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 …

Construction spending in Alaska will be an estimated $8.5 billion in 2015, down about 3 percent from spending in 2014. That’s according to the 2015 construction-spending forecast by Scott Goldsmith and Pamela Cravez of ISER. That forecast is done annually …

As a step toward category management, the U.S. government is focusing on 10 “super categories” that cost agencies $277 billion in fiscal 2013, about two-thirds of total federal spending on goods and services, Anne Rung, administrator, Office of Federal Procurement …

With little fanfare, Congress just passed legislation eliminating the ability of WOSBs to self-certify for purposes of WOSB set-aside contracts. The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act rewrites the portion of the Small Business Act governing WOSB set-asides, deleting what I …

The Small Business Administration proposed several changes to its regulations on Dec. 29 to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2013.  The changes apply to limitations on subcontacting and joint ventures, among other programs. The subcontracting …

The Contracting Education Academy’s popular GSA Schedule Proposal Preparation Workshop will be conducted in the Seattle, Washington area on Feb. 17 and 18, 2015.  Georgia Tech’s hands-on workshop helps businesses prepare – in as little as two days – a …

After nearly a year of planning, GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service is ready to begin consolidating its Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) process.  MAS awards are indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery contracts linked to Federal Supply Schedules (more commonly known as General Schedules). …

A newly released report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) identifies the most critical risks facing the SBA, including several items related to government procurement. The report includes an overview of …

By Jeff Cuskey, Monterey Bay Procurement Technical Assistance Center Read your solicitation carefully and don’t assume that your SAM registration is enough Many Small Businesses complete their required Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Representations …