2024

article thumbnail

OpenAI further expands its generative AI work with the federal government

FedScoop

The federal government is continuing to invest in generative AI technology produced by OpenAI, with a handful of agencies recently inking deals to use the enterprise version of the firm’s ChatGPT platform. The increased activity comes as policymakers weigh potential concerns with the technology, while also trying to exploit its potential benefits. It also shows how OpenAI is developing as an early frontrunner in providing the government with generative AI technologies on both the defense and civ

IT 142
article thumbnail

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.

professionals

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

Public Safety Starts with Smart Procurement

American City & Country

Ensuring public safety at large-scale events, whether concerts, sports games, or community gatherings, comes with unique challenges. With the responsibility of protecting attendees, crowd control, and maintaining security, procurement teams play a critical role in making sure the staff has everything they need to execute the event. From acquiring security staff and surveillance technology to event-specific safety gear, having a well-coordinated procurement plan is essential for effective crowd a

article thumbnail

2024 U.S. Presidential Election Special Series

Art of Procurement

There are two weeks to go until the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Interest, speculation, and tension have been building all. The post 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Special Series appeared first on Art of Procurement.

article thumbnail

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,

article thumbnail

Top Rules for Government Contractors: Essential Knowledge for Compliance

Select GCR

For government contractors working with various agencies of the United States government, following specific rules for government contractors is essential for compliance and securing contracts. These rules include procurement procedures, labor laws, non-discrimination policies, and cybersecurity requirements. This article breaks down the essential rules every contractor needs to know.

article thumbnail

Document AI Saves Agencies Time and Money

FedTech Magazine

The federal government relies on forms and other documents. Many important forms sit on the web, while others sit in storage boxes. The wealth of information available to government agencies is often locked in these forms due to a lack of manpower to process and analyze them for correlations and relationships. Unlocking this data requires significant work due to the requirements for data entry, validation, and proper routing and categorization of the information.

Data 276

More Trending

article thumbnail

Dell Whistleblower Suit Leads to $4.3 Million Settlement over Non-Competitive Bids to the Army

Whistleblower Network News

On November 19, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Dell Technologies Inc. and Dell Federal Systems L.P. (collectively Dell), located in Austin, Texas, agreed to pay $2,300,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting non-competitive bids to the U.S. Army. Iron Bow Technologies LLC (Iron Bow), located in Herndon, Virginia, also agreed to pay $2,051,000 for its role in the scheme.

article thumbnail

Proposed Increases to Micro-Purchase, Simplified Acquisition, and Other Thresholds

SmallGovCon

Every five years, the government is required by 41 U.S.C. § 1908 to adjust the statutory acquisition thresholds for inflation, such as the Micro-Purchase Threshold, Simplified Acquisition Threshold, and others. It just so happens that the last such adjustment occurred back in 2020. As such, the government is once again looking to increase these thresholds in light of the inflation that has occurred over the past five years.

article thumbnail

GSA Schedules: A Guide to Simplifying Federal Procurement

USFCR

GSA Schedules: Your Path to Federal Contracting Success The General Services Administration (GSA) plays a vital role in simplifying government procurement. Through GSA Schedules , also known as Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) or Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) , businesses can access a streamlined pathway to sell goods and services to federal, state, and local governments.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

FBI’s AI efforts face funding and workforce barriers, OIG finds

FedScoop

The FBIs ability to fully embrace artificial intelligence has been hamstrung by funding constraints and various workforce and technical challenges, according to a new watchdog report. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General said the FBI has demonstrated initiative and taken steps to integrate AI capabilities in a manner consistent with guidance from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Utilities 120
article thumbnail

International Anti-Corruption Day — IACA’s Role in Anti-Corruption and Public Procurement

Public Procurement Intl

On December 9, 2024, in celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day, GW Law’s Christopher Yukins joined the International Anti-Corruption Academy to discuss IACA’s future contributions to the global efforts to prevent and fight corruption and promote compliance in public procurement. IACA has allowed us to explore how risk-based anti-corruption strategies complement – and strengthen – public procurement outcomes.

article thumbnail

Ransomware presents a growing threat to vulnerable local governments

American City & Country

In the past, cities and counties were not a prime target for ransomware attacks, says Rahul Mahna , a partner who leads the Outsourced IT Services team at Eisner Advisory Group LLC. The company is a licensed independent CPA firm providing tax and business consulting services to their clients, which includes governments. Mahna has more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and information technology.

