Gudger on SBIRs

Andre Gudger, director of the Office of Small Business Programs at the Defense Department, believes small vendors provide great value and expertise to DOD because they are “nimble,” “innovative,” “resilient” and “smart” about keeping costs down.

Gudger recently announced that DOD had met the government’s 23% goal for small business contracts for the first time (See Set-Aside Alert issue of Oct. 24, 2014).

For future growth, Gudger said he’s looking to the Small Business innovation Research (SBIR) program, in which 20% of awards go to newcomers.

“Long-term reauthorization of some of those programs is something I would like to see from Congress,” Gudger said. “It would provide some certainty for initiatives like the [SBA’s] mentor-protege initiative and SBIR, which are both up for reauthorization,” he said.

More information: http://goo.gl/xzyx6MGS

Acquisition Gateway

The General Services Administration has launched its new Acquisition Gateway in beta version and also has released a video and created a website explaining the initiative.

The gateway, also known as the Common Acquisition Platform, assists federal contracting officers in comparing prices and accessing best practices. The initiatives fall under the GSA’s category management strategy, which involves “hallways” of products and services.

The common platform currently has three hallways — technology hardware, technology software and office supplies and administrative support.

GSA expects to add professional services next, and hopes to have 17 hallways by mid-2015 and 24 hallways within three years, Federal Times reported.

No deadline has been set for completion of the common platform, Fedscoop reported.

More information: GSA Acquisition Gateway website http://goo.gl/OQe4i3
Federal Times article: http://goo.gl/pE5xF6
FedScoop article: http://goo.gl/7WiHwW

New FAS deputy

Kevin Youel Page is the new deputy commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, Federal News Radio reported.

He replaces Bill Sisk, who is now the permanent assistant commissioner for the Office of Travel, Motor Vehicle and Card Services.

More information: Federal News Radio report http://goo.gl/4EuHwS

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