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- December 18, 2023
December 18, 2023
Agile and Trex win 1B DISA TEC II contract, Bain Capital finalizes 5.3B Guidehouse takeover, top SDVOSB contracts of 2023, Blackberry new CEO, Sikich to buy CLA’s fed biz
Good morning. We hope you're surviving the holiday party season. Speaking of the holidays, there will be no GovBrew newsletters on Friday the 22nd and Monday the 25th.
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QUICK HITS
Commentary: Section 702 Surveillance doesn’t belong in the NDAA: Controversial spying program expires in four months.
NSF looking to approve more uses of generative AI: New guidelines in its merit review process; ways AI can be responsibly applied.
SDVOSB/SB on alert: Recompete of $100M+ CMS Unified Case Management (UCM) RFP.
DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Air Force’s new policy sets guardrails around generative AI.
Air Force CIO Venice Goodwine, who signed a new AI policy last week, said she created an innovation zone within the Air Force’s Office 365 environment that will allow service members to experiment with the technology in a safe environment. The new policy requires training so airmen and guardians can understand how the technology works. Read more
Five companies in early running for Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft drone wingmen.
Five companies are in the running in the Air Force’s effort to field collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drone wingmen. Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and startup Anduril are in the pool of vendors selected by the Air Force for an early stage of the CCA program, says the rumor mill, which continued gossipping: a down select could eliminate some vendors by the summer. Read more
Fires, AI and human-machine prototype unites: Army gears up for Project Convergence.
From experimenting with sister services’ equipment to testing out two new soldier-robot prototyping formations, the Army is preparing for its fourth Project Convergence capstone event next spring with a host of new tech. Read more
ICYMI:
The Army’s unified network is changing. But it still 'needs work.'
U.S. Special Ops may be buying too many armed overwatch planes.
Space Force budget must keep growing to support its mission.
Four years after its establishment, Space Command declares full operational capability.
Crude ground robots emerge on the battlefields of Ukraine.
Defense Contract Awards
Agile Defense + T-Rex win $1.01B DISA TEC II contract.
ARKA Group wins $136M, laser detecting sys. contract with Army.
SBs: Applied Forge Defense, Fregata Systems, and Julia Computing score Air Force AFTC Financial Management Data Analytics IDIQ.
Serco awarded a $84 million contract to continue support Air Force Central Command Readiness and Air Operations in Southwest Asia.
ReefPoint wins $17M Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery LIMDU SMART support services contract.
Follow the Defense Leaders
EM Key Solutions brings on veteran executive as Sr VP for National Security and Defense Solutions.
Leidos nominates former DISA director, Navy vice admiral to its board.
Navy Supervisory Contracting Officer, Section Head takes new role as Professor of Contracting with the Defense Acquisition University.
Defense Job Openings
DOD is hiring an Assistant Inspector General for Strategic Planning and Performance.
Defense Threat Reduction Agency is seeking a Director of IT and CIO.
Air Force is seeking a Director Strategic Integration.
END OF YEAR RECAP…
Top 3 SDVOSB contracts awarded in 2023.
This week, we continue exploring the largest contracts awarded in 2023. In 2023, the federal government's SDVOSB spending goal was 3% of all prime and subcontractor dollars spent.
FUNNY
INTEL COMMUNITY
NDAA directs officials to establish an “Intelligence Community Innovation Unit.”
Intelligence agencies are working on multiple initiatives and strategies to address artificial and other emerging technologies; at the same time, Congress is pressing the intelligence community to do more to adopt new capabilities. Read more
ICYMI:
Sources Sought: USSOCOM seeks intelligence support.
Sources Sought: DOD issues OUSD(I&S) Support.
NSA, FBI issue warning: Russian cyber actors exploiting a known vulnerability.
Draft Space Force-NRO plan for tracking moving targets 'floating' around military, IC.
CACI wins $420M Army C5IRS task order.
Come meet the new CEO at In-Q-Tel!
CIVILIAN
Lawmakers press for transparency in NIST’s new AI grant funding.
Lawmakers from the Science, Space and Technology Committee intend to learn more about how the new Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute within the NIST will function, particularly regarding the risks associated with fledging AI systems. Read more
They just can’t win! Federal agencies are caught in environmental crossfire over Starship launches.
Several organizations have filed a new complaint about the environmental impacts of SpaceX Starship launches, even as government agencies face criticism for delaying such launches for environmental issues. Read more
CISA: Collaboration is the 'fuel' of cyber operations.
As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity, collaboration is more crucial than ever and serves as the “fuel” of cyber operations, according to David Carroll, associate director for mission engineering at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Read more
ICYMI:
GSA launches text message service for government programs in four localities and states.
Federal agencies that use AI should have civil rights offices.
FEMA plans move to new HQ across the street from HUD by 2027.
Not right now: $38M CISA CB Cybersecurity Technical and Engineering Support Competition put on the back burner.
Civilian Contracts Awards
ANALYGENCE wins spot on $125M NIST contract.
Protest Filed: $48M Treasury OCC IT Enterprise Infrastructure Management (ITEIM) contract award.
Sierra7 beats out 4 to win VA Privacy Impact Assessment Services Support task order.
Follow Civilian Leaders
DOE CESER recruits DHS CISA Deputy Integrated Operations Division leader to serve as Principal Deputy Director.
DOI recruits State Department Logistics Systems Division Director to serve as Deputy CIO.
BlackBerry appoints a new CEO.
Darktrace hires industry veteran to drive federal sales.
Civilian Job Openings
Census Bureau is hiring a Deputy CFO and Director of Finance.
APHIS is seeking a Deputy Administrator MRP Business Services.
USDA Rural Development is hiring an Associate CFO - Budget & Policy.
Veterans Benefits Administration is seeking a Deputy CFO, Budget & Policy.
M&A CORNER
Bain Capital closes $5.3B deal, takes over Guidehouse.
One of the world's most high-profile private equity firms has completed an acquisition that marks its foray into the government market. Guidehouse is now a portfolio company of Bain Capital valued at $5.3 billion including debt. Guidehouse's current management team led by CEO Scott McIntyre are all slated to continue in their positions, the company said Thursday. Read more
Sikich to buy CLA’s federal government practice.
Sikich announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the federal government practice of professional services firm CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP). The transaction could fortify Sikich’s position as a full-service contractor for government agencies and contractors, expanding the company’s presence in the Washington, DC market. Read more.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
Google Cloud survey suggests government tech users want options.
An overwhelming percentage of U.S. and government workers currently use Microsoft products on the job, but a Google Cloud-commissioned survey released last month indicates that nearly six in 10 of both sets of tech users want at least a choice to use non-Microsoft products. Read more.
What do you do when you find proof that someone is deliberately undermining your business?
This is the conundrum in front of Kytch, a company that was hired to fix McDonald’s broken ice cream machines. They have unearthed a three year old email written by Middleby, the parent company of Taylor—the manufacturer of those notoriously broken machines—that Kytch says proves their claims of an alleged plot to undermine their business. The new legal names Taylor for alleged trade libel, tortious interference, and other caims. Read more
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