Archive for December, 2009

M-W Electric, Inc., Red Springs, NC, Robeson County, has been awarded a contract worth $249,967.95 by the US Coast Guard for Electrical Rehab @ USCG Oak Island Light – Southport, NC.

Carl Rose & Sons, Inc., Elkin, NC, Surry County, has won a contract worth $225,707.00 from the Army Corps of Engineers using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for Paving Repairs and new Paving various camp sites at W. Kerr Scott Recreation areas.

Diana Corbin, Asheville, NC, Buncombe County, has won a contract with a potential value of $56,250.00 from the Forest Service for Editorial Assistant Services for the Southern Research Station.

Curtiss-Wright Controls Inc, Flight Systems- Product Support Division, Shelby, NC, Cleveland County, has been awarded a contract worth $1,547,800.00 by the Department of the Army for Msl Aircraft Accessories and Components.

Triumph Actuation Systems, LLC, Clemmons, NC, Forsyth County, has been awarded a contract worth $648,461.88 by the Defense Logistics Agency for Cylinder Assemblies.

Air System Components, Sanford, NC, Lee County, has been awarded a contract worth $37,559.13 by the Defense Logistics Agency for Fog Precipitators.

J2 Associates, LLC, Raleigh, NC, Wake County, has won a contract worth $59,082.41 from the Department of the Army for Purchase and Installation of American Power Conversion.

Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, Durham County, has won a contract worth $843,180.00 from the Department of the Interior using ARRA funding for Non-Use Valuation Survey for Klamath Dam Removal.

Scott Technologies, Inc., Monroe, NC, Union County, has been awarded a contract worth $297,406.20 by the Defense Logistics Agency for Amplifiers.

The Obama White House capped off a decade of unprecedented growth in government contracting by announcing plans to rein in that growth.

Contract spending more than doubled over the first eight years of the decade from $259 billion in 2000 to $530 billion in 2008 as the government responded to Sept. 11 attacks, established a new Cabinet agency, funded two wars and responded to natural disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

But in 2009, the new Obama administration hit the brakes.

Click here to read the whole story about changes that are already in process.

A recent decision by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), B-401955, Excel Building & Development Corporation, December 23, 2009, reconfirmed the strict requirements regarding submittal of proper bid bonds for construction projects.

Excel Building & Development Corporation of Johnson City, TN, protested the rejection of its bid by the US Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, under invitation for bids (IFB) No. AG-4756-S-09-0042 for the construction of a campground bathhouse in the Cherokee National Forest. The Forest Service rejected Excel’s bid because the protester did not submit an original bid bond as required by the IFB.

It should be noted that the IFB (sealed bid) process is very formal and the requirements are strict. If a bidder fails to follow the exact requirements specified in the solicitation, there is very little leeway for correction and acceptance of the bid.

In part, the GAO decision states:

“The determinative question in judging the sufficiency of a bid guarantee such as a bid bond is whether it could be enforced if the bidder subsequently fails to execute required contract documents and to provide performance and payment bonds… For the bid guarantee to be viewed as enforceable, the surety must appear to be clearly bound based on the information in the possession of the contracting officer at the time of bid opening… Copies of bid guarantee documents, whether transmitted electronically or hand-delivered, generally do not satisfy the requirement for a bid guarantee since there is no way, other than by referring to the original documents after bid opening, for the contracting agency to be certain that there had not been alterations to which the surety had not consented and could use as a basis to disclaim liability…

“Moreover, a bond deficiency may not be cured by submitting the original bond documents after bid opening because this would essentially provide the bidder with the option of accepting or rejecting the award by either correcting or not correcting a bond deficiency, which is inconsistent with the sealed bidding system… For this reason, a surety’s post-bid opening letter to the contracting officer cannot establish the liability of the surety and responsiveness of the protester’s bid. A nonresponsive bid cannot be made responsive after bid opening through an explanation of what the bidder or surety intended…

“Here, we find that the Forest Service properly rejected Excel’s bid. The bid bond submitted with the protester’s bid did not contain the surety’s agent’s original signature and seal. Without referring, after bid opening, to the document containing the surety agent’s original signature, the Forest Service cannot ascertain whether or not there had been alterations to which the surety had not consented and could use as a basis to disclaim liability. Accordingly, Excel’s bid guarantee cannot be viewed as enforceable based on the information in the possession of the contracting officer at the time of bid opening.”

