As the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently raised the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program limits, small businesses within the DoD continue to compete. Under the 8(a) Business Development program, the U.S. Navy recently selected contractors for a $99.8 million award to provide IT support for the Business Systems Center of Naval Supply Systems Command. The small businesses selected include IntellecTechs, Inc.; Digital Consultants, LLC; Bowhead Total Enterprise Solutions, LLC; and Eagle Harbor Solutions, LLC.
“The NAVSUP FLC Norfolk contracting professionals designed the contract to enhance opportunities for small business while at the same time promoting affordability. NAVSUP FLC Norfolk contracting officers molded an outstanding competitive acquisition strategy that balances advocacy of small business with state of the art cost effective solutions,” said Chris Espenshade, director, NAVSUP Office of Small Business Programs.
“Historically, no one has approached the 8(a) BD program in this manner. By competing for these requirements between eligible vendors, it provides a great opportunity for small disadvantaged businesses,” said Espenshade.
Employers come in all shapes and sizes, and a well-rounded job search recognizes that opportunities come from a variety of directions.
Contract Opportunities to Watch
| Perspecta | Perspecta was selected to support the Space Weather Analysis and Forecast System (SWAFS) program for the U.S. Space Force. The new work for the company has a five-year period or performance and a $71 million ceiling value. Perspecta will provide SWAFS personnel with an improved capability to analyze sensor data related to solar flares, solar winds and other space environmental conditions that may affect high-altitude aircraft, and space- and ground-based systems. Perspecta will migrate the SWAFS software applications to a cloud environment and deploy a data-as-a-service interface so that users get more direct access to near-real-time data. Use of this data collection model will allow the U.S. Department of Defense and other government organizations to increase the number of data sources available to the SWAFS program and upgrade its capacity to collate and correlate data.
“Space is an inherently risky environment with both natural and human-made threats to systems we need every day on earth,” said Jeff Bohling, senior vice president and general manager of Perspecta’s defense group. “The modernization work we will perform for SWAFS will provide the Air Force with an enhanced ability to evaluate space environmental data and greater situational awareness of threats as it navigates this increasingly important strategic and tactical environment.” |
|---|
Key Employer in the Cleared Industry
| Northrop Grumman | “Defining Possible means that I as an individual, the teams that I work on, and the employees that I work with every single day are the ones that will define what our company is capable of,” says Helen Mills. Ready to join the team that is Defining Possible?
|
|---|
Cleared Job of the Week
| Security Engineering Officers | The Department of State has its own law enforcement and security arm called the The Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). One way to support the DS mission that operates in 29 U.S. cities and more than 170 foreign countries is as a Security Engineering Officer. DS is in the business of protecting its people so they can safely and securely conduct diplomacy.
Security Engineering Officers provide technical security support and engineering expertise to protect U.S. Foreign Service posts overseas and in domestic locations. Responsibilities include working with all aspects of security systems – from design, development and analysis to installation and testing. Security Engineering Officers conduct security assessments for U.S. overseas missions, conduct technical surveillance countermeasure inspections, implement computer security measures, and support dignitary travel. |
|---|
Growth Opportunities
With more surveys dropping and more employees speaking out about remote work, the odds of a more coordinated, remote option in national security increase. As agencies and employers learn more about what has worked and what has been a bit of a flop, candidates can expect more job options that offer flexible scheduling, hybrid schedules, and full time remote work. It’s tempting to highlight the benefits to employees, but a surefire way to keep work from home options simply as a nice to have offering is to forget to talk about clients and employer perspectives in the deal. Focusing on productivity levels, increased efficiency, and cost savings will be the fastest way to save your commuting time. It’s true that an employee who has work-life balance might be happier at their job, but does it save the organization money? Does it bring in more contracts? Employees have to be part of the equation to answer that.
