The state of the Federal Acquisition Service
This week on Off the Shelf, Sonny Hashmi, Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner, provides an update on the state of FAS, including outlining the ongoing realignment of the…
Pentagon chooses 8 new ‘hubs’ to lead $2B effort to revitalize US microelectronics
The Defense Department on Wednesday made hundreds of millions of dollars in contract awards meant to spur the development of microelectronics manufacturing throughout the country, part of a…
A messy dispute caught one company for millions of dollars of government refund demands
The CARES Act, enacted during the pandemic, let the government reimburse contractors for employees on paid leave: Those who could not access federal work sites or work remotely….
What good is federal grant money if you can’t get your hands on it?
The Build Back Better Act, passed nearly two years ago, secured over $2 trillion for many aspects of the Biden Administration’s agenda, one of which includes infrastructure projects…
Contractors prepare for shutdown or at least an austere October
With continuing resolution discussions seeming to nowhere, the chances of a government shutdown are rising. Contractors and federal employees will feel it first. For more, Federal Drive Host…
Contractors worry first about getting the contract and second, can they fulfill it
People running federal contractors must forecast their annual business, no less than any other CEO. What makes the federal market unique is that the specific size is known…
So far, no FAR: A look inside one agency’s unique procurement shop
Imagine a federal procurement shop where you use every technique, except the Federal Acquisition Regulation. And you don’t do grants, either. And you’ve got congressional backing for your…
The regulations on federal contractors keep piling on
The Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs, part of the Labor Department, has gotten White House go-ahead, for what one lawyer calls, “A significant expansion of data that…
The Dangers of a “Too Nice” Workplace
Efforts to be “nice” at work can backfire and be counterproductive if they result in avoidance of feedback, clear communication, and dialogue between managers and employees. The post…
Making Employee Mental Health a Priority
According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey, some 92 percent of respondents said it is important to them for their employer to provide support…