Joyner Keeny, PLLC, Rocky Mount, NC, Nash County, has won a contract worth up to $2,500,000.00 from the Army Corps of Engineers for Architect-Engineer Services for Surveying and Mapping Services to Support the Wilmington District and the South Atlantic Division.

Williams Construction & Cabinetry, Inc., Robbinsville, NC, Graham County, has won a contract worth $199,943.96 from the Forest Service using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for Ferebee Public Take-out upgrade – Nantahala NF – North Carolina.

Whiting-Turner Contracting, Raleigh, NC, Wake County, has won a contract worth $115,000.00 with an option worth $11,629,000.00 from the Department of the Navy for Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) for P714 Physical Fitness Center, MCB, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Group III Mgt, Inc., Kinston, NC, Lenoir County, has won a contract worth $8,393,416.00 from the Army Corps of Engineers for Construction of a new Armed Forces Reserve Center at Wilmington, NC.

Custom Gas Solutions, LLC, Durham, NC, Durham County, has won a contract worth $42,054.88 from the Department of the Army for CK gas.

Parata Systems LLC, Durham, NC, Durham County, has been awarded a contract worth $24,459.12 by the Department of Veterans Affairs for Service and Support for Existing Parta Pharmacy Systems.

International Pharmaceutical, Durham, NC, Durham County, has been awarded a contract worth $103,347.72 for Pharmaceuticals and a contract worth $4,833.18 for Medical and Surgical Items for Leavenworth by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Conventor, Inc., Cary, NC, Wake County, has won a contract worth $36,850.00 from NASA for Micro Electromechanical Systems Software Base Year + 2 Option Years.

Burlington Industries LLC, Greensboro, NC, Guilford County, has won a contract worth $123,319.78 from the Defense Logistics Agency for Serge Cloth.

Applied Energy Management, Huntersville, NC, Mecklenburg County, has won three Indefinite Quantity Job Order Contracts (JOC) for Energy Conservation Projects from the United States Postal Service, each of which is worth up to $9,500,000.00.

Eaton Corporation, Raleigh, NC, Wake County, has won two Indefinite Quantity Job Order Contracts (JOC) for Energy Conservation Projects from the United States Postal Service, each of which is worth up to $9,500,000.00.

Clark Equipment Company, Statesville, NC, Iredell County, has won a contract worth $33,790.00 from the Department of the Interior using ARRA funding for Portable Diesel Air Compressors for Coulee Dam.

K3 Enterprises, Inc., Fayetteville, NC, Cumberland County, has won a contract worth $15,651.88 from the U.S. Special Operations Command for Guest Speaker for Psychological Operations Officer Qualification Course (POQC).

DK Enterprise, Inc., Fayetteville, NC, Cumberland County, has been awarded a contract worth $41,490.00 by the Defense Logistics Agency for Drip Pans.

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Inc., Charlotte, NC, Mecklenburg County, has been awarded a contract worth $186,391.00 by the Department of the Army for Hazard-Detecting Instruments & Apparatus.

On December 17, the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Army, announced the increase in force structure of the 7th Signal Command and its two Brigades. The mission of the Command is to support the objectives of the Army’s LandWarNet. To achieve this objective, the Commanding General, BG Jennifer Napper, and her G-3 (Operations) Officer, Colonel Michael Kell, will establish a Network Operations Center (NOC) at Ft. Gordon, GA. From there the Command will consolidate the more than 240 Army Networks currently operating within the Continental United States (CONUS).

To assist them in this effort, the 93rd Signal Brigade will be headquartered at Ft. Eustis, VA and charged with the responsibilities for all the networks east of the Mississippi River while the 106th Signal Brigade at Ft. Sam Huston will assume responsibility for those west of the Mississippi River.

As of October 1, 2009, the Command has both operational and financial responsibility for all the US Army Signal Network Operating Centers (formerly the Directorate of Information Management or DOIM) within CONUS. The Command will eventually assume control of both SOUTHCOM and NORTHCOM networks.

LandWarNet is the Army’s part of the DoD information technology infrastructure and is to provide a world wide single point of entry to its capabilities to operating and generating forces in support of the Army.

