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AFRL Is Exploring Ways to Reach More Small Businesses
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AFRL Is Exploring Ways to Reach More Small Businesses

Brian McJilton, director of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Small Business Office, said there has been a 33 percent drop in the number of small companies partnering with the Department of Defense in the past five to seven years and that his office is working to address that trend by educating such enterprises on how to collaborate with DOD, AFRL reported Monday.

“While this hasn’t impacted us significantly yet, it could in the future,” McJilton said at a recent summit held in Dayton, Ohio.

“We need to be proactive and seek innovative ways to attract and support new small businesses to ensure the supply-chain of small businesses stays strong for the future,” he added.

During the event, the AFRL official cited the importance of feedback from small businesses and the potential role of artificial intelligence tools in improving efficiency.

McJilton noted that his office is exploring ways to bolster engagement with small businesses and streamline processes and seeks to “set actionable priorities for the coming year.”

“Our goal is to invest resources effectively and connect with businesses that align with our needs,” he said. “We offer a range of tools and programs to help small businesses understand and access opportunities within AFRL.”

The AFRL office has reportedly reached over 2,000 small businesses through platforms and events since 2023 and is on track to exceed its 2023 small business performance metrics.

“We are currently ahead of last year’s small business numbers. If this trend continues, we will likely exceed last year’s figures. It’s about how much money we’re awarding to small businesses. Financially, I believe we will surpass last year’s figures easily,” McJilton stated.

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CDC Issues RFI on NIOSH IT Support Services
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CDC Issues RFI on NIOSH IT Support Services

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a request for information to determine interested companies capable of providing information technology support services.

According to the RFI posted on SAM.gov on Sept. 16, the CDC is seeking input from businesses with the capabilities to provide IT services for the Office of the Director for Information Technology at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The results of the notice will help determine whether to award the single firm fixed price contract to small businesses or other organizations under socioeconomic categories. The contract, which will have a base year and four one-year option periods, may also be procured through full or open competition.

Interested parties may submit their responses by Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. EDT.

Register here to attend the Potomac Officers Club‘s 2024 Healthcare Summit and join the discussions about the trends, innovations and issues shaping the future of the healthcare sector.

CDC Issues RFI on NIOSH IT Support Services
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Polar Semiconductor Secures $123M From Commerce to Expand Facility
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Polar Semiconductor Secures $123M From Commerce to Expand Facility

Polar Semiconductor, a manufacturer of analog and power semiconductor devices and sensors, has booked a $123 million contract from the U.S. Department of Commerce to expand and modernize its manufacturing facility.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday the award, the first under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, is intended to double the production of sensors and power chips at Polar’s Bloomington, Minnesota facility within two years.

The award is part of a $525 million investment from private, state and federal sources to turn Polar from mostly foreign-owned to majority U.S.-owned. It is also expected to generate over 160 new jobs in Minnesota. 

The funds will be allocated when the company completes specific project milestones. 

President Joe Biden emphasized that the CHIPS and Science Act, part of the administration’s Investing in America agenda, will revitalize American leadership in semiconductors and strengthen supply chains and national security.

“Polar’s new facility will also be completed under a Project Labor Agreement to support its construction workforce, creating good-quality union jobs in Bloomington, Minnesota,” Biden said.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo remarked, “The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment in Polar will create a new U.S.-owned foundry for sensor and power semiconductors and modernize and expand Polar’s facilities in Minnesota, strengthening our national and economic security, bolstering our supply chains, and creating quality jobs.”

Surya Iyer, president and chief operating officer of Polar Semiconductor, commented, “Through our collaborative and sustained workforce development efforts, we expect to support customers with highly skilled employees today and into the future.”

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DOD to Build Concrete Shield Structure for Nuclear Reactor at INL
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DOD to Build Concrete Shield Structure for Nuclear Reactor at INL

The Department of Defense has started the groundwork to construct a concrete shield structure for the Project Pele transportable nuclear reactor at Idaho National Laboratory.

Beginning In 2025, workers will build the concrete shield structure at INL to house the prototype reactor, the DOD said Tuesday.

BWXT Advanced Technologies is manufacturing the reactor for the Strategic Capabilities Office and will start the project’s assembly stage by February next year.

The company received a potential $300 million contract from the SCO in 2022 to deliver the requirement, which would become the first Generation IV nuclear reactor to generate electricity in the United States.

Using four shipping containers, BWXT will transport the fully assembled reactor on a truck in 2026. Upon its arrival at the INL test site, it will be placed inside the concrete shield structure. The mobile reactor will undergo a safety review; then, the Project Pele team will conduct testing and assessment activities.

If the equipment performs to expectations, it could meet the demand for resilient and carbon-free energy to support mission-critical military operations in remote and austere environments, the DOD said.

According to SCO Director Jay Dryer, Project Pele is envisioned to enhance DOD energy resilience and advance nuclear power technology for civilian uses.

The SCO project is being implemented with support from the Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Meanwhile, BWXT is working closely with Northrop Grumman, Rolls Royce Liberty Works and Torch Technologies to ensure the microreactor’s successful delivery.

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Bridget Bean to Reveal Priorities as CISA’s New Executive Director
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Bridget Bean to Reveal Priorities as CISA’s New Executive Director

Bridget Bean is a proven federal leader, which is why it’s no surprise that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency chose her to succeed the long-tenured Brandon Wales as executive director in August. Bean’s experience includes government work in human capital, emergency management and economic development and she’s highly skilled at — and passionate about — cutting through bureaucracy to deliver tangible results.

