October is finally here and while it’s time to ring in the government new year, don't start celebrating too quickly. October is a sales reporting and subcontract reporting month for GSA Schedule holders. Though sales reporting is technically due 30 days after the reporting period (10/30), the 30th of October falls on a Sunday, so we recommend submitting sales on Friday, October 28th. If you report sales and pay the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) quarterly, you will need to report all GSA sales between the dates of July 1st 2022 – September 30th. If your contract is subject to Transaction Data Reporting (TDR), you will only report your September sales.
Subcontracting reporting is also due, but it has been extended until November 9th. It’s important to note – subcontracting reporting ONLY applies to "Other Than Small Businesses." Your reporting for subcontracting should be based off your subcontracting plan that has been approved by GSA. If you have a Commercial Plan, you must submit your Summary Subcontracting Report (SSR) for the period of October 1st, 2021 through September 30th, 2022. Contractors who have an Individual Subcontracting plan will need to submit their Individual Subcontracting Report (ISR) for the period of April 1st, 2022 – September 30th, 2022, as well as an SSR for the period of October 1st 2021 – September 30, 2022. If you want to learn more about reporting, you can check out our blogs on subcontracting and sales reporting.
Couldn't make it to last month's webinar? Watch it here on demand. In this webinar, we'll cover the scope of the HACS SIN, the requirements for adding it to your GSA Schedule, and the current market for the HACS SIN.
This live, interactive webinar training on Multiple Award Schedule (MAS)-IT Pre Award / Offer Preparation is focused on MAS pre-award and offer preparation is hosted by a GSA acquisition professional that will review key elements of the eOffer process for attaining a MAS contract. Register for the event here.
Want to learn more about Requests for Information (RFIs) and how they can be a useful tool for your business? Register now for this monthly webinar to stay informed and hear directly from GSA experts! Be sure to register here.
This webinar is open to all small businesses looking for additional information and guidance on GSA contracting opportunities. This includes an overview of GSA Multiple Award Schedule contracts, GSA Public Buildings Service opportunities, the Forecast of Contracting Opportunities, the Small Business Administration’s Subcontracting Network (SubNet), Section 889 guidance, and more. Register here.
In November 2022, the DoD announced CMMC 2.0, further creating confusion with Department of Defense (DoD) contractors on whether the rule will ever be finalized, what will the rule look like, and what they should be doing to comply with rules.
The Cyber Accreditation Board (AB) has indicated the rulemaking process is now complete and under review. Additionally, Organizations Seeking Certifications (OSCs) are beginning to go through the Voluntary Assessment process. So, does this mean we are getting closer to the rules being finalized and included in contracts?
During this webinar, join Keiter as they discuss:
The latest from the DoD, Cyber AB, and others in the CMMC ecosystem
The draft CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) document and what it means to OSCs
Gleanings from the Voluntary Assessments that began in August 2022
Important issues that contractors need to be considering that could cause non-compliance with CMMC
The Department of Defense Has Issued a Deviation Due to UEI Transition Delays
The Department of Defense (DoD) has been forced by the severe delays from the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) transition on SAM.gov to temporarily shift priorities. Through October 31, 2022, the DoD will temporarily allow contractors without a UEI to do business with them. For the duration of this reprioritization, the DoD will require Contracting Officers to prove that the SAM registration process has been initiated or the contractor has at least attempted to register. For the time being, offerors are not required to be actively registered on SAM until 30 days after the award or the date of its first invoice. You can learn more about this policy here.
QUICK TIP
Marketing Tips to Start FY 2023 Off Strong
Now that Q4 of Fiscal Year 2022 is over, you can relax—a bit. But as you reflect on last year and start to gear up for FY 2023, we strongly suggest you start to get your marketing plan in place. Maybe your plan worked for you last year, or you need to make some changes. Here are 3 tips to consider as you start the New Year:
Update and Heighten Your Web Presence: Is your company getting ready to update or roll out new solutions? How long has it been since you updated your government page on your website? These changes can take time, so start thinking about how you can modernize your website and market any new offerings to government agencies.
Research Your Competitors’ Performance: Now is the time to reflect. What kinds of contracts did your competitors win/did they win an award you also bid on? Have they changed their pricing? If your competitors had any sort of edge on you last year, you'll want to work on how you can get ahead of them in your FY2023 marketing plan.
Pay Attention to Agency Budgets: The FY2023 budget has already been released. One of the most important things to do when planning for next year is to see what industries/agencies are receiving the most funding, and what the trends are for next year. Government policy drives these decisions, so staying on top of current events will help too.
If you want more tips on marketing your GSA Schedule, check out our blog.
EMERGING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Security Systems Assessments (IT)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a subsidiary of the Department of Transportation, is conducting a market survey to secure sources to perform one of its periodic reviews of its information systems. Through this process, the FAA intends to secure a baseline and continuously monitor its systems to gain a stronger understanding of the security posture of the enterprise, and to validate the security controls currently in place to protect information systems. Responses are due no later than November 1, 2022, at 5 p.m. EST. More information can be found under Notice ID: C3_Security-Systems.
Request for Information for Commercial Solution for Logistics Program
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has published a Request for Information (RFI) in search of an industry partner capable of providing global logistical support for materials and personnel. The DTRA would like for this partner to have relative experience in shipping and receiving, import and export, storage, handling, and general knowledge for the movement of ambient, hazardous, and temperature-controlled shipments. Likewise, the DTRA would like for this partner to have the availability to provide transport and logistical support for the movement of staff members, delegations, and support personnel including door-to-door ground movement, accommodations, etc. Responses are due no later than December 19, 2022, at 5 p.m. EST. More information can be found under Notice ID: RFI-HDTRA1-21-R-0022.
Request for Information - Energy Related
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has published a Request for Information (RFI) to determine the feasibility of contracting for various energy technologies for the purpose of providing resilience solutions to the Air Force within its Office of Energy Assurance (OEA). The OEA’s intent is to determine the viability of partnering with commercial entities that would provide the technical and economic data points necessary to fulfill the three strategic goals of the Air Force Energy Flight Plan 2016-2036: (1) improve resiliency, (2) optimize demand and (3) assure supply. Responses are due no later than December 31, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST. More information can be found under Notice ID: W912DY-19-U-OEA1.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: What is an Economic Price Adjustment (EPA)?
A: An EPA is a modification to your GSA MAS contract to increase the price of a product or service on your GSA Schedule. There are three EPA clauses that your company can select depending if you want to escalate your prices based on an annual fixed rate, market indicators, or by matching increases in your commercial rate. Contractors may request an EPA to be effective on or after the first 12 months of the contract period. Your company can only request three increases during each 12-month period of the contract. Depending on your awarded EPA clause, your company may only be permitted to request three increases during each 12-month period of the contract. Additionally, depending on which large category your GSA Schedule is under, there may also be limitation (cap) on the percentage for those price increases.
Q: How does the temporary EPA policy moratorium affect my contract?
A: Due to global supply chain disruption and increased inflation, GSA has extended the temporary moratorium on the limitations for EPA clauses until March 31, 2023. The moratorium relaxes the limit to three EPA increases during a year period. If the price increases your company offers are above the ceiling for the Large Categories on your contract, there is greater flexibility to have the increase approved. These requests can also be approved by your Contracting Officer, whether above or below the ceiling percentage established in the solicitation.
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