Contracting with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been much in the news lately. Three years in the making, the VA finalized regulations concerning its service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and veteran-owned small business (VOSB) set aside programs on December 8. At the same time, the VA has come under increased scutiny for alleged kickbacks, fradulently awarded contracts, and other contracts-related criminal activity. In fact, legislation has now been introduced to address perceived deficiencies within the VA’s procurement process.

Features of the VA’s finalized regulations include:

Contracting Order of Priority
In determining the acquisition strategy applicable to an acquisition, the contracting officer shall consider, in the following order of priority, contracting preferences that ensure contracts will be awarded:
(a) To SDVOSBs;
(b) To VOSB, including but not limited to SDVOSBs;
(c) Pursuant to–
(1) Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act or
(2) The Historically-Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program and
(d) Pursuant to any other small business contracting preference.

Sole Source Awards
For any procurement ranging from $3,000 to $5 million, the VA contracting officer may award a sole-source contract to a SDVOSB or to a VOSB even if other SDVOSBs or VOSBs are available to meet the requirement. The awardee must be determined responsible and must be registered and verified as eligible in the VIP database, and the award must be at a fair and reasonable price.

SDVOSB and VOSB Set-Asides
If it is not handled as a sole source award, the VA contracting officer must set aside each procurement between $100,000 and $5 million for which they expect two or more eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses or veteran-owned small businesses to submit a fair and reasonable offer.

Other features of the regulation include:

Establishment of a Mentor-Protege Program under which large firms that participate in the program receive preference in the award of VA contracts.

VA contracting officers may purchase supplies and services produced or provided by Federal Prison Industries (FPI) from eligible service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses, without any waiver from FPI.

If you think your firm may qualify as a VOSB/SDVOSB, see The Center for Veterans Enterprise Web Portal for complete details about eligibility, registration and verification.

See VA plagued by contracts-related crimes, IG official says and Veterans Affairs’ acquisition practices come under fire for details about the problems at the VA and the proposed legislation to “shape up… ‘major deficiencies’ in Veterans Affairs Department contracting”.

Legislation introduced last week would raise the net worth cap for participants of the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Currently, the minority small business assistance program excludes individuals whose net worth is more than $750,000. The bill, sponsored by Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., would adjust the cap, which was established in 1988, for inflation, bringing it to $978,722. It also would allow for increases with future inflation.

Click here to read the full story.

Diamondwater Construction, LLC, Willow Spring, NC, Wake County, has won a contract worth $175,000.00 from the US Army Corps of Engineers using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for Replacement of Boat Ramp at W Kerr Scott Reservoir.

Charles Melton, Fayetteville, NC, Cumberland County, has won contracts from Fort Bragg worth $179,000.00 for Miscellaneous Repairs and upgrades throughout Barracks, BLDG H-5748 and $24,500.00 for Painting.

LGS Innovations LLC, McLeansville, NC, Guilford County, has been awarded a contract worth $1,227,580.83 by the Department of the Army for ADP Telecommunications & Transmission Services.

Biomerieux , Inc., Durham, NC, Durham County, has been awarded a contract worth $33,188.16 by the Department of the Army for Bactalert 3D Blood Culture System.

Computational Engineering Inc, Apex. NC, Wake County, has won a contract worth $54,899.00 from NASA for Ensight Gold Support And Maintenance.

Kidde Technologies Inc., Wilson, NC, Wilson County, has been awarded a contract worth $26,528.64 by the Defense Logistics Agency for Safety Fill Fittings.

Andritz Hydro Corp, Charlotte, NC, Mecklenburg County, has won a contract worth $18,222,932.00 from the Department of the Interior for Folsom Generator Rewind/Excitation System Replacement at the Folsom Powerplant.

Guerrero Builders, LLC, Raeford, NC, Hoke County, has won a contract worth $695,596.00 from the Department of Veterans Affairs for Emergency Generators.

Curtiss-Wright Controls, Inc., Shelby, NC, Cleveland County, has won a contract worth $43,024.95 from the Defense Logistics Agency for Carrier Assemblies.

Scott Technologies, Inc., Monroe, NC, Union County, has been awarded a contract worth $63,640.00 by the Department of the Interior using ARRA funding for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus for Grand Coulee Dam.

Amidon Builders & Developers, Inc/DBA Amidon Contracting Solutions, Zebulon, NC, Wake County, has won a contract worth $8,770.45 from Fort Bragg for VWT Awning and Flooring.