At the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 13, the newly appointed Bean will kick off the event as the opening keynote speaker and will unveil her priority areas in helping to lead CISA. This is an invaluable opportunity to network with a powerful official and learn about the future direction of CISA, so don’t miss out — save your spot today.

Let’s learn a little more about Bean ahead of this exciting engagement.

30 Years of Federal Service

Bean has devoted her life and career to the federal government. But she’s also committed to making it more effective and is extremely results-focused and devoted to bolstering national security.

“It’s not a question of if, but when,” Bean told ClearanceJobs regarding impending threats. “We’re facing increased ransomware attacks, all kinds of things that are the nontraditional 9/11 terrorist activities.”

Small Business Administration

Her time in the government started in 1994 at the Small Business Administration, where she began as a deputy assistant administrator with oversight of SBA contracts and grants management worth more than $250 million. These included warrant authority, facilities, security and records management, among other areas. Over two decades, she eventually graduated to the senior executive service and became SBA’s deputy chief operating officer and chief human capital officer.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Subsequently, Bean joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In her eventual role as deputy administrator for resilience, she commanded an annual spend of $600 million and led a team of over 1,600.

Crucially, she also spent time running FEMA’s Grants Program Directorate, where she was in charge of judiciously matching $20 billion in available homeland security funds with the latest, most daunting threat situations. This prepared her well for her next agency assignment, and for her remarks at the forthcoming Homeland Security Summit.

CISA

Bean came to CISA in 2022 as the agency’s first-ever chief integration officer. This position entailed rallying local and regional components and ensuring they operated cohesively to protect the digital infrastructure that the U.S. depends on.

“My team on the ground across the nation has the responsibility and the wonderful opportunity to bring together stakeholders, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and state and local government officials, to really tackle the problems that are facing our nation in cyber and physical,” she said of her work as chief integration officer.

Bridget Bean to Reveal Priorities as CISA's New Executive Director
Bridget Bean. Photo: ClearanceJobs

Recent CISA Developments

CISA is an extremely active agency with a lot of responsibilities to manage. Below are some of its most recent efforts to strengthen the resilience of the American cyberspace:

  • Last week, CISA published a guidebook that helps inform federal civilian agencies how they can align their work to cybersecurity best practices. It’s named FCEB Operational Cybersecurity Alignment, or FOCAL.
  • New threat warnings are unfortunately a common occurrence for the agency. On Sept. 6, alongside the National Security Agency, the FBI and international partners, CISA released an advisory about the Russian GRU Unit 29155 suspected cyber criminal group. The unit was behind the WhisperGate malware, which was deployed in Ukraine and other nations.
  • In order to try and improve cyber incident reporting processes, CISA created the CISA Services Portal and Voluntary Cyber Incident Reporting on Aug. 30. It is outfitted with a user interface accommodating easy filing, saving, updating, searching and sharing functionality.
  • Follow along with more updates on CISA!

Bridget Bean to Kick Off 2024 Homeland Security Summit

If you want a more complete picture of what CISA is working on now and what it has planned for the future, as well as a peek at how Bean is approaching her new job, be sure to catch her opening keynote address at the 2024 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 13, from Potomac Officers Club.

“We really want to work with our partners to make sure they’re taking all those precautions to best protect themselves,” Bean shared.

The event’s lineup is packed with high-profile names from across DHS and its topics will include everything from AI to IT to customer experience to 3D simulation. Check out the full lineup and register before there are no slots left!

Bridget Bean to Reveal Priorities as CISA's New Executive Director
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OSIbeyond Attains NIST 800-171 Compliance
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OSIbeyond Attains NIST 800-171 Compliance

OSIbeyond has obtained NIST 800-171 compliance and is expected to garner the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 Level 2 certification by mid-2025.

In light of the new achievement, the company said Wednesday it plans to continue supporting its government contracting clientele and promoting fidelity to the cybersecurity protocols set by the Department of Defense.

Payam Pourkhomami, president and CEO of OSIbeyond and one of Executive Mosaic‘s GovCon Experts, said, “Our number one priority is to ensure that our GovCon clients achieve certification by the time the CMMC rollout begins.”

OSIbeyond has reportedly met all 110 controls outlined in the NIST 800-171 Rev. 2 framework.

According to the CMMC 2.0 proposed final ruling, if an organization seeking certification uses an external service provider—or ESP—the provider will also be required to be certified at the same level as the corresponding organization. If the organization’s ESP is unsuccessful in reaching the certification level, the contractor will be unable to receive CMMC certification.

“We recognize that as a [managed service provider], it is our responsibility to meet the CMMC compliance obligations and not become a roadblock to the success of our client’s business, but also to help facilitate their competitive advantage in the Defense Industrial Base,” Pourkhomami added.

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US, United Arab Emirates to Partner on AI
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US, United Arab Emirates to Partner on AI

The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence and related technologies and signaled their commitment to developing a government-to-government memorandum of understanding on AI between the two countries.

The White House said Monday the U.S. and UAE will promote acceptance of international AI frameworks, standards and principles to ensure the responsible development and use of AI tools, align regulatory AI frameworks and rules to protect national security interests and foster ethical AI research and development efforts.

The two countries will also deepen cooperation in AI protection and cybersecurity, promote talent development and exchange and support the use of AI for sustainable development in developing countries, meet the energy demands of AI technologies with clean energy sources and facilitate bilateral investment to gain opportunities for developing a secure AI infrastructure.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. assistant to the president for national security affairs, announced the collaboration on AI