Washington, D.C. – Today Chief Counsel for Advocacy Dr. Winslow Sargeant praised Congress’ repeal of the three percent contractor withholding requirement. The requirement would have required federal, state and local governments to withhold three percent of nearly all payments made to contractors, placing a burden on numerous small businesses. By a vote of 95 to 0, the Senate passed the Government Contractor Withholding Repeal Act. The House has already passed a similar piece of legislation. The Office of Advocacy has consistently worked with small businesses for the elimination of this unfair burden. The Chief Counsel called for its elimination in May of this year.
“The repeal of the three percent withholding requirement is a victory for small business,” said Dr. Sargeant. “For small businesses to thrive in government contracting they need an environment that is clear, transparent and predictable.”
The three percent withholding requirement would have adversely affected the accounts all small businesses that provide services to government entities. Most of the small businesses would have had to increase their debt level in order to ensure sufficient cash flows and thus pass these additional expenses on to their government customers. If small firms were unable to secure additional debt, the three percent withholding requirement might force them out of the Federal contracting market.
The three percent provision was included in the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 in an effort to ensure that individuals and companies that receive new payments from the federal government did not accrue tax debt. The law mandated that federal state and local governments with expenditures of more than $100 million withhold three percent of payments for products and services worth more than $10,000. The requirement was scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2013.
The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. The presidentially appointed Chief Counsel for Advocacy advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Regional advocates and an office in Washington, D.C., support the Chief Counsel’s efforts. For more information, visit http://www.sba.gov/advocacy, or call (202) 205-6533.
When: October 6, 2011
9AM – 4PM
Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC
Registration opens at 8AM
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Don’t miss this powerful one day conference featuring procurement and marketing workshops, an opportunity for you to meet and network with GSA program managers, building managers, leasing specialists, senior procurement associates, as well as small business advocates from DOD and other Federal agencies. Attendees will also be exposed to prime contractors seeking to partner with experienced small businesses to help meet and exceed their company’s Subcontracting Plan goals.
- Date:
- October 6, 2011
Registration opens at 8:00 a.m.
- Location:
- Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Don’t miss the afternoon Prime Introduction and Networking Session!
Access to Success will close out the day by giving small businesses the chance to hear directly from large prime companies looking for small business subcontractors. These large businesses currently have contracts for major projects with the GSA and other Federal agencies. Prime representatives will introduce their firms in the open forum before they break out into individual meeting rooms. Learn about subcontracting opportunities and their vetting process for selecting small business subcontractors. The Prime participants will include: Clark Construction, Verizon, Level 3, General Dynamics and more. Plan to stay all day; great things don’t just happen before lunch!
Additional session descriptions are below:
- “Understanding the Government’s Regulatory and Contracting Processes”
To pursue potential business opportunities, small business must have an understanding of regulatory and contracting processes. Provisions from the Small Business Jobs Act 2010 and Green Gov requirements are reshaping the way the Federal government does business. Major L. Clark III, Assistant Chief Counsel for Procurement Policy in the Office of Advocacy of the SBA will discuss Federal policies that effect small businesses. Hear what your firm should know to effectively pursue work in the Federal marketplace.
- Marketing to the Federal Government – Learn what works from the Buyers
Back by popular demand – Join us for this informative panel session and get the expert advice you need to successfully market and compete for federal government contracts. Learn how to effectively market your GSA Schedule and other contract vehicles from our federal customer agencies acquisition experts, and our own GSA experts.
- Partnering to Win – Break the Plateau
The Federal government’s needs are changing and firms must adapt their capacity and service offerings to be and stay competitive. Learn how forming strategic alliances through teaming, subcontracting, joint venture and mentor protégés relationships can decrease barriers to take your firm to the next level. Hear how partnering can help small businesses maximize complementary skills, resources and capabilities to expand procurement opportunities. The diverse panel will discuss differentiators that can break the plateau and affiliation rules small business need to know.
- Doing Business with GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS)
Are you interested in partnering with GSA to provide Design, Construction, A/E, Security guard, landscape or other facilities maintenance services? If so, this session is a must! This workshop will be lead by one of GSA National Capital Region’s procurement experts from the Acquisition Management Division. PBS divides its Federal customers into Service Delivery Teams who are responsible for executing contracts to build, renovate, and maintain our regional real estate portfolio totaling over 41 million rentable square feet of office space. During FY 2010, NCR’s PBS awarded over $384 Million to small businesses.
- 9 Steps to Success in the Federal Acquisition Service:
Take the lead in becoming one of the most sought-after companies in the region for the Federal Government agencies. Learn how to balance your portfolio of products and services to meet the needs of Federal, State and Local government project managers and program specialists. Learn how to team with other companies that have successfully managed large Government contracts and network with other business owners who want to expand their reach into the Federal marketplace. Be the best “feet on the street” to get the job done.
Lunch with the Experts:
Back by popular demand! This premiere networking opportunity with GSA program managers, contracting officers, and/or small business advocates at each luncheon table will provide access to key players in the acquisition process and current information related to the Federal Government’s procurement process, specific issues about related questions, provide additional guidance that will help your small business get a step closer in securing Federal business.
Washington, D.C. – Fourteen major contracts to transform information technology in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been awarded for an estimated program ceiling of $12 billion. The Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology program, known as T4, will consist of 15 prime contracts, including seven awards reserved for service-disabled Veteran small businesses and Veteran-owned small businesses.
“This five-year program will help VA transform into a 21st century organization and enable us to deliver the high-quality health care, benefits, and services Veterans have earned,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “In addition, it opens an opportunity for Veterans in business to grow and claim a share of VA’s business.”
Calling the program T4, VA awarded 14 prime contracts together as a tool to close gaps in acquiring IT services to integrate systems, networks and software. A fifteenth contract is pending resolution of a protest filed with the Government Accountability Office. The companies selected will have a fair opportunity to compete for work under T4 over five years. Their services and products may cover the life cycle of a computer system, and include program planning and management, systems and software engineering, cyber security, operation and maintenance, and support to facilities.
One of VA’s main goals is to provide timely access to benefits and high-quality health care to Veterans over their lifetimes, from the day they enter military service until the day they are laid to rest. T4 will be a major tool enabling VA to meet those goals by closing gaps in transforming programs.
The combined contracts will allow the most efficient use of technology to reduce the backlog of benefit claims and delivers real value to America’s taxpayers.
The T4 program will be a single focal point for managing the multiple contracts; give VA access to the best industry capabilities without the traditional long acquisition lead time; and help the department meet its Veteran small-business goals.
Unsuccessful competitors will be notified once the fifteenth, final award is made. They will be given the opportunity to receive a debriefing about their respective proposals and learn how they might improve their future submissions.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting this event on August 15-18th, 2011, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana being assisted by Halfaker and Associates LLC. The largest nationwide conference of its kind, the National Veteran Small Business Conference provides Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs and SDVOSBs) an opportunity to learn, network and market their businesses.
For more information, go to their website: http://www.nationalveteransconference.com/
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