(Click on headlines below to read each full story.) News Analysis: OS3 RFP: no small biz set-asides GSA sets ‘strong evaluation factors’ for socioeconomic status The General Services Administration is taking a relatively novel approach to small business participation in its just-issued solicitation for the Office Supplies-3 Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (OS3 FSSI). Obama raises minimum wage for fed’l contractors President Obama announced in his State of the Union speech that he would sign an executive order to raise the minimum wage of federal contract employees to $10.10 per hour. 8(a) grads give mixed reviews Many graduates from the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development program have mixed feelings about the program’s value, according to a new survey. MicroTech CEO is out--temporarily MicroTechnologies LLC can get back to work on federal contracts for now, as long as chief executive Anthony Jimenez gives up day-to-day control for 30 days while a federal investigation continues, the Washington Post reported. Warning bells for GSA Schedules? Two recent developments are contributing to skeptical talk about the future of the General Services Administration’s Multiple-Award Schedules program. Schedules annual sales are about $40 billion. Cybersecurity in acquisitions The Defense Department and General Services Administration issued a joint report to the White House recommending improvements to cybersecurity in information technology procurements. Column: Are you ready for the cybersecurity boom? The government buys a significant amount of information technology (IT) services from the private sector, and this probably will always be true. However, in recent years the government’s overall IT spending has stagnated. IT is still the place to be for many contractors, but understanding the direction of federal IT spending is critical to ensuring you are positioned where the government and technology are headed. Washington Insider: Manufacturing hubs In his State of the Union speech, President Obama urged creation of a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation.... Debt ceiling debate Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has asked Congress to raise the debt ceiling as soon as possible.... IT reform bill Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-CA, and Gerry Connolly, D-VA, introduced a draft bill that aims to reform IT procurement.... STARS II sets records The GSA’s Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resources for Services (STARS) II small business contract hit a record $626 million in sales in fiscal 2013.... Octo Consulting Octo Consulting, an 8(a) firm in McLean, VA, has won two management consulting and architecture-engineering contracts totaling $29 million....