Congress passed a new budget deal last week that, while it does not actually appropriate more money yet, does solve many other problems. Here are three reasons you should care:
1. More Money: The budget deal provides $32 billion more in discretionary spending than was available in FY’15. Specific opportunities include over $400M for Social Security IT and consulting opportunities at the Department of Energy.
2. No Sequestration – For Now: The budget deal removes sequestration spending caps for FY’16 and ’17. This means agencies and their contractors will be able to do some planning and have a reasonable business cycle, just as soon as Congress passes appropriations measures in December.
3. No Debt Ceiling Hassle: Congress also increased the federal debt ceiling as part of the budget deal. This means that your customer won’t be in a state of uncertainty coming into November, meaning more business can get done. Companies that need to borrow money will also see better rates than if the debt ceiling hadn’t been raised. All of this is positive, but keep in mind that the government is still operating under a CR until December 11th. Congress must appropriate money before that time to avoid a shut-down. It wouldn’t be Halloween without something scary!
Let’s stipulate right up front that Allen Federal supports innovation in the federal market. Whether it’s improving IT solutions or how the government actually buys services and products, innovative solutions that improve over the status quo are a good thing. Recently, a group of federal leaders spoke out in favor of innovation as well. So, no problem, right? Unfortunately, innovation “talk” doesn’t always match innovation “walk” and government contractors must understand the difference if they’re going to be successful. Read more
New reader RG III of Landover, MD writes: “Since I have a lot of time on my hands these days, my buddies and I applied for a GSA Schedule. We’re down to the wire with our Final Proposal Revision. I just found out, though, that my friends have been selling to someone new we never told GSA about. Is this a problem?” It could be a giant problem if you don’t tell GSA about this practice before you Read more
Allen Federal knows! If you can’t remember the last time your contract terms were reviewed, your GSA Schedule Price Reductions Clause examined, or your compliance programs checked, you could be in for a gruesome “treat”. The Inspector General can’t be paid in Reeses, not even full-sized ones. Let Allen Federal keep the ghosts and demons away. Know the tricks of contract compliance and all you’ll have to carve up this season will be the family pumpkin. Don’t wait till the compliance clock strikes midnight! Contact Lamont Cranston today at info@allenfederal.com
Consider these three facts learned last week:
1. At least 100,000 companies, mostly small firms, have left the ranks of government contractors over the past year according to data gathered by the House Small Business Committee.
2. Small companies that have stayed end up getting larger contracts.
3. Over 80% of service business goes to approximately 150 companies. These statistics make it abundantly clear that a company must know how to run the traps of government contracting in order to be successful. Few, if any, companies can just walk into the market and do well. Read more