Accelerate cloud sales to the SLED market | Uniform Guidance

May 18, 2023 by Leave a comment

Using a contract that was procured in accordance with Uniform Guidance, 2-C.F.R. Part 200, allows state and local (SLED) customers to bypass the traditonal request for proposals (RFP) process. The RFP process is often necessary to execute a deal; it is time consuming and labor intensive. The process can often be bypassed. 

immixGroup recently earned a publicly procured, competitively solicited contract award for Equalis Group Cloud Solutions contract with the Cooperative Council of Governments (CCOG). This contract allows IT suppliers and IT resellers to provide, through EC America, cloud products and services to public sector entities across the country through a legal and compliant exemption to the traditional RFP process. This contract was procured and awarded in accordance with the requirements of the Uniform Guidance.

It’s the perfect time to advise customers about the benefits of using this legal and compliant exemption

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FedRAMP and StateRAMP continue to align on cyber security

May 9, 2023 by Leave a comment

By Chauncey Kehoe, Contracts Manager, State, Local, and Education

Recent federal legislation is driving states to follow suit to similar cyber regulation.

During the last few years, we have highlighted the importance of StateRAMP as it pertains to infiltrating the SLED market and staying ahead of contract requirements. Now those things will be made easier with StateRAMP’s new Security Snapshot. For those manufacturers who have not yet received StateRAMP Verified status, you can leverage the StateRAMP Security Snapshot for a small fee and understand your product’s maturity level.

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Important Considerations in an M&A

April 11, 2023 by Leave a comment

Four Issues to Consider Before Buying

By Skyler Handl, Corporate Counsel, Public Sector

If you are looking to divest your public sector-focused business or complete an acquisition this year, there is one statistic that should provide pause. According to a recent Harvard Business Review article, 70 to 90 percent of all mergers and acquisitions (M&As) fail. Overpayment and underperforming M&A are common results. Here are some key factors that may impact your decision, valuation, and success.

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Win the Chance to Bid

March 22, 2023 by Leave a comment

Tips and techniques for successful RFP responses

By Kevin P. Young, Principal Market Intelligence Analyst

How can you improve the odds of your RFP being seriously considered? There are five general rules that will help keep you from making the most common mistakes that disqualify many RFPs.

The last thing a government contractor wants is to have their bid rejected because they did not correctly complete the government’s Request for Proposals (RFPs). However, rejections for incorrect RFP response are actually a common occurrence. With so many companies competing for federal business, RFPs are often rejected for non-conformity and sloppiness.

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Are you up to speed on cooperative agreements in SLED?

March 15, 2023 by Leave a comment

This often-overlooked tool can expedite procurement for sellers

By Benjamin Harris, SLED Market Intelligence Analyst, immixGroup

Newcomers to the state, local and education (SLED) market need a better understanding of certain contracting vehicles as they make their way through this area of procurement. A fundamental difference exists between the standard purchasing agreements used widely in the federal market and “cooperative agreements,” or cooperative purchasing contracts, that are part of the SLED sales toolbox.

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SLED Contract Spotlight on The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC)

February 15, 2023 by Leave a comment

While it’s a niche contract, it has the potential to reach into all but three states

By Jessica Wilhelm, Contract Specialist, immixGroup

It’s often the “biggest” and “broadest” contract vehicles that gain the most attention in the public sector. And with good reason, as organizations with limited time and resources often find many opportunities in such contract vehicles. However,  the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, or MHEC, (Midwestern Higher Education Compact mhec.org) IT Security Services Contract, while being a niche contract, is worth examining.  It is unique and worth considering for those organizations that are searching for SLED opportunities.  

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GSA Advantage suspensions and how your GSA contract is impacted

February 1, 2023 by Leave a comment

Order status reporting, why its important, and what to do if your contract is suspended

By Gina Brown, Manager, Federal Contracts, immixGroup

If you have a GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, you are familiar with the requirement to have your approved GSA offering uploaded onto GSA Advantage — the online shopping and ordering system. Recently, GSA surveyed agency customers and found customers wanted greater visibility into order status (e.g., shipped, cancelled, backordered). With this awareness, GSA set a goal to improve the customer buying experience and released a mass modification that required all MAS contract holders to provide a status on all GSA Advantage orders received in the GSA Advantage Purchase Order Portal.

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Understanding the GSA Ascend BPA

January 12, 2023 by Leave a comment

By Tara Franzonello, Program Development Manager, immixGroup

The General Services Administration’s FAS ITC (Federal Acquisition Service, Information Technology Center) is standardizing cloud acquisition with the “Ascend” blanket purchase agreement (BPA). Here’s what you need to know:

Ascend is a multiple-award blanket purchase agreement against the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Special Item Numbers 518210C cloud and cloud-related IT professional services and 54151S IT professional services. It is intended to help agencies simplify cloud acquisition and meet cybersecurity requirements.

BPA task orders can be placed under any of three independent primary pools identified by the government: 

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Government contracts 2022 — Year in review

January 5, 2023 by Leave a comment

By Hollie Kapos, Legal Counsel Director, immixGroup

2022 was a busy year, and it was easy to miss some big changes in commercial item government contracting. Below are some key updates from 2022 and what immixGroup is keeping an eye on in 2023 and beyond.

GSA Ascend BPA for Cloud
Ascend is a multiple-award blanket purchase agreement (BPA) under the cloud and professional services Multiple Award Schedule SINs intended to simplify acquisition of secure cloud solutions. Task orders under the BPA will be placed under one or more of three pools: (1) infrastructure- and platform-as-a-service, (2) software-as-a-service, and (3) cloud IT professional services. The BPA will also establish minimum cybersecurity requirements, including cybersecurity supply chain risk management (C-SCRM) and zero trust architecture (ZTA). GSA released a draft performance work statement in May, followed by a market research request for information in July. Using feedback it obtained from industry, GSA plans to release a draft request for quotations in 2Q2023. Suppliers looking to add products to the Ascend BPA should start preparing now; products will need to be on SIN 518210C for eligibility. Read Tara Franzonello’s Washington Technology article for more information.

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Don’t eliminate yourself from procurement awards by making these mistakes

December 6, 2022 by Leave a comment

By Kevin P. Young, Principal Market Intelligence Analyst

As I mentioned in my last blog, “Growing your FY23 pipeline,” the new fiscal year, which kicked off on October 1, offers a myriad of contacting opportunities for GovCons of all shapes, sizes and disciplines. From the standard federal budget programs to existing and new procurement vehicles, such as Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs), and Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, there is plenty of opportunity out there.

New programs earlier announced by the Administration provide substantial funding, including the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the $860 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Here are a few key, albeit sobering, facts about – and recommendations for – effective federal government procurement:

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