article thumbnail

Siemens Business to Develop Naval Energy Storage System Under DIU Contract

ExecutiveBiz

Siemens energy business has secured a contract from the Defense Innovation Unit to prototype and integrate a large energy storage system on a U.S. Navy platform.

article thumbnail

DOE Awards Potential $1.1B DUF6 Conversion Contract to Mission Conversion Services Alliance

GovCon Wire

The Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center has awarded a contract to Mission Conversion Services Alliance for the continued management and operation of all uranium hexafluoride activities at the Portsmouth Paducah Project Office, or PPPO. According to an award notice posted on SAM.gov on Friday, the contract is potentially worth $1.

Contract 105
article thumbnail

TMF Helps Agencies Modernize and Improve Citizen Services

FedTech Magazine

The Technology Modernization Fund jump-started two major projects of the National Archives and Records Administration that will improve customer and employee experiences. With $9.1 million in TMF funds, NARA will upgrade two outdated IT systems no longer supported by its vendor with new cloud-based software. The new applications improve efficiencies and provide veterans and their families — and hundreds of federal agencies — with faster, more reliable and secure access to records.

article thumbnail

New survey: Public sector poised for generative AI revolution

AWS Public Sector

Amazon Web Services (AWS) , in partnership with Market Connections , is excited to announce the results of a recent study on how public sector leaders are approaching the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI). The survey asked 839 IT decision-makers in US government, education, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations about how their organizations envision incorporating generative AI into their unique missions.

Education 119
article thumbnail

Gen Digital Pays $55 Million False Claims Act Judgment Following Whistleblower Suit and Trial

Whistleblower Network News

On December 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Gen Digital Inc. (formerly known as Symantec Corp.) paid $55.1 million in a False Claims Act (FCA) judgement stemming from a qui tam whistleblower lawsuit. Following a four-week bench trial, Gen Digital was found liable “for making knowing false claims to the United States when it mispresented its commercial sales practices during the negotiation and subsequent performance of a General Services Administration (GSA) contract,” acc

article thumbnail

Webinar Event: Legal Updates 2024 hosted by the Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship, November 20, 2024

SmallGovCon

The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship is hosting this helpful, virtual workshop on Legal Updates 2024. In this webinar, government contracting attorneys, John Holtz and Gregory Weber will discuss the most important legal developments for federal contractors in 2024. Specifically, we will discuss important new small business rules, updates to the 8(a) rules and application procedures, joint venture changes, updated SDVOSB certification requirements, key provisions of the recen

article thumbnail

Building Opportunities: How Construction Expos Help Contractors Secure Federal Infrastructure Contracts

USFCR

Contractors Secure Federal Infrastructure Contracts The federal government continues to invest heavily in infrastructure, from rebuilding highways and bridges to constructing military facilities and disaster recovery projects. For contractors in the construction and infrastructure sectors, staying informed about trends, technologies, and opportunities is essential to securing federal contracts.

Contract 105
article thumbnail

Contractors breathe a sigh of relief at budget deal

Federal News Network

Federal contractors never expected Congress to get a full-year appropriation done last week. So they’re generally pleased about the avoidance of a government shutdown. That gives the government 11 weeks to deal with other lingering procurement issues. Stephanie Kostro, executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin for more.

Budget 111
article thumbnail

The federal government wants to teach workers about AI prompt engineering

FedScoop

The Federal Acquisition Institute, a career development resource housed within the General Services Administration, recently released a credential focused on artificial intelligence prompt engineering. The credential is more evidence that federal interest in purchasing AI technology continues to grow. The tool is specifically designed to help government acquisition staff evaluate large language models, the type of technology built by OpenAI and Anthropic.

article thumbnail

Procurement Methods vs. Solicitation Tools: What Every Procurement Professional Needs to Know

The Procurement ClassRoom

Throughout the evolution of project and public procurement management, terms and expressions in the field have increasingly been used interchangeably. Yet, these terms—such as Request for Quotations (RFQ), Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI), and Invitation for Bids (IFB)—are technically indicative of distinct concepts.

article thumbnail

Reverse Auctions in the U.S. States: Join GW Law Seminar

Public Procurement Intl

On Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 6 p.m. Eastern , join a GW Law presentation online by GW Law student Justin Duffy (Class of 2025) on reverse auctions across the U.S. states. He will discuss the recent federal rule endorsing electronic reverse auctions ( prior webinar ), and a proposed federal rule which would bar reverse auctions for construction services.

