Indian Affairs is pleased to announce the Buy Indian System for Award Management (BISAM)

Over the last two years, the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs announced new regulations to improve implementation of the Buy Indian Act to promote economic development opportunities in Indian Country and systematically led an effort to strengthen policies and procedures, increase training and stakeholder engagement, develop performance goals for Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE) and Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEE), and implement strategic acquisition set-aside contract awards for IEE and ISBEE vendors across the Department of Interior (DOI). As previously published on the new Buy Indian Act Information and Tools website, DOI bureaus awarded over $1.4 billion to IEE vendors across the nation during Fiscal Year 2023.

Indian Affairs is pleased to announce the Buy Indian System for Award Management (BISAM). https://www.bia.gov/bisam

BISAM gives Indian businesses the ability to easily find Buy Indian set-aside procurement opportunities by consolidating all Indian Affairs, DOI bureaus, and Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service SAM.gov opportunities into a one-stop, easily accessible and searchable platform. Please share this news and the link to BISAM with your clients as well as all other audiences interested in IEE and ISBEE set asides under the Buy Indian Act.

If you have any questions, please contact your National Center APEX Procurements Specialist or the Indian Affairs Acquisition office at biaq@bia.gov

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DLA’s Mentor-Protégé Program to Help Small Businesses with Contracting, Technical Processes, Federal News Network

The Defense Department’s “oldest continuously operating federal” program is coming to the Defense Logistics Agency. The DLA’s Office of Small Business programs has just rolled out its mentor-protégé program, which will help small businesses navigate the federal contracting space and enhance their technical and business processes. Read more here.

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Using CMMC 2.0 Proposed Rule to Position Yourself for DOD Contracts

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification ( CMMC ) Program has been a headache for many defense contractors since the idea was first introduced in 2019. The program seeks to protect unclassified information, including federal contract information (FCI) and controlled unclassified information (CUI) not intended for public release, shared by the Department of Defense (DOD) with its contractors and subcontractors. In December 2023, the DOD proposed a rule to formally codify the CMMC Program in a phased rollout. The DOD has now released . . . Read More

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General Services Administration (GSA) Final Rule: GSA Acquisition Regulation (GSAR), Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Economic Price Adjustment

On August 5, GSA published a final rule to standardize and simplify Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) clauses for economic price adjustments and remove requirements within those clauses to align with commercial standards and practices. The rule is available here and will be effective September 4, 2024.

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Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Proposed Rule: HHS Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR), Information Technology (IT); Standards for Health IT

On August 9, HHS published a proposed rule and request for comments from the public regarding proposed amendments and updates to the HHSAR to implement procurement requirements for health IT to meet the requirements and standards promulgated by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The rule is available here. Comments close October 8, 2024.

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Industry Pressure Forces NASA to Press Pause on SEWP VI, Federal News Network

Increasing pressure from the industry about the lack of clarity of the SEWP VI solicitation has forced NASA to hit a pause on its governmentwide acquisition contract. Read more here.

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FTC Non-Compete Ban Will NOT Become Effective September 4, 2024

As suspected and previewed in PilieroMazza’s April 24, 2024 blog , a Texas federal judge permanently blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) impending restriction on non-competition agreements (Non-Compete Rule). This means, at least for now, businesses will not need to follow the Non-Compete Rule and can maintain non-compete provisions in their agreements with employees, so long as those agreements are state law compliant.  U.S. District Judge Ada E. Brown indicated earlier this summer (see coverage here ) she was likely to . . . Read More

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SBA Seeks Comments on Proposed Updates to the HUBZone Program, and Clarifications to Other Small Business Programs

On August 23, 2024, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published a proposed rule that would make changes to its regulations for the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program to clarify certain policies. In 2019, SBA made significant revisions to these regulations to enhance the program’s efficiency and effectiveness. The proposed rule aims to further clarify and refine some of these changes, particularly by requiring that any certified HUBZone small business to be eligible as of the date of offer for any HUBZone contract. Additionally, the rule proposes several amendments to SBA’s size and 8(a) Business Development (BD) regulations, along with technical adjustments to the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) programs.Top of FormBottom of Form Public comments on SBA’s proposals are currently due by October 7, 2024. Government contractors that participate in any of SBA’s small business programs should take note of the proposed changes and consider whether to address them through public comment. Read more here.

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SBA Certifications Upgrade FAQs

Beginning Aug. 1, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will be upgrading the system it uses to process applications for socioeconomic contracting certifications, such as the 8(a) Program certification and HUBZone certification. The upgrade is expected to be completed in early September. During the upgrade period, the SBA will not be accepting new applications but will continue to process previously submitted applications. For more information, visit the SBA’s website. Visit certify.sba.gov for the most current guidance or contact SBA at certifications@sba.gov or (202) 205-6459.

If you are interested in learning more about the SBA’s certifications or applying for a socioeconomic certification, your APEX Accelerator can help. Contact your APEX Accelerator counselor for an appointment.

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SBA Launches New Business Resilience Guide

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the release of its new Business Resilience Guide, a comprehensive resource for small business owners who may not be familiar with disaster preparation. The guide, which has six sections to plan and recover from disasters, includes best practices and template forms to help mitigate disasters for America’s entrepreneurs and help them build back stronger. This resource is to help small businesses stay operational before, during, and after a disaster. Read more

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Small Business Administration (SBA) Interim Final Rule: Business Loan Program Temporary Changes, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Lender Records Retention Requirements

On August 23, SBA published an interim final rule and requested comments regarding extending the length of time records should be retained for lenders under the PPP. This rule also extends the statute of limitations for criminal charges and civil enforcement actions. The rule is available here and is effective as of August 22, 2024. Comments close September 23, 2024. 

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WARNING: Beware of Scammers!

The Small Business Administration has recently seen an uptick in scammers claiming they are an SBA employee or third-party that can secure SBA grants for you for a fee.

What you need to know about small business grants:

• SBA does not provide grants for starting and expanding a business.  
• SBA provides grants to nonprofits, Resource Partners, and educational organizations. These grants aim to support entrepreneurship through counseling and training programs.
• SBA only communicates from email addresses ending in @sba.gov. If you are contacted by someone claiming to be from SBA, check their address. If they are not using an official SBA email address, you should suspect and report fraud. An SBA employee would never contact you on social media or WhatsApp.

For more information about our grants, see our official website https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/grants.

Additionally, there are no more pandemic relief funds available and SBA loans are not forgivable.

Protect yourself:

1. Always verify the source. Check the official SBA.gov website or contact our office (205) 290-7101 directly if you are ever unsure.
2. Report suspicious activity – Preventing fraud and identity theft | U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov)
3. Never share personal or financial information.

Stay vigilant and spread the world to help protect others!

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