WIPP promoting IT GWAC for women-owned
The influential Women Impacting Public Policy organization has set a goal of achieving an information-technology focused Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) that is reserved exclusively for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs).
“Due to the continued popularity of these (GWAC) contracts and the increasing number of women-owned businesses selling IT to the federal government, GSA should create a WOSB GWAC,” the group states on its website.
Read more at: WIPP Policy Priorities: https://bit.ly/2M2atao
Energy Dept.: $31M available for SBIR/STTR
The Energy Dept. on Aug. 20 published its first Funding Opportunity Announcement for fiscal 2019 making available $31 million in grants for Phase 1 Release 1 of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Tech Transfer (STTR) programs.
Phase I grants span 6-12 months with awards of $150,000 or $225,000.
Phase 1 eligible research topics include nanotechnology, advanced membranes, software for simulations, and advanced materials.
Read more at:
DoE Funding Announcement: https://bit.ly/2w9syOH
DoE Topics: https://bit.ly/2MKaC7i
Conviction and jail time for SDVOSB scheme
Former owners of the Patriot Co. construction firm in Kansas City, MO pleaded guilty for their “rent-a-vet” fraud scheme in which they won $14 million in VA and Army contracts, DOJ reported.
Jeffrey K. Wilson, 53, pleaded guilty to fraud and could serve up to 18 months in federal prison. Paul Salavitch, a service-disabled veteran, pleaded guilty to falsely certifying that he ran Patriot Co.. In reality, he was working full-time for DOD. Salavitch could get up to a year in federal prison.
Read more at: US Attorney release: https://bit.ly/2MPK3xT
Missing NAICS codes
A group representing veteran-owned small businesses is urging its members to check to make sure their NAICS codes in the Veterans Affairs Dept.’s VetBiz profiles are still visible.
“Some NAICS codes on VetBiz profiles have been removed from public (or contracting officer) view. Even if a company properly added its NAICS codes, and even checked them recently in anticipation of responding to a solicitation, it might now search for itself in the VetBiz database and find no NAICS codes listed,” stated a report in the August 2018 newsletter of the National Veteran Small Business Coalition.
The report said the problem may be the result of imperfect data sharing with the SAM.gov database, and it is not known how many profiles have been affected.
The problem potentially could lead to a disqualification or a missed opportunity for an affected vendor.
VA officials were not immediately available.