NEPA Alliance Procurement Technical Assistance Center

09/13/2019

Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales
09/13/2019 10:00 AM EDT

U.S. total business end-of-month inventories for July 2019 were $2,042.6 billion, up 0.4 percent (+/- 0.1 percent) from last month. U.S. total business sales were $1,462.9 billion, up 0.3 percent (+/-0.1 percent) from last month.

July 2019: +0.4 % change in Inventories
June 2019 (r): 0.0 % change in Inventories

05/23/2019

In one of the first steps of the agency’s Artemis lunar exploration plans, NASA announced on Thursday the selection of Maxar Technologies, formerly SSL, in Westminster, Colorado, to develop and demonstrate power, propulsion and communications capabilities for NASA’s lunar Gateway.
“The power and propulsion element is the foundation of Gateway and a fine example of how partnerships with U.S. companies can help expedite NASA’s return to the Moon with the first woman and next man by 2024,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “It will be the key component upon which we will build our lunar Gateway outpost, the cornerstone of NASA’s sustainable and reusable Artemis exploration architecture on and around the Moon.”
The power and propulsion element is a high-power, 50-kilowatt solar electric propulsion spacecraft – three times more powerful than current capabilities. As a mobile command and service module, the Gateway provides a communications relay for human and robotic expeditions to the lunar surface, starting at the Moon’s South Pole.
The power and propulsion element of NASA's Gateway is a high-power, 50-kilowatt solar electric propulsion spacecraft – three times more powerful than current capabilities.
This firm-fixed price award includes an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity portion and carries a maximum total value of $375 million. The contract begins with a 12-month base period of performance and is followed by a 26-month option, a 14-month option and two 12-month options.

05/23/2019

Sales of new single-family houses in April 2019 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 673,000. This is 6.9 percent (+/- 14.0%)* below the revised March 2019 estimate of 723,000.

April 2019: -6.9* % change
March 2019 (r): +8.1* % change

05/23/2019

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that preliminary April steel imports were $2.5 billion (3.0 million metric tons) compared to the preliminary March totals of $2.0 billion (2.0 million metric tons).

05/23/2019

Find a Memorial Day ceremony near you, 120+ VA National Cemetery events across the country
Memorial Day (this Monday, May 27) honors Americans who died while defending the nation and its values. It’s a day that allows us to remember our fallen heroes who put service before self. Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday formerly known as Decoration Day. First enacted to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War, it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.
We invite you to honor the fallen this Memorial Day at a VA National Cemetery. Each cemetery and community will add their own special touch of patriotism and "thanks" during the events.

This page provides a list of 2019 Memorial Day ceremonies.

05/21/2019

Department of Commerce Issues Limited Exemptions on Huawei Products
WASHINGTON – Today, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it would issue a Temporary General License (TGL) amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to authorize specific, limited engagement in transactions involving the export, reexport, and transfer of items – subject to the EAR – to Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and its sixty-eight non-U.S. affiliates, which were added to the Bureau’s Entity List on May 16, 2019. This license will be effective on May 20, 2019 and lasts 90 days.

“The Temporary General License grants operators time to make other arrangements and the Department space to determine the appropriate long term measures for Americans and foreign telecommunications providers that currently rely on Huawei equipment for critical services,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “In short, this license will allow operations to continue for existing Huawei mobile phone users and rural broadband networks.”

The Temporary General License authorizes certain activities necessary to the continued operations of existing networks and to support existing mobile services, including cybersecurity research critical to maintaining the integrity and reliability of existing and fully operational networks and equipment. Exporters will be required to maintain certifications, to be made available when requested by BIS, regarding their use of the TGL. With the exception of the transactions explicitly authorized by the TGL, any exports, reexports, or in country transfers of items subject to the EAR will continue to require a special license granted after a review by BIS under a presumption of denial. The Department will evaluate whether to extend the TGL beyond 90 days.

