Quick Hits

It’s official. The SBA takes over the verification of SDVOSBs/VOSBs from the VA.  

It was announced a few months back that the SDVOSB/VOSB certification process was moving from the VA to the SBA and things are moving along quickly. The VA will stop taking applications for verification or reverification Oct. 24, 2022. The department is reaching out to all Veterans who may be impacted by this action to inform them of VA’s Oct. 24th application deadline. Until then, Veterans can continue to apply for verification at VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.
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Grifters steal more than $45B in unemployment benefits during pandemic, watchdog says.

A Labor Department watchdog is reporting that fraudsters stole more than $45B from the government during the COVID-19 pandemic. The final tally could be higher. Some real areas of concern: Paying out jobless benefits to federal prisoners and paying out aid to individuals in multiple states. The watchdog goes on to say that the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration “has not taken sufficient action” to implement inspector general recommendations dating back to Feb. 2021 “that would help mitigate and prevent even more potential fraudulent payments from occurring.”
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Understanding the federal AI spend.

Understanding how the feds are allocating funds towards a particular capability is a vital step in your business strategy. If you’re pursuing AI work, then you should read this Brookings report that analyzed a dataset of 663 contracts across 652 agencies with 556 NAICS codes. This report suggests that AI in the fed space is an immature market that is focused on the development of research. There are only 62 companies with more than one contract for AI services and very few with more than 5 (AI Solutions 10+ awards, AI Signal Research 5+ awards, and AI Biosciences 5+ awards)
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ICYMI Snippets:

• Kaplow! NASA is crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid today.
• Former HHS officials are challenging key findings of a watchdog’s report on cybersecurity for COVID-19 data analysis systems. 
• A March 2022 DDOS attack on HHS resulted in 8 billion scanning efforts of HHS systems, the department’s former CIO revealed.

Top Defense & Aerospace

ICYMI Snippets

• SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he would activate Starlink, after Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that the U.S. took action “to advance internet freedom and free flow of information” to Iranians.
• Here’s how DOD is helping commissary shoppers save money.
• The US military is buying electric jet-ski robots. Please, no “Waterworld real-life re-do.”

Defense Contract Awards

• Amyx has won DLA’s Automated Material Handling Equipment Technical and Life Cycle Program Support task order, expanding its presence in DLA Distribution Centers for the second time in two years.
• DISA has awarded ECS Federal LLC a $429M firm-fixed-price contract for the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, a managed solution that seek to improve security and reduced risk across the Army’s endpoints.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• A retired V. Adm. has joined Leidos as Senior VP responsible for Maritime business.

Follow the Defense Job Openings

• NASA is seeking a Contract Specialist.

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Top Intel Community

CISA, NSA release guidance to reduce alternatives for securing industrial control systems.

CISA and NSA officials jointly released guidance to help prompt streamlining and easing of the decision-making process for owners of critical infrastructure to start protecting industrial control systems from an increasing likelihood of cyberattack.
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New review examines NSA and Cyber Command’s ‘dual hat’ structure.

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Joseph F. Dunford Jr. has been tapped by the Biden administration to guide a review of the leadership arrangement governing U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, an examination that could trigger lasting ramifications for the country’s digital and intelligence operations. The administration has assembled a small study group to scrutinize the benefits and drawbacks of the “dual-hat” leadership structure that has existed since Cyber Command was created in 2009, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
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NNSA has major cyber failings, watchdog report warns.

This can’t be good! The NNSA, which oversees our national nuclear stockpile, has major cyber security failings, according to a GAO report. The NNSA has implemented only four out of six foundational cybersecurity requirements within its traditional IT environment, which includes computer systems used for weapons design, according to the report. The problem includes contractors as well as the agency itself.
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ICMY Snippets

• CISA announces 5th Annual National Cybersecurity Summit held on Oct. 4 in Atlanta.
• Two renovated museums offer a peek at spy secrets. But weirdly, the public still can’t get into the CIA museum. Because, you know…secrets.
• Planned next-gen satellites can help address extreme weather challenges.
• NSA launches cybersecurity services to support Defense contractors (podcast).

IC Contract Awards

• L3 Technologies Inc. Communication Systems has won a 10-year, $886M cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for sustainment of the Common Data Link satellite communications program.

Follow the Intel Leaders

• There’s a new leader of the Joint Enterprise Services Director at DISA, and she comes from DOD.

Follow the Intel Job Openings

• NNSA is seeking a Program Manager (Director, ANSTR Business Operations Division).
• The Department of State is seeking a Supervisory IT Management official.

Top Civilian

USPS consolidation plans for 200 facilities in flux.

As USPS officials work toward consolidating 200 post offices and other facilities beginning as soon as next month, the plans are very much in flux, with some employees concerned about how the developing plans impact their jobs.
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Immediate action needed to protect homeland from drone threats, former TSA exec argues.

With drone use growing at fast rate, one former TSA administrator argues that the government needs to provide vendors the ability to complete quarterly scientific R&D testing at designated military installations. He argues that foreign drone mitigation companies benefit from their governments’ more streamlined R&D scientific policies.
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Treasury is announcing a new office: Office of the Chief Sanctions Economist.

….And they are actively recruiting for the Chief sanctions Economist and two initial staff members. OCSE will be responsible for the development of economic and financial policy analysis to inform the design and implementation of sanctions policy and targeting options, among other tasks.
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ICMY Snippets

• A trio from the CDC was honored for their vaccination distribution work by the Partnership for Public Service with their annual Samuel J. Heyman Service to America medals awards.
• DOE launches Industrial Heat Shot, an effort aimed to reduce the cost, energy use, and carbon emissions in the industrial sector.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• IRS awarded TRACMS web-based solutions contract to Chenega Analytic Business Solutions, an 8(a) contract.
• PingWind Inc. (A HUBZone, SDVOSB) was awarded a T4NG task order for VA CEHRIS Program support.

• Confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Arati Prabhakar, has become the Office of Science and Technology Policy director.
• There’s a new Chief Architect at Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
• There’s a new Senior Federal Healthcare and Civilian Sales Leader at Recorded Future.

Follow the Civilian Job Openings

• EPA is looking for a Senior Innovation Officer.
  DOI is looking for a Director Office of Insular Affairs.
• FDA is looking for a Deputy Director for Compliance Operations.

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GovCon M&A Corner

Anser Advisory acquires RLH Engineering.

Anser Advisory announced the acquisition of RLH Engineering, Inc. (RLH). RLH is an owner’s representative, project management, and environmental consulting firm serving Colorado. Both firms have shared values and beliefs, and both are committed to developing and maintaining long-standing client relationships. By leveraging the combined expertise of the Anser Advisory and RLH teams, the combined firm will provide additional value to clients in the region, as well as across the country.
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The Administration is playing hardball with large M&A deals.

The Biden Administration is putting big companies on notice that they may need to fight in court if they want to pull off a big merger. Under Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, head of antitrust, the Justice Department in 2022 has sought to block four mergers in court, one more than last year. Moreover, the DOJ hasn’t accepted any merger settlements on Kanter’s watch, according to James Fishkin, an antitrust partner at law firm Dechert and a former attorney at Federal Trade Commission.
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