Image Graphics Inc., Fayetteville, NC, Cumberland County, has won a contract worth $7,107.00 from Fort Bragg for Install/Un-Install LE Vehicle Graphics.

Sandhills Door & Hardware Inc, Aberdeen, NC, Moore County has won a contract worth $42,189.00 from Fort Bragg for Replacing Doors at Hardy Hall.

Pickett Hosiery Mills, Inc., Burlington, NC, Alamance County, has won a contract worth $100,000.00 from the Defense Logistics Agency for Socks.

Berg General Supply Inc, Fayetteville, NC, Cumberland County, has won contracts worth $26,000.00 and $55,900.00 from the Defense Logistics Agency for Turret Base Covers.

International Pharmaceutical, Durham, NC, Durham County, has won a contract worth $8,086.58 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Anfield Inc. is a woman-owned veteran-owned small business with its US corporate office based in Raleigh, NC. The company also has a wholly owned subsidiary based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Anfield has over 15 years experience in the field of content creation and information. Specific services include web based training development, instructor-led training content creation, virtual classroom training, multimedia development, technical writing, and translation and localization. The company has primarily worked in the telecommunications industry, but also has been engaged in the military, leisure and pharmaceutical sectors.

Web and Virtual Classroom training: Anfield encompasses the full development life cycle supporting its customers with analysis, design, development, and release of courses. Using web-based courseware, customers can expedite their training initiatives, for staff or customers, and eliminate travel costs associated with traditional classroom instruction. The virtual environment enables customers to enjoy all the benefits of a classroom environment without the cost and overhead of traveling to a physical location.

Multimedia: Anfield employs its knowledgeable multimedia staff to meet the demands of its customers’ online business needs. From sales and marketing collateral to web page design and enhancement, Anfield has the skills to support a full range of electronic media.

Technical Writing: Anfield has extensive experience in delivering a variety of technical writing services supporting technical specifications and publications, as well as creating standard procedural documentation (safety and compliance for example). They have the technical capability to undertake assignments covering a range of topics from complex products, to manpower compliance, safety, and professional development plans.

Translation & Localization: All the above services relate to content and information. Many of Anfield’s customers operate globally and need their information to be sent around the world in many different languages. Anfield can provide a one stop shop support to its customers. They create the original material and then translate it into the necessary language. They offer a standard set of 38 languages, which includes all the most common European and Asian languages, plus others, such as Arabic, Farsi, Hindi and Gujarat.

As a vendor with customers in various different sectors, Anfield is capable of supporting a wide range of software regimes, as well as providing full project management and LMS support.

Software Capabilities include:

Adobe Acrobat
Adobe FrameMaker
Adobe Flash
Adobe Dreamweaver
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Premiere
Adobe AfterEffects
Adobe Soundbooth
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Presenter
Adobe Captivate
Adobe Authorware
Adobe Director
Adobe Audition
Broadvision Quicksilver
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Access
Sony Sound Forge
Camtasia Studio
Articulate Presenter
Articulate Engage
Articulate Quizmaker
Trivantis Lectora
Saba Content Manager
Saba Publisher
Altova XML Spy
Altova SemanticWorks
Altova MapForce
Altova SchemaAgent
Media Semantics Character Builder
QuarkXpress
Apple QuickTime Professional
Apple Final Cut Pro
CorelDRAW
Corel Paint Shop Pro
Corel WordPerfect

For more information about Anfield, visit their website at http://www.anfield-information.com/companyoverview.htm.

The two councils that amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation published seven new rules in the Federal Register yesterday.

One of them finalizes an interim rule encouraging food service contractors to donate “wholesome excess food to nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to food-insecure people in the United States.”

As expressed in an article by Elise Costello, “it serves as a nice reminder that in these tough economic times, when demand is outpacing donations in many places, the federal government and its contractors have the power to help all year long, avoiding waste on more than one level.”

The other new rules include:

•A rule finalizing the requirement for all new information technology products agencies purchase to comply with Internet Protocol Version 6.

•A rule prohibiting the use of government purchase card to pay vendors that owe money (taxes, fines, etc.) to the government. This rule does NOT apply to purchases below the $3,000 micro-purchase threshold, which are the majority of purchase card transactions.

•A rule about what travel costs and a rule about what retirement costs contractors can charge the government for.

•A rule that repeals the Bush-era requirement for contractors to post information about the right for employees to not join unions.

•And a rule that institutes some technical amendments.