Huawei was added to the Entity List after the Department concluded that the company is engaged in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests, including alleged violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), conspiracy to violate IEEPA by providing prohibited financial services to Iran, and obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation of those alleged violations of U.S. sanctions, among other illicit activities.

The Bureau of Industry and Security’s mission is to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives by ensuring an effective export control and treaty compliance system and promoting continued U.S. strategic technology leadership. BIS is committed to preventing U.S.-origin items from supporting Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) projects, terrorism, or destabilizing military modernization programs. For more information, please visit www.bis.doc.gov

05/16/2019

Department of Commerce Announces the Addition of Huawei
Technologies Co. Ltd. to the Entity List
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it will be adding Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and its affiliates to the Bureau’s Entity List. This action stems from information available to the Department that provides a reasonable basis to conclude that Huawei is engaged in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interest. This information includes the activities alleged in the Department of Justice’s public superseding indictment of Huawei, including alleged violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), conspiracy to violate IEEPA by providing prohibited financial services to Iran, and obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation of those alleged violations of U.S. sanctions.
The sale or transfer of American technology to a company or person on the Entity List requires a license issued by BIS, and a license may be denied if the sale or transfer would harm U.S. national security or foreign policy interests. The listing will be effective when published in the Federal Register.
“This action by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, with the support of the President of the United States, places Huawei, a Chinese owned company that is the largest telecommunications equipment producer in the world, on the Entity List. This will prevent American technology from being used by foreign owned entities in ways that potentially undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy interests,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “President Trump has directed the Commerce Department to be vigilant in its protection of national security activities. Since the beginning of the Administration, the Department has added 190 persons or organizations to the Entity List, as well as instituted five investigations of the effect of imports on national security under Section 232 of the Trade Act of 1962.”
Additions to the Entity List are decided by the End-User Review Committee which is comprised of officials from the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, State Department, and Department of Energy. Under § 744.11(b) of the Export Administration Regulations, persons or organizations for whom there is reasonable cause to believe that they are involved, were involved, or pose a significant risk of becoming involved in activities that are contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States, and those acting on behalf of such persons, may be added to the Entity List.
The Bureau of Industry and Security’s mission is to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives by ensuring an effective export control and treaty compliance system and promoting continued U.S. strategic technology leadership. BIS is committed to preventing U.S.-origin items from supporting Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) projects, terrorism, or destabilizing military modernization programs. For more information, please visit www.bis.doc.gov

