GTSC members were featured in an Op-Ed in the August issue of HS Today magazine. Coalition CEO Kristina Tanasichuk discussed the capabilities of small and mid-sized firms and how their talents and quality work can achieve the homeland security and defense mission effectively and economically.
Click here to read the op-ed.
More info
Register at: http://www.affirm.org/kundra-retirement-reception
Hotel Sofitel
Washington, D.C.
Join ACT-IAC, AFCEA, AFFIRM, PSC and TechAmerica for a special evening and celebration of Vivek Kundra. Appointed as the first-ever Federal CIO in 2009, Kundra is credited with saving three billion in taxpayer dollars through cuts in wasteful spending, moving the government to the cloud, strengthened cybersecurity and enabling a more open, transparent, and participatory government. Later this summer, Kundra will serve as a joint fellow of the Kennedy School at Harvard University and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society.
Cash bar & hors d’oeuvres will be available
Costs
Government Attendees – $20
Industry Attendees – $35
• DHS Acting Deputy Undersecretary, Greg Schaffer, testified in support of an Administration proposal that would require DHS to work with industry to identify the Nation’s core critical infrastructure and to prioritize the most important cyber risks to that infrastructure.
• NIST Director Pat Gallagher stressed how critical it is for small and medium size businesses to ensure that their business related information is secure. Gallagher assured the Senate Committee on Small Business that the needs and requirements of small business would be considered as cybersecurity standards are developed.
• House Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman Michael Michael McCaul at a Hearing: Does the Department Effectively Leverage Emerging Technologies? “A recent DHS IG Audit found that 10 of 17 or 59% of DHS programs reviewed were acquisitions in which commercially off the shelf equipment or existing contracts could have fulfilled the mission requirements.”
• The Senate Homeland Security Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight addressed the SBA’s IG Report that many contract awards are recorded as going to small businesses when they are actually performed by large businesses.
• At the Ad Hoc Subcommittee hearing, Joseph Jordan, Assoc. Administrator ,Office of Govt Contracting and Business Development stated” The Small Business Jobs Act (SBJA ) of 2010 included 19 provisions related to small business contracting. We are in process of implementing these provisions and are excited about impact they will have not only on small businesses, but in also improving contract oversight process.”
July 15, 2011
EAGLE II Offerors:
The purpose of this notice is to provide updated information regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Request for Proposal (RFP) Number HSHQDC-11-R-10001 for the Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions II (EAGLE II) requirement. There has been much interest in this requirement and DHS appreciates the many questions, comments, and responses pertaining to Request for Proposal (RFP) Number HSHQDC-11-R-10001.
EAGLE II will provide the next generation of Information Technology (IT) support service contracts to meet the DHS enterprise-wide needs.
DHS currently anticipates that notifications will be provided to Offerors by the end of the Fiscal Year 2012 First Quarter.
Please submit any further questions regarding this requirement via the EAGLE II electronic mailbox at [email protected].
We appreciate the EAGLE II Offerors interest and patience pertaining to this requirement and evaluation process.
Sincerely,
/S/
Holly Donawa
Contracting Officer
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Live video will not be available until approximately 15 minutes prior to the scheduled hearing start time.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
10:00 AM
Dirksen Senate Office Building, room SD-342
Since 2005, the Inspector General of the Small Business Administration (SBA) has listed as one of the agency’s top management challenges the fact that large firms are obtaining small business contracts and agencies are counting contracts performed by large businesses toward their small business goals. According to the Inspector General, many contract awards recorded as going to small businesses are actually performed by large businesses.
The purpose of the hearing is to examine the ways in which large businesses are obtaining and performing small business contracts. The hearing will also assess the steps taken by the SBA to improve their oversight in this area and the reasons why the SBA and other agencies have failed to implement the Inspector General’s recommendations. The hearing will also examine what legislative and regulatory steps may be necessary to address these issues.
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The Coalition presented at a small business meeting with Khem R. Sharma, Ph.D. Chief, Office of Size Standards, U.S. Small Business Administration today. Dr. Sharma said that for NAICS 54: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, SBA received over 1400 comments after extending the comment period. He envisions a 4 month internal review of the comments then analysis and preparation of the proposed rule, internal clearance and review by the Office of Management and Budget, publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register for comments in the first quarter of 2012. The final rule on the NAICS codes changes by industry changes will appear in the Federal Register in approximately two years. Latest updates on other NIACS code categories are available at: www.sba.gov/size
View SBA’s size standards process here.
You can view comments on published rules at www.regulations.gov
For NAICS 54: Professional, Scientific & Technical (RIN 3245-AG07)
For NAICS 48-49: Transportation and Warehousing (RIN 3245-AG08)
Please take time to submit your comments at www.regulations.gov (Docket #SBA-2009-0008) or submit your comments to the Coalition at [email protected]
GTSC is polling its members and others in the small and medium business community (up to $200 million) on the top 3 challenges they face in working with Federal agencies. Join the survey today by identifying yourself, your company, its size (revenue), your contact information and the three challenges you face. Results will be published in Government Security News Magazine in September. Email your response to: josh at gtscoalition dot com
On Thursday, a bipartisan group of congressmen announced the launch of the Defense Energy Security Caucus, a government group that will focus on educating Congress and the American people on the importance of deploying sustainable and renewable energy solutions in the US military.
Read the article from AOL News.
July 28
10:00 – 11:30 am
With two months left in the fiscal year, it looks like money is growing on trees and the smart companies are reviewing and analyzing what it will take to win in this “firehose” environment. Join us for a Market Outlook review that will take a look at where the opportunities are and discuss some strategies on how to go after them.
Speaker: Kimberly Purlia, Senior Partner, Purlia | Parris
RSVP Today.
ABOUT KIMBERLY
Kimberly Purlia has over 27 years in both Government and Private Sector as a results oriented, solution provider spanning multiple areas of Homeland Security, Preparedness, IT Services, Intelligence Programs & Support, Requirements Management, and Threat & Domain Analysis. Working with the Department of Homeland Security since inception, Ms. Purlia has implemented plans, strategies, and policies involving Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources issues and capabilities, IT Security & Information Assurance, Transportation Security, Customs & Border Protection solutions, and National Operations Center coordination.
She has worked for and supported large and small organizations and currently consults to Small and Large businesses in Strategic Initiatives and specific IT & Consulting opportunities with DHS, FAA, and other Critical Infrastructure partners across the Federal Civilian market. Previously, Ms. Purlia worked multiple projects with General Dynamics as a Program Manager, Solution Architect, and Account Director. She is highly skilled in relationship management, coordinating teams and companies for strategic engagements, and “connecting the dots” between government and industry.
She is a retired Intelligence Officer with the US Navy, and active in several industry and charity organizations including the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council where she sits on the Thought Leadership Committee and Chairs the Information Sharing working group; and the Industry Advisory Council (IAC) where she supports the Small Business Shared Interest Group (SB SIG) and Chairs the Programs committee within the SIG.
Ms. Purlia holds a BA in Criminal Justice from the University of San Diego, CA; and a AA in Music Theory from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA; and has post graduate work in Theories of Law.
