Wed.Nov 20, 2024

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Innovation Through Procurement: Across Europe

Public Procurement Intl

Spurred by the report on The Future of European Competitiveness led by former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, institutions across Europe are examining how to promote innovation through public procurement. On November 13-14, 2024, GW Law’s Christopher Yukins met with his colleagues in Europe about these ongoing initiatives. Photo : C. Yukins, N.

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The SBA doubles down on the Rule of Two

Federal News Network

A long-standing rule concerning small business preference is about to get a major expansion, courtesy of the Small Business Administration. The rule, which applied to open market competitions, will, once the rule is finalized, also apply to multiple award contract vehicles. That’s a big change. Haynes Boone procurement attorney Dan Ramish joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to provide more details.

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Trending Sources

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Daniel Gizinski Appointed President of Satellite & Space Communications Segment at Comtech

GovCon Wire

Daniel Gizinski has transitioned to the role of president of the Satellite & Space Communications segment at Comtech Telecommunications, where he previously served as chief strategy officer and president of the Comtech Satellite Network Technologies division.

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Rise8 CEO: What It Takes for Government DevOps Teams to Create Quality Software

ExecutiveBiz

Bryon Kroger, Rise8 founder and CEO, is a U.S. Air Force veteran turned bureaucracy hacker who is relentless in his pursuit of making the world work better—a future where fewer bad things happen because of bad software. Rise8 enables large enterprises with critical missions to continuously deliver valuable software that users love.

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How to Create a Blueprint for Fleet Resilience

Speaker: Jeff Dickinson - President and CEO of Railgistixs Transport, Supply Chain and Logistics Thought Leader

Despite the ongoing transformation of the supply chain and logistics landscape, the steadfast importance of carrier safety remains a core principle. From prioritizing preventative maintenance to optimizing fleet utilization, the fundamentals persist. If you’re overlooking and neglecting essential safety precautions today, this could result in expensive repairs and potential safety hazards in the future. 🚧 Join Jeff Dickinson for a conversation on how to mitigate risk, enforce compliance,

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VA needs bigger budget to draw better cyber talent, CIO says

FedScoop

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ top IT official told House lawmakers on Wednesday that a larger budget and the ability to pay certain government workers more would improve the agency’s cybersecurity posture. Kurt DelBene, the VA’s assistant for information and technology and chief information officer, called during a House Veterans Affairs (HVAC) subcommittee hearing for the entire federal government to “take steps to increase the salaries” of tech workers who are classified as GS-2210

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South Korea Receives US Authorization to Purchase F-15K Fighter Upgrades for $6.2B

GovCon Wire

The South Korean government has secured approval from the U.S. Department of State to purchase F-15K aircraft upgrade and logistics support for an estimated cost of $6.2 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Tuesday Boeing, BAE Systems and Raytheon Technologies will serve as primary contractors for the proposed foreign military sale.

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New Report Highlights Importance of Funding Reform for CFTC Whistleblower Program

Whistleblower Network News

On November 19, Better Markets, a non-profit focused on financial reform, released a report “Blow the Whistle: The Importance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Whistleblower Office” highlighting the financial crisis threatening the hugely successful CFTC Whistleblower Program. Created with the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, the CFTC Whistleblower Program has steadily grown into a critical enforcement tool.

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Accenture Invests in Cresta to Improve Contact Center Efficiency

WashngtonExec

Accenture has invested in Cresta, a company that developed an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed for contact centers. As part of this investment, done through Accenture Ventures, Accenture plans to integrate Cresta’s AI software capabilities into its AI Refinery ⏤ a comprehensive platform that helps clients build custom AI models to meet unique business needs.

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New Forensics Field Targets Foreign Interference

ExecutiveBiz

A new field of forensics aimed at uncovering unscrupulous actors in research could be used to help discover and prevent cases of foreign influence and interference in defense research.

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Qui Tam Whistleblower Awarded Nearly $4 Million After Alleging Improper Billing by UCHealth

Whistleblower Network News

On November 12, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) agreed to pay $23 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act through fraudulent billing for emergency department visits. The settlement stems from a qui tam lawsuit filed by a whistleblower. According to the DOJ, UCHealth “violated the False Claims Act in seeking and receiving payment from federal health care programs for visits to its emergency departments, by f

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Considering AI as a Strategic Tool – Part One (E176)

FedInsider

AI is just another tool in the technology market, only becoming a powerful resource when agencies learn how to best utilize it to reach mission goals. This week on Feds-At-The Edge we explore several insights on deploying AI effectively for the federal government landscape. Caroline Carusone, Deputy CIO for NRC, discusses AI’s potential in identifying security risks and solving complex engineering challenges, like improving atomic reactor designs.

