Summary: We applaud new legislation that’s helping startups scale up production in the United States. The story of American manufacturing is one of grit and resilience. But it’s also the result of investments across the public and private sectors in …

President Obama has drafted an President Obama has drafted an Executive Order (E.O.) that would force any company that contracts with the federal government to issue paid leave to employees who are sick, are seeking medical attention or need to …

The number of federal agency Sources Sought Notices for small businesses appears to have increased dramatically in recent years. Sources Sought notices for small businesses referenced on the Federal Business Opportunities website FBO.gov rose to 2,610 in fiscal 2014, more …

Federal contractors are getting ready for the fourth-quarter spending spree, a new tradition in government acquisition which has seen significant spikes in contracting in the last quarter of the year. Ten years ago, agencies tended to spend most of their budgets in …

The DOT&PF has recently added a Plan Holders Self-Registration List (PHSRL) for RFP projects on the ADOT&PF Procurement and Contracting page.  This new PHSRL allows all firms including DBEs to register as interested in participating on an RFP. A guide that …

Like most small business owners who don’t think of July as an important tax time, you may not be thinking about taxes right now, but you should be. Here are four things to do now to help achieve a good …

The Alaska Product Preference (APP), AS 36.30.332 and 3AAC 92.010 is one of the State of Alaska preferences applied to in-state bids on State contracts, or proposals in response to a request for proposal. Under the State’s procurement code,the Alaska …

Here are factors you can expect local authorities to evaluate when considering eligibility for award, as excerpted from a current Invitation To Bid (ITB): The City intends to award a contract to the responsible and responsive bidder submitting the lowest …

If you are a woman who owns a small business and have been thinking about certification for the federal Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set-aside program, now is the time to take action. Proposed changes by the federal Small Business Administration …

Recently the Federal Service Desk (FSD) has been receiving claims from the public that CFDA agents have contacted them claiming that in order for the recipient to claim federal grant money they must first send the CFDA agent personal information …

For the first time, the White House’s online Small Business Dashboard dynamic database is showing that a record 25% of eligible U.S. government contracts were awarded to small businesses in a fiscal year.       That amount surpasses the government’s 23% goal, …

The Alaska PTAC office has moved to a new location at 1901 Bragaw, Suite 199​.  The move was spurred by the formation of the new UAA Business Enterprise Institute (BEI).  The BEI brings together a foundation of programs that have …

Join the AGC Associates Council on Saturday, April 25, 2015 for a 5 hour train ride North towards Talkeetna (if we can go South, we will). The Train Leaves Anchorage Promptly at 12:00 pm (Boarding starts at 11:30 am) AGC will …

  The State’s procurement and accounting processes are being transitioned from a paper-based system to a web-based system known as IRIS (Integrated Resource Information System).  Any firm doing business with the State of Alaska needs to enroll in this new system to respond …

Interested in contracting with the State of Alaska?  You need to know about IRIS! On June 1, 2015, the State will launch a new vendor self service web site called IRIS, the Integrated Resource Information System.  IRIS moves the State’s …

The recently-enacted National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 (NDAA-15) includes two important changes for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs).  First, the Act authorizes certain sole source awards to WOSBs, ending a long effort to bring the WOSB program …

A recent survey commissioned by the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation reveals businesses have less confidence in the area’s economy than in previous years.  In general, business confidence is down to levels reported in 2010, with fewer than 37% of businesses …

The Anchorage Economic Development Corporation recently released its 2015 economic forecast for the Anchorage area, revealing expectations for limited growth and a flattened economy.  The projections are based on anticipated job losses in both the public and private sectors.  The …

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is proposing several changes to the rules governing the joint venturing process for set-aside contracts.  One of the proposed changes creates a “universal” mentor-protégé program that would be available to all small businesses, improving the …

SBA Guest Blogger Barbara Weltman has an excellent article for those concerned they may have made errors in their quarterly tax submissions.  The article asserts there is no need to panic, simply verify and fix the errors as soon as discovered in …