Procurement Technical Assistance Center

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WITH UTAH PTAC

Utah — along with the rest of the world — has been feeling the effects of supply chain disruptions. These delays and disruptions caused by the pandemic have demonstrated the need for a more robust supply chain for goods and services. Both private industry and federal agencies need to expand their supply chain by partnering with businesses that offer new, innovative, state-of-the-art products and services.

Many Utah companies offer these products and services, but they overlook the government marketplace because getting into the federal procurement supply chain can be cumbersome and challenging.

Unless, that is, you have help from the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

“With an experienced, savvy staff, PTAC can be the bridge between government and industry,” says Chuck Spence, director of the statewide PTAC program. “PTAC has goals, negotiated with the U.S. Department of Defense each year, to bring new business partners into the federal, state, and local government supply chain.”

PTAC provides a host of services designed to help companies become part of that supply chain. To take advantage of PTAC’s no-cost services, visit its website at business.utah.gov/ptac.

Following are some recent changes to government procurement cybersecurity, registrations, and disadvantaged business certifications:

Cybersecurity Update

On Nov. 4, 2021, the DoD announced several changes to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. Although the program’s overall focus remains on safeguarding sensitive unclassified information, CMMC 2.0 includes several important differences from the original program that simplify the approach and reduce paperwork.

At the Department of Defense level, the DFARS clauses 252.204-7012, 7019, and 7020 for safeguarding controlled unclassified information residing on or passing through a contractor’s system will remain in contracts.

Unique Entity Identifier

By April of 2022, the federal government will stop using the DUNS number as a unique entity identifier (UEI). After that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a UEI created in SAM.gov, rather than going through a third-party website. Current SAM.gov registrants have already been assigned their Unique Entity Identifier and can view it within SAM.gov.

Women-Owned Small Business and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business

Updates to the Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations make it easier for qualified small businesses to participate in the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting program. The updated WOSB federal contracting program regulations were published in the Federal Register in May 2020. They include:

 SBA’s new, free online certification process for WOSBs and EDWOSBs is live at certify.sba.gov  SBA allows continued participation from businesses that utilize approved Third-Party Certifiers (TPCs) to obtain WOSB or Economically Disadvantaged WomenOwned Small Business certification  If you had contracts through the WOSB Federal Contracting Program when the changes went into effect, you will remain certified through the duration of your existing contracts (whether you were previously self-certified or TPC-certified)  All WOSB firms need to take action in certify.sba.gov to compete for WOSB Federal Contracting Program set-aside contracts (based on specifics in the following sections based on your status)

• SBA’s new, free online certification process for WOSBs and EDWOSBs is live at certify.sba.gov

• SBA allows continued participation from businesses that utilize approved Third-Party Certifiers (TPCs) to obtain WOSB or Economically Disadvantaged Women- Owned Small Business certification

• If you had contracts through the WOSB Federal Contracting Program when the changes went into effect, you will remain certified through the duration of your existing contracts (whether you were previously self-certified or TPC-certified)

• All WOSB firms need to take action in certify.sba.gov to compete for WOSB Federal Contracting Program set-aside contracts (based on specifics in the following sections based on your status)

Veteran-Owned Small Business Update

The VA’s Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) will be transferred to SBA effective Jan. 1, 2023. There is no immediate action required for owners of veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act permits self-certified SDVOSBs up to one year after the transfer to remain self-certified. VOSBs or SDVOSBs verified by the VA at the time of the transfer will not lose their status. Both agencies will keep all stakeholders, including VOSBs and SDVOSBs, updated on the new CVE processes.