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vTech Solution on Empowering Federal Agencies With Zero Trust

ExecutiveBiz

Federal agencies face increasingly complex cybersecurity challenges as cyber threats become more sophisticated. In a recent conversation between Mike Pereira, chief strategy officer at vTech Solution, and Frank Konieczny, former chief technology officer for the U.S.

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GSA listening more to customers to improve IAE platforms

Federal News Network

The Integrated Acquisition Environment is facing an expanding customer base. While the name of the system is focused on acquisition, the General Services Administration quickly is realizing a broader cross-section of federal workers that work in everything from grants to agency specific programs to legal offices are relying on the systems and its data to make decisions.

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How AI Can Turn the Federal Workforce Into ‘Super Users’

GovCon Wire

As artificial intelligence gains more traction across the federal landscape, government officials are finding that AI technologies have the power to dramatically transform and augment the workforce. However, federal leaders warn that we must be equally focused on the benefits and threats unlocked by AI. Will AI Replace Humans?

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Orion Secures Space Force Contract for Space Refueling Capabilities

ExecutiveBiz

Orion Space Solutions, a subsidiary of Arcfield, has secured a contract from the U.S Space Force to provide support for the Tetra-6 mission while continuing support for Tetra-5.

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AeroVironment Strikes $4.1B All-Stock Deal for BlueHalo

GovCon Wire

AeroVironment has agreed to acquire BlueHalo for approximately $4.1 billion in an all-stock transaction to establish a diversified defense technology company with a portfolio of capabilities, including uncrewed platforms, space technologies, short- and long-range loitering munitions, cyber and electronic warfare systems.

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RIVA Receives Task Orders to Improve HHS Financial Reporting System

ExecutiveBiz

RIVA Solutions has secured two task orders to enhance financial reporting and systems integration within the Department of Health and Human Services grants management ecosystem.

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Maximus Posts 8.2% Growth in Full FY24 Revenue

GovCon Wire

Maximus saw its full fiscal year 2024 revenue rise 8.2 percent to $5.31 billion and reported $1.3 billion in fourth-quarter revenue, a 4.4 percent increase from the prior-year period.

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Booz Allen Hamilton Invests in Reality Defender

WashngtonExec

Booz Allen Hamilton’s corporate venture capital arm, Booz Allen Ventures, LLC, made a strategic investment in Reality Defender, a cybersecurity company specializing in deepfake and synthetic media detection by leveraging advanced artificial intelligence. “There is so much promise in AI, but we need to ensure it’s deployed responsibly and securely, and that it’s trustworthy,” said [.

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CoreStack Buys Karthik Consulting to Advance Federal Market Expansion

GovCon Wire

CoreStack has acquired Virginia-based GovCon company Karthik Consulting to support its expansion efforts in the federal sector and cloud-native application protection platform, or CNAPP, market.

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ASRC Federal Wins US Citizenship and Immigration Services Zero Trust Contract

WashngtonExec

ASRC Federal subsidiary ASRC Federal Technology Solutions, LLC, won the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Zero Trust Integration Services contract. The award is valued at $16.65 million for a potential 1-year and 6-month term. Under the contract, the company will help USCIS achieve and maintain the White House, Office of Management and Budget and Department [.

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19th ICC New York Conference: Exploring Cross-Cultural Business Dynamics and New Realities in Dispute Resolution

Kluwer Arbitration

On 26 September 2024, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) hosted the 19th ICC New York Conference on International Arbitration, which brought together over 300 participants from 40 countries to discuss critical developments in international business and arbitration. Held in tandem with the ICC Institute Advanced Training on “The Amicable Settlement of Disputes in International Arbitration” on 25 September and the 9 th ICC YAAF Global Conference on 27 September, the ICC Conference explor

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'Fat Leonard' To Appeal 15-Year Sentence Over Navy Bribery

Government Contracts

A Malaysian defense contractor and ex-fugitive who pled guilty nearly 10 years ago to a bribery scheme that authorities said cost the U.S. Navy over $20 million has indicated in California federal court that he will appeal his 15-year sentence to the Ninth Circuit.

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How the U.S. Space Force can modernize at a smarter pace

Federal News Network

Modernizing space programs while maintaining operations is one of the most challenging things, and rings true for the U.S. Space Force. It’s key though to keeping up with near peer competitors in the space front. Joining us earlier to discuss this issue, Dan Laubach, Senior Director of Programs for the technology consulting firm Raft. Interview transcript: Dan Laubach So the landscape right now is very interesting.

