover common issues that contractors face whenever the federal government implements a new policy or system. When you know about what issues to expect, you'll be better equipped to handle them. 

In this episode of “The Government Buys...a Podcast” (TGAP),  we sit down with USFCR President Eric Knellinger to discuss the upcoming merger of beta.SAM and FBO.gov. Join us as we deconstruct these impending changes and discuss how The Advanced Procurement Portal can keep you ahead of the curve. 

*Update for 11/8/19 at the bottom of the article*

If you've been keeping up with news in the federal marketplace, then you should know that FedBizOpps (aka FBO) is expected to be decommissioned in the first quarter of FY 2020 (the fourth quarter of 2019). Instead of a separate opportunity search website, it will be merged with beta.SAM.

Selling medical supplies is one of the biggest markets in federal contracting. For that reason, many businesses get started with that sole purpose in mind. Plus, The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the biggest buyers of medical supplies and has preference to buy from Veteran Owned Businesses. On this podcast episode we talk with the CEO of one such business to find out about his story and about a new opportunity called the MSPV program.

The federal government's cloud contracts called JEDI and DEOS are a drama filled with twists and turns. This story is a display of government contracting at its highest levels, but it relates to the small business too. On this podcast episode, we'll explain what these mega contracts could mean for your business.

There are a number of reasons why the government spends more in the last quarter of the fiscal year. It is crucial to know when the federal government’s fiscal year actually ends and how your business can get a piece of the action. In this podcast episode we look at Fiscal Year 2019, but this information can easily be translated to Fiscal Year 2020 and beyond.

On March 15, 2019, the GSA awarded Ernst and Young LLP with a $41.75 million contract for Entity Validation Services. Long story short, the DUNS number is set to be replaced with something called the "SAMMI number."

This is a fairly recent development in federal contracting. Not much is known about what this new system is going to entail. However, the purpose of this blog post is to fill you in on the details known.

Let's get to it.

Last week, a big change in federal contracting was announced.

How big?

It could...possibly...maybe...unhinge the federal marketplace as we know it (we're not sure yet).

So what's happening?

It's over. It's finally over. The 2018-2019 government shutdown was the longest one on record lasting for 35 days. To put it lightly, things were put to a halt at a bit. However, as a contractor, you're going to want to hit the ground running. Here are four main factors that you need to consider as you get back into the federal marketplace. Everyone's situation is going to be a bit different, so let this guide serve as just a general outline.

"Government shutdown" is pretty much a fancy way of saying that the folks on Capitol Hill cannot agree on how to fund federal operations or agencies. It is not an automatic stop work order. Politicians rally, the media gets in a frenzy, and a hot potato of blame usually gets thrown around. Let's forget about the Poli Sci and opinions for a moment. Here, we're just going to focus on one thing:

As a government contractor, how do you handle shutdowns?

As a contractor, you know there are plenty of business opportunities with the federal government. You also know that Uncle Sam has put in place many socio-economic initiatives. If you're an 8(a) or HUBZone business, you know this all too well. Browsing the news, you may have seen that the government is setting up what's called the "Opportunity Zone Program."

The GSA’s notarized letter policy has left many U.S. government contractors outraged and without pay. In just a few months, it managed to hinder an entire industry. On June 11, 2018, they announced upcoming changes to this policy, but these changes raise doubts.

Today is May 21, 2018. In 11 days, the Atlantic Hurricane Season will begin, just as it always has, on June 1^st. As you know all too well, last year’s hurricane season was one of the most destructive and active seasons in recent history. Currently, there are many people in Puerto Rico who are still without power.

In March 2018, the General Services Administration began requiring notarized letters from entities registering in SAM.gov. SAM is an acronym that stands for the System for Award Management. Anyone seeking to work as a government contractor or receive federal grants must be registered on this website. The regulation was later extended to existing government contractors wishing to renew their registration or make changes. Although it was a measure to deter fraud, this “solution” has backfired and contractors are the ones paying the price.

On May 3, 2018, the Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island erupted. This occurred several hours after a 5.0-magnitude earthquake. Lava flow has been reported in the Leilani Estates, which is located in the Puna District of the island. Hazardous levels of sulfur dioxide gas have been detected in this area as well. Both of these factors prompted an evacuation order for this community. Many have been forced to gather what they could and abandon their homes on a short notice.

It’s been a confusing couple of days in Washington. The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018 was signed into law days before the 2019 budget was released. The two events seems to contradict each other as spending caps increased on Friday and agency budgets decreased on Tuesday. What exactly was going on here?

In 2017, $170,205,689,253.41 was spent by the government on contracts which only received one bid. Only one business submitted the bid for the contract and it was granted to them.
There are a few factors on why it could have been a one-bid contract:

The Weber Basin Job Corps Gymnasium needs a new protective coating on its roof in order for the facility to continue providing effective services to the Utah community. True to the Job Corps mission of expanding economic and social opportunities, especially for minorities and the poor, a small-disenfranchised roofing business will be given preference in the solicitation process. Businesses must submit a bid that meets all requirements by February 2, 2018.

Innovative Small Security Companies up for Consideration

The Department of the Army posted a solicitation for quotations from small businesses capable of installing new conduit and wiring around existing security doors. The contract is reserved for small businesses who are ready to meet the requirement at a National Guard Facility in Duluth, Minnesota. The deadline to respond to this solicitation is December 18, 2017.