article thumbnail

Leidos Secures 3 DISA Task Orders for DODNET Expansion

ExecutiveBiz

Leidos has been awarded three contracts worth over $30 million in total by the Defense Information Systems Agency to continue enhancing and expanding the Department of Defense Network, or DODNet, under the Defense Enclave Services, or DES, program. The Reston, Virginia-based company said Thursday the three task orders are part of the 10-year, $11.

article thumbnail

USACE Begins Market Research for $249M Remedial Action Construction IDIQ

GovCon Wire

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has started seeking information on potential vendors that could provide remedial action construction, or RAC, support for the Iron King MineHumboldt Smelter, or IKM-HS, Superfund Site in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona.

Quantity 105
article thumbnail

Why Predictive AI Is Essential to Federal Zero-Trust Security

FedTech Magazine

Government interest in predictive artificial intelligence for zero-trust security has increased along with the number of vulnerabilities identified on federal networks. Predictive AI can strengthen agencies cybersecurity resilience and will likely become more important than generative AI because larger data sets will be at its disposal to anticipate attacks and trends, said Defense Information Systems Agency CTO Stephen Wallace at the 2024 Rubrik Public Sector Summit in October.

article thumbnail

Empowering the public sector with secure, governed generative AI experimentation

AWS Public Sector

Across industries, generative artificial intelligence (AI) adoption is revolutionizing the way we work, from enabling new capabilities to streamlining inefficient processes and improving service delivery. Successful adoption of generative AI, especially within the public sector, requires organizations to enable systematic experimentation and exploration, with their own data, for their workforce and constituents.

article thumbnail

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

Demand 105
article thumbnail

Strategies for Dealing with a Government Shutdown

SmallGovCon

Shuttering of the government (or parts of the government) following appropriations lapses has become an increasingly common phenomenon in recent times. Continuing resolutions have become a recurring stopgap measure. Funding lapses interrupt the usual predictability of government operations, which harms both agencies and federal contractors that are left in limbo with stop work orders.

article thumbnail

What is a GSA Schedule?

USFCR

GSA Schedules: Your Path to Federal Contracting Success The General Services Administration (GSA) plays a vital role in simplifying government procurement. Through GSA Schedules , also known as Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) or Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) , businesses can access a streamlined pathway to sell goods and services to federal, state, and local governments.

article thumbnail

A look inside the latest White House artificial intelligence memo

Federal News Network

Just days ago, the White House came out with a national security memorandum devoted to artificial intelligence. It’s a catch-all for trying to keep the United States ahead of A-I developments in what the memo calls the new frontier. For analysis, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with the Executive Vice President for Policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro.

article thumbnail

Several agencies haven’t met IoT cybersecurity requirements, GAO says

FedScoop

A handful of federal agencies missed deadlines to complete Internet of Things cybersecurity requirements called out in a 2020 law, a new congressional watchdog report found. The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 required the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Office of Management and Budget to develop guidance for securely procuring IoT — networked technology and devices typically connected to physical objects like buildings, vehicles and other infrastructure.

Inventory 122
article thumbnail

What is Cooperative Purchasing & How Does it Benefit Public Sector Procurement?

American City & Country

In today’s fast-paced and budget-conscious public sector environment, efficient procurement practices are more crucial than ever. Cooperative purchasing , by combining the needs of many agencies, not only lowers costs but also improves access to quality products and services, simplifies procurement processes, and ensures compliance with regulations.

article thumbnail

Wheelie good procurement: How Mexico City halved costs and improved its bike share scheme

Open Contracting Partnership

Mexico City is a leader in urban mobility, with a public bike share system that is the longest-running and largest network of its kind in Latin America. After operating the environmentally friendly and affordable service for ten years, the city sought to expand the popular “Ecobici” program to cover more neighborhoods, and upgrade the design and technology at a reasonable cost.

article thumbnail

MetTel’s Don Parente on Starlink, SD-WAN Broadband Service

ExecutiveBiz

Don Parente, vice president of public sector sales at MetTel, discussed how the Starlink satellite internet constellation has provided an opportunity for MetTel to expand its software-defined wide area network, or SD-WAN, broadband services to federal government customers.