Acquisition

NSF watchdog warns of 'other transaction' pitfalls as funding decisions loom

The National Science Foundation is poised to distribute billions in research and development funding via legislation designed to boost domestic production of computer chips.

Accenture prevails in long fight for Healthcare.gov work

After several rounds of protests, the company will continue to manage the health insurance exchanges that are the Affordable Care Act's centerpiece .

Rights groups push ICE to end contract with LexisNexis

The groups argue that the contractor-supplied data allows the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to obtain information that might ordinarily require a warrant – or be restricted by state and local government with "sanctuary" statutes protecting undocumented Americans.

What's the secret to getting to the cloud? Just do it

On the heels of a new federal cloud report, OPM officials tell The Partnership for Public Service what they learned in adopting cloud services and how to get started.

The great power pivot and the intelligence community

The shift from terrorism to great power competition means changes in tech, acquisition and private-sector partnerships.

GSA contract vehicle looks to solve the 'valley of death' problem

The General Services Administration has dubbed the potential vehicle RIO and has formed an acquisition team to continue its market research.

CISA teases industry day for operational strategy support

The cybersecurity agency is planning to field a multiple award schedule contract for consultant services to help shape its operational strategy.

Small business participation in federal marketplace continues decline despite $159 billion in awards

The number of small businesses that received federal contracts in fiscal year 2022 was less than half the number that received contracts in 2012, according to a new report. 

OIG finds oversight issues with GSA's performance-based contracts

GSA contracting personnel produced performance reports that were "often incomplete or not available at all," according to a new inspector general's audit. 

Software industry group offers FedRAMP wishlist to OMB, GSA

The recently-passed FedRAMP Authorization Act should be a starting point for the government to remake the certification program in a way that lowers the barrier of entry for cloud solutions, the Alliance for Digital Innovation said in a new letter to OMB and GSA.

Industry voices complaints over short response window for $60B VA recompete

Contractors had only four business days to weigh in on the draft solicitation for the next version of the Veterans Affairs Department's T4NG IT solutions vehicle.

R&D funding vehicle could supercharge small biz innovation programs

The General Services Administration's Office of Assisted Acquisition Service is working to bridge the gap between the research and commercialization phases of technology development, while bringing more governmentwide access to the new technologies.

NASA SEWP director echoes concerns over looming deadlines for software providers

Federal agencies have until September to collect self-attestation forms from software providers before deploying their products on government systems – and most people aren’t ready, according to a top acquisition official.

DOD instructs acquisition teams to prioritize small business engagement over best-in-class contracts

The Defense Department is instructing its components to support efforts to expand small business participation in the federal marketplace following the release of its “Small Business Strategy” earlier this month. 

Energy Dept. makes plans to take its HR system to the cloud

DOE says it is looking to become the first federal agency to launch a fully cloud-based human resources system, and possibly become a shared-services provider in the future.

GAO calls on Energy Department to bolster competition for management contracts

The congressional watchdog learned of industry worries about broadly scoped contracts that potentially shut out small- and medium-sized firms.

Lawmakers want GAO to assess risk of government contractors working for China

A bipartisan pair of lawmakers cited national security risks and warned of significant conflicts of interest over private firms working for both the U.S. and Chinese governments.