GSA offers update on Marketplace Strategy

      The GSA published its Federal Marketplace (FMP) Strategy Summer 2021 Release updating its plans for improving the federal marketplace for buyers and sellers.

      Items affecting vendors included:

• A description of a six-step series of interactions as a supplier;
• An announcement that the Verified Products Portal will be integrated with GSA Advantage! in the coming months;
• An announcement that supplier plans for Phase 3 of MAS Consolidation, which affects suppliers with multiple contracts, are due by Sept. 30; and
• An announcement that 80 contracts are in a pilot project being migrated to CALM, the GSA’s new enterprise contract-writing system.

Read more:
GSA Strategy Release: https://bit.ly/3l6ywtJ

SBA makes corrections to mentor-protege rule

      The SBA published an amendment in the Federal Register on July 22 to make “technical corrections” to last year’s final rule regarding the merger of the All Small Mentor-Protege Program and the 8(a) Business Development Mentor-Protege program.

      The corrections became effective on July 22. This is the fourth set of corrections to the final rule of Oct. 16, 2020.

      The new amendment states that SBA in its final rule “inadvertently removed” section 121.404(a)(1)(iv) of the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, which contains provisions addressing when the size of a concern is determined for multiple-award contracts for which offerors are not required to submit price as part of the offer.

      “SBA did not intend to delete that provision,” the new amendment states. “This document adds back in section 121.404(a)(1)(iv) as it appeared in SBA's regulations prior to the final rule.”

      The amendment makes several other changes as well.

Read more at:
Correcting amendment: https://bit.ly/3i7nzGn

Inside this edition:

CIO-SP4 amendments coming fast & making vendors furious

Time running out for PPP forgiveness

8(a) awards hit high in FY 2019 after 9 years of sluggish growth

Vaccination orders likely

OASIS 8(a) contracts now in eBuy

Supply chain advice to DOD

DOL rule on minimum wage

DOD final rule on services contract data

Column: Observations on Recent Trends in Small Business Federal Contracting

Washington Insider:

Coronavirus Update