Every 5 years, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Association makes changes to NAICS codes to reflect the North American economy. This year, the newest NAICS Codes have been released. While a lot of the codes remained the same, several NAICS codes have been reassigned, consolidated, or expanded. For example, NAICS Code 511210—Software Publishers, has been changed to 513210. This is one of the top 5 NAICS Codes of FY 2022, so it may impact a significant number of our clients. We suggest you review the 2022-2017 NAICS Code Concordance Document on NAICS.com to see if your primary NAICS Code has been affected. To learn more about this change and what to do if your NAICS Code has been changed, check out our blog.
Couldn't make it to last month's webinar? Watch it here on demand. In this webinar, we’ll cover what you need to know about certifying and finding contracting opportunities for your Veteran-Owned or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business.
GSA recently added two Special Item Numbers (SINs) and revised one existing SIN under the Multiple Award Schedules’ Professional Services Category. In this session, GSA will cover new SINs under Financial and Technical and Engineering Services subcategories and explore the changes under the Environmental Services Subcategory. Sign-up here.
This session will provide a comprehensive overview of how to prepare and submit an offer under the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. It will cover components of the Solicitation (proposal instructions) along with the various certifications and registrations which are needed by prospective contractors when submitting a MAS offer. Be sure to register here.
GSA wants to make sure you stay updated on the latest, proposed changes in the federal marketplace. These latest policies may significantly impact doing business with the federal government. The following topics will be discussed: cybersecurity supply chain risk management and climate. Register today here.
CRITICAL INFORMATION
Updates to the Purchase Order (PO) Portal
With the holiday season coming around, we are all guilty of ordering something and then constantly tracking the package for a delivery date. As anxious as we are to make sure our presents are delivered on time, your GSA buyers are also anxious to receive their orders from you. To help ease the stress, GSA has created a feature in the GSA Advantage! PO portal that allows you to input an estimated delivery date for backorders. When you put an order in backorders, you can enter the estimated new delivery date to the right.
GSA Advantage! also has some other changes to expect this December:
GSA is changing the minimum combined shipped/backordered score from 50% to 60%. To avoid suspension from Advantage and eBuy, contractors with 8 or more orders for that scoring period, must ensure that they have updated their shipping status. Contractors who have already submitted corrective action plans and are actively working on it are temporarily excluded from suspension. The minimum acceptable score will be raised in 2023, so now is the time to raise your score.
GSA will add Order Cancellations and On-Time Delivery stats to your scores.
QUICK TIP
Navigating SAM.gov Updates
Over the past year, SAM has undergone a surprising amount of changes. Don’t worry, we've been paying close to it all so we can to make sure you know what to expect. Here’s a brief overview:
Transition from DUNS to UEI
SAM.gov has said goodbye to the DUNS number and said hello to the Unique Entity Identifier, or UEI. The process was carried out automatically for all SAM.gov registrations, so, if you don't know yours, all you have to do is check your registration. That being said, your documents that include the DUNS number will need to be updated accordingly.
Entity Validation
Because the UEI is now being distributed by SAM.gov, a new entity validation program was put in place. The next time you log-in to SAM.gov, you may have to validate your entity to prove your information is up to date.
Entity Administrator
Previously, SAM used to allow third-party individuals to become entity administrators, but SAM has chosen to up these restrictions, reassigning these individuals to the "data entry" position. This change won't allow you to grant or assign roles for the entity, but you can still create and manage entity registrations.
Changes to "Followed Records"
You may notice a few changes when tracking an item or entity on SAM.gov. They now provide more prominent displays for important information such as title, type, "active" or "inactive" record indicators, sort and filter options, and more.
For more information on recent changes made to SAM.gov, check out our blog.
OUR CLIENTS SAY
EMERGING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Repair and Modification of Computers and/or Digital Systems
The Department of the Navy has issued a pre-solicitation for IT and Telecommunications Services for Computer Servers (Hardware and Perpetual License Software) This opportunity is listed under Product Service Code 722. Responses are due no later than January 2, 2022, at 11 p.m. EST. More information can be found under Notice ID N0038323QTL33.
National Defense Research and Development Services, Military Research
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a pre-solicitation for a single IDIQ contract for Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences for basic defense research. This opportunity is listed under primary NAICS Code 541715 – R&D. Responses are due by January 23, 2022, at 4 p.m. EST. More information can be found under Notice ID HR001123S0016.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is a Request for Information (RFI)?
A: The main purpose of an RFI is to provide market research for forecasted
requirements. RFIs are released early in the acquisition process to gather information based on an agency’s need. It helps the government strategize and identify the market’s potential vendors based on capabilities. By gathering information from RFIs responses, the government agency will be able to determine what requirements to include in a formal Request for Proposal (RFP).
Q: How Do You Find RFI Opportunities?
A:You can start with SAM.gov to search for upcoming government
opportunities. In addition, there are multiple opportunities to network with an agency (attend tradeshows, agency events, pre-bid conferences), consider joining a government bid notification service, or work with the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTACs) for help in public sector marketplaces.
Q: What Does an RFI Consist of?
A: RFIs come in different lengths with varying content, but 5 sections that
make the framework of an RFI stay consistent:
Project description – introduction and purpose of RFI
Company information – brief Introduction/About your company
Vendor requirements – Scope of Work (SOW)/Statement of Need
Submission instructions – adhere to or be eliminated
Requested information – make sure you provide the information requested
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Winvale, 3951 Westerre Parkway, Suite 250, Richmond, VA 23233, United States, (202) 296-5505
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