Government Contracting Newsletter
February 2016
PTAC Sponsors Workshops
Registration is Open
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA) Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is sponsoring an Office of Economic Adjustment/Defense Transition Partnership funded workshop with The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and the Pocono Mountains Economic Development Corporation in March 2016. The workshop topic is: "Why Selling to the Private Sector is Very Different Than Selling to the Government".

The government differs from the private sector in numerous ways. Tax dollars fund the government in supporting contracts while private sector contracts are usually privately funded by an individual or business. The risks are different as well, so one must be able to accurately and confidently market and execute strategic game plans. This workshop will explain the various differences between the two and how to efficiently navigate the private sector marketplace.

We have invited back Ms. Gloria Larkin, President of TargetGov, to run the workshop. Ms. Larkin is a nationally-recognized government contracting, marketing, and business development subject matter expert. She has been interviewed on MSNBC, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, INC Magazine, Entrepreneur Start-ups Magazine, and Government Executive Magazine.
 
The workshop will benefit contractors currently doing business in the federal marketplace who need to diversify and sell to the private sector. It is ideal for business owners, marketing and sales teams, and business development executives.

Workshop topics include Fiscal or Calendar Year End
Budgeting Timeline; Market Research, Business and Financial Plan; Decision Makers Identified; Being Prepared, Patient, and Persistent; Address Capacity; Mitigating Risk; Contracts with Different Roles and Concerns; Networking - Pre-Bid Meetings; and
Capability Statements, Past Performance, and Differentiators.


March 21, 2016

Greater Scranton
Chamber of Commerce

222 Mulberry Street
Scranton, PA 18501

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
 

Register Now



March 22, 2016

East Stroudsburg University Innovation Center
562 Independence Road

East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
8:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Register Now


If you have any questions on the above workshops, please do not hesitate to contact Frank Migneco at 570-655-5581 or 866-758-1929.
SBA Revises Employee-Based Size Standards
Size Does Matter
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published two final rules to revise small business size standards for manufacturing industries in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector 31-33 and industries with employee-based size standards not a part of NAICS Sector 31-33, Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade), and Sector 44-45 (Retail Trade). The final rules were published in the Federal Register on January 25th, and will be effective February 26, 2016.

As part of its comprehensive size standards review required by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, SBA evaluated employee-based size standards for all 364 industries in NAICS Sector 31-33, and 57 industries and five exceptions that are not in NAICS Sectors 31-33, 42, or 44-45 to determine whether they should be retained or revised.

In the first final rule, SBA increased size standards for 209 industries in Sector 31-33.  SBA also increased the refining capacity component of the Petroleum Refiners (NAICS 324110) size standard to 200,000 barrels per calendar day total capacity for businesses that are primarily engaged in petroleum refining. 

In the second final rule, SBA increased the employee-based size standards for 30 industries and three exceptions and decreased them for three industries that are not in Sectors 31-33, 42, or 44- 45.

Additionally, in the second rule, SBA amended Footnote 18 to SBA's table of size standards by adding the requirement that the supply (i.e., computer hardware and software) component of small business set-aside Information Technology Value Added Resellers (ITVAR) contracts must comply with the nonmanufacturing performance requirements or non-manufacturer rule.  In the proposed rule, the SBA sought comments on eliminating the ITVAR exception under NAICS 541519 (Other Computer Related Services) together with its 150-employee size standard.  In the final rule, SBA maintained ITVAR exception under NAICS 541519 with the 150-employee size standard.
 
The new size standards will enable nearly 1,650 more businesses in those industries to obtain or retain small business status; will give federal agencies a larger pool of small businesses from which to choose for their procurement programs; and will make more small businesses eligible for SBAs loan programs.

When reviewing size standards, SBA takes into account the structural characteristics of individual industries, including average firm size, startup cost and entry barriers, the degree of competition, and small business share of federal government contracting dollars.  This ensures that small business size definitions reflect current economic conditions and federal marketplace in those industries.  Public comments on the proposed rules are also important to this process.  The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 requires SBA to review all size standards at least every five years. 

For more information on SBA's revisions to its small business size standards for various industry sectors and a white paper entitled, "Size Standards Methodology," explaining how SBA establishes, reviews, or modifies its receipts-based and employee-based small business size standards can be found on SBA's Web site at http://www.sba.gov/size.
   
Source: Small Business Administration News Release 1/28/2016
Business Finance News
NEPA Alliance Waives Fees for Small Business Loans
In order to help businesses retain or expand employment, meet market opportunities and attract additional investment, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA) has announced the waiver of fees for the ten state and federal loan programs it administers.

Also, businesses in Lackawanna County may take advantage of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Loan Fee Waiver Program announced by the County Commissioners.  The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance Business Finance Corporation (NEPA BFC) is authorized by the SBA to deliver the 504 Loan Program.

"The fee waiver, along with a low interest rate, provides a unique opportunity for businesses to expand in this challenging economic environment," said Paul Macknosky, Business Finance Manager with NEPA.

To learn more about these loan programs contact David Nat or Paul Macknosky at 570-655-5581 or 866-758-1929.
EEOC to Require Employers with 100+Employees to Disclose Pay Data
Comment Period to Close on April 1, 2016
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) proposes a revision to an employer form to include collecting pay data from employers. The current Employer Information Report (EEO-1) collects data about employees' ethnicity, race, and sex, by job category for employers with 100 or more employees, or federal contractors with 50 or more employees and a federal contract of $50,000 or more.  Starting in 2017, filers with 100 or more employees (both private industry and federal contractor) would submit new data on employees' aggregate W-2 earnings and hours worked.  In this notice, the EEOC solicits public comment on the utility and burden of collecting pay and hours-worked data through the EEO-1 data collection process.

Comments are due to the EEOC by April 1, 2016. 
Read and Comment to this form change on Regulations.gov. Proposed Form Name is "EEO-1."

Advocacy Contact: Janis Reyes or call 202-205-6533.
 
Source: Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy February 9, 2016 News Update
Upcoming Procurements
ThePA E Marketplace following is a list of upcoming PA e-Marketplace procurements available from various Commonwealth Agencies. Many of these solicitations may not yet be advertised. Refer to the Solicitations section for those that are available for response. You can access the Solicitations by the Project Title's hyperlink shown below:

ID Number: 110822 - Agency: Corrections - Project Title: Corrections Pharmaceutical Services
ID Number: 110764 - Agency: Transportation - Project Title: Resilient Modulus
ID Number: 110766 - Agency: Military & VA- Project Title: SWVC Medical Services
ID Number: 110801- Agency: Agriculture - Project Title: Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System
ID Number: 110672- Agency: General Services - Project Title: Small Package Delivery
ID Number: 110794- Agency: Agriculture: Food Distribution Services

Source: PA eMarketplace website
PTAC Factoid
"Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) are twice as likely to start a business as are millennials (born 1981-1997)."

Source: University of Missouri website
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