05/15/2019

NASA Awards $106 Million to US Small Businesses for Technology Development
Managing pilotless aircraft and solar panels that could help humans live on the Moon and Mars are among the technologies NASA is looking to develop with small business awards totaling $106 million. In all, NASA has selected 142 proposals from 129 U.S. small businesses from 28 states and the District of Columbia to receive Phase II contracts as part the agency's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
“Small businesses play an important role in our science and exploration endeavors,” said Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. “NASA’s diverse community of partners, including small businesses across the country, helps us achieve our mission and cultivate the U.S. economy. Their innovations will help America land the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024, establish a sustainable presence on the lunar surface a few years later, and pursue exciting opportunities for going to Mars and beyond.”
NASA selected the proposals based on a range of criteria, including technical merit and feasibility, as well as the organizations’ experience, qualifications, and facilities. Additional criteria included effectiveness of proposed work plans and the commercial potential of the technologies.
The selected proposals will support the development of technologies in the areas of human exploration and operations, space technology, science, and aeronautics. The proposals offer a breadth of applications, including:
• Solar panels that deploy like venetian blinds. The technology behind these panels can be used as a surface power source for crewed missions on the Moon and Mars. It offers benefits such as efficient power generation, lower procurement costs and reduced mass and stowed volume.
• Sensor technology for autonomous entry, descent and precision landing on planetary surfaces — a critical advancement for next generation human lunar landers.
• A type of permanent magnet that creates a bonding force between two halves with no moving parts, enabling in-space assembly of large platforms.
• A high-resolution X-ray instrument to analyze surface rocks and core samples on planets and asteroids. This technology could advance our understanding of the Moon, Mars and even Earth by providing unique analysis and reconstruction of samples.
• A suite of technologies for managing autonomous aircraft. The proposed solution aims to have a single dispatcher simultaneously monitor multiple flights, leading the way for future airspace and vehicle concepts.
Only small businesses awarded a Phase I contract are eligible to submit a proposal for a Phase II funding agreement. Phase II is focused on the development, demonstration, and delivery of the innovations previously selected during Phase I. These projects are chosen as a result of competitive evaluations and based on selection criteria provided in the solicitation. Phase II contracts last for 24 months, with a maximum funding of $750,000.
The SBIR program is a three-phase program. Phase I work and results provide a sound basis for the continued development, demonstration and delivery of the proposed innovation in Phase II and follow-on efforts. Phase III is the commercialization of innovative technologies, products and services resulting from either a Phase I or Phase II contract.
The SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs encourage small businesses and research institutions to develop innovative ideas that meet the specific research and development needs of the federal government. The programs are intended to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector, increase the commercial application of research results, and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged companies and women-owned small businesses. Since the 1970s, small businesses have created approximately 55 percent of all jobs in the United States.
NASA's Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley manages the SBIR and STTR programs for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). STMD is responsible for developing the cross-cutting, pioneering new technologies and capabilities needed by the agency to achieve its current and future missions.

05/15/2019

SBA Proposes Certification Rule for Women-Owned Small Businesses
Seeking Comments by July 15
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration published a proposed rule that will provide a free online application process for women-owned small businesses to be certified and eligible to participate in the SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business Program or access contracts as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) or Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). The SBA is seeking public comments on the proposed rule by July 15, 2019. To submit comments, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/05/14/2019-09684/women-owned-small-business-and-economically-disadvantaged-women-owned-small-business--certification.
The following proposals are included in the new rule:
• Allow participation from an expanded list of federal and state entities with existing certification programs, and confirm the continued participation of approved third-party certifiers.
• Eliminate the self-certification option consistent with the Small Business Act as amended within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, Public Law 113-291, and require approved third-party certifiers to notify applicants of its fees and the option to use SBA’s free online certification process.
• Adopt a $750,000 net worth standard when assessing economic disadvantage for EDWOSBs and continuing eligibility for the 8(a) Business Development Program.
The proposed rule will bolster the number of federal contract awards to WOSB and EDWOSB-certified businesses and better empower agencies to meet the 5% federal contracting goal for women-owned small businesses. Currently, contracting officers must review a contract awardee’s documentation to verify an applicant’s WOSB and EDWOSB eligibility. By establishing a transparent, centralized, and free certification process, the SBA aims to provide contracting officers with reassurance that firms participating in the WOSB Program are eligible for awards and encourage them to set aside contracts for women-owned small businesses.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement a statutory requirement to certify Women- Owned Small Business Concerns (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business Concerns (EDWOSB) participating in the Women-Owned Small Business...

05/14/2019

SAM.gov will be down for scheduled maintenance Saturday, 06/15/2019, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM (EDT).

05/10/2019

Follow the VA on RallyPoint - the world's largest military network. 1.6 million servicemembers, Veterans, family members, government civilians, caregivers, and survivors are engaging on this social network, and VA recently signed a MOU with RallyPoint. There are more than 425K Veteran-centric discussions on the platform. It's a great place to ask (or answer!) questions like "How do I get my Army Medical Records to submit a VA claim?" "When does the VA pay out travel pay?" and "When can I expect my first disability check?"
FOLLOW VA ON RALLYPOINT:

05/09/2019

System for Award Management (SAM) Update:
SAM.gov will be down for scheduled maintenance Saturday, 05/11/2019, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM (EDT).