(Click on headlines below to read each full story.) SBA & partners promoting women-owned small firms Federal contracting for women-owned small firms is getting a major push with a new campaign headed by the Small Business Administration along with two private-sector partners. SBA cuts $8M from Small Business Development Centers The Small Business Administration is offering to cut $8 million from its budget for Small Business Development Centers in fiscal 2014. State Dept. cancels HITSS 2 buys The State Department announced it is canceling the Hybrid Information Technology Services for State 2 (HITSS 2) acquisition vehicle. Defense Dept. updates BBP 2 The top Pentagon acquisition official published a new 29-page guidance memo for implementation of the department’s Better Buying Power 2.0 acquisition improvement initiative. HUD closing field offices The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department announced a major consolidation of its field offices. Turning up the Heat - Getting the most out of FY2013 Unlike the situation a year ago, the second half of the fiscal 2013 contracting year includes the added dilemma resulting from sequestration. The pain and turmoil your small business is facing due to contract cuts or lack of funding is real. Editor’s Note: Austerity or Absurdity? As I attend various procurement-related conferences here in Washington, DC, the talk is often about the unease over sequestration and its impacts. Washington Insider: A softer sequester? With federal agencies implementing furloughs and other reductions as a result of the sequester in recent days, lawmakers in Congress are urging flexibilities and exemptions to soften the impact of sequestration on selective activities.... FY2014: IT cutbacks While the Obama Administration is seeking an increase in overall information technology funding in fiscal 2014, IT development and modernization projects would lose some support.... More personnel changes The Veterans Affairs Department continues to experience major personnel changes, with Deputy Secretary Scott Gould the latest to announce his departure.... Navy’s new FOIA portal The Navy is planning to adopt a shared federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Web portal on Oct. 1.... GSA removes set-asides Small business set-aside designations are being withdrawn from GSA Schedule 541, Advertising and Integrated Marketing Solutions (AIMS)....