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Prison Phone Cos. Say FCC Reg Fight Belongs In 5th Circ.

Government Contracts

There should have been no lottery to decide where to place an appeal challenging the Federal Communications Commission's new caps on rates charged for prison phone calls — the matter belongs in the Fifth Circuit, a pair of prison phone service providers told the First Circuit.

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To provide reliable and sustainable water and sanitation, dive into open contracting

Open Contracting Partnership

This post was first published on Water Integrity Network’s blog. The latest Water Integrity Global Outlook highlights how the global water and sanitation sectors are notoriously opaque and vulnerable to corruption. There are many factors at play: fragmented decision-making, technical complexities, natural monopolies, and weak regulatory oversight.

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NASA Can Pick Disputed Small Biz For $282M Tech Deal

Government Contracts

A Court of Federal Claims judge has rejected a protest over a $282.2 million NASA space technology development contract, saying the winning bidder was reasonably determined to be an eligible small business and that NASA fairly evaluated bids for the deal.

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Deploying AWS Modular Data Center: From ordering to delivery and installation

AWS Public Sector

The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Modular Data Center (MDC) is a service that enables rapid deployment of AWS managed data centers for running location- or latency-sensitive applications in locations with limited infrastructure. It reduces deployment time in remote areas and supports up to five racks of AWS Outposts or AWS Snow Family devices. This self-contained solution uses two 20-foot shipping containers to create an ICD-705 compliant shielded enclosure, equipped as a data center with built-in p

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Flint School Atty Can't Get Immunity In Defamation Case

Government Contracts

Outside counsel for Flint Community Schools who accused her predecessor of overcharging the public school district is not entitled to a form of immunity that shields government officials from liability for statements made during official proceedings, a state appellate court panel ruled on Tuesday.

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New Sanctions Regulation of the SAPP in Honduras

BLP

The Superintendency of Public-Private Partnerships (SAPP) has officially approved the Sanctions Regulation , marking a significant step in regulating and overseeing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Honduras. Key highlights of the new regulation: Categorizes violations as minor, serious, and very serious. Establishes proportional financial penalties ranging from $1,500 to $25,000, depending on the type and severity of the violation.

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NJ Power Broker, Attys Demand Wiretap Docs In RICO Case

Government Contracts

George E. Norcross III, a politically influential insurance executive in New Jersey, and others accused alongside him of a massive racketeering scheme demanded Wednesday that state prosecutors turn over complete wiretap application information dating back to 2016, arguing that those details form the core of the state's case against them.

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Blanket Purchase Agreement Must Run Through Entire Term of Possible Order

Public Contracting Institute

A Blanket Purchase Agreement (“BPA”) is a “simplified method filling anticipated repetitive needs for supplies or services by establishing ‘charge accounts’ with qualified sources of supply. FAR 13.303-1(a). However, it is clear that a BPA alone is not a contract, and any BPA must comply with contract terms, including the entire term of the contract.

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MVP: Wiley's Scott M. McCaleb

Government Contracts

Wiley Rein LLP's Scott McCaleb led a military shipbuilder's successful defense against workers' antitrust claims and advanced The Boeing Co.'s $1 million fight against a Defense Contract Management Agency contract costs adjustment, earning him a spot as one of the 2024 Law360 Government Contracts MVPs.

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Agencies Are Finding They Need the Speed of Wi-Fi 6E and 7

FedTech Magazine

CDW is working with agency components of varying sizes to upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E and even Wi-Fi 7 depending on bandwidth requirements. Those components currently prioritizing the increased bandwidth that comes with the transition generally have high device density on their networks. The Federal Communications Commission decided in 2020 to open 1.2 gigahertz of spectrum covering the 6GHz band for unlicensed use to enable Wi-Fi 6E to deliver performance increases.

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Add network agility and security with AWS Direct Connect MACsec encryption and AWS Support

AWS Public Sector

Organizations in the public sector space are continuing to move and run workloads in the cloud while maintaining current connectivity back to their on-premises data centers. Maintaining connectivity between current on-premises data centers, remote sites, and the cloud creates a hybrid environment. Public sector customers with sensitive workloads, such as government or healthcare, are choosing the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud for their critical hybrid environments to benefit from the security

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Kepler Updates Optical Data Network Plan With Larger Satellites

ExecutiveBiz

Kepler Communications is seeking Federal Communications Commission approval of the consolidation of its satellite network plan to enable an update of the company’s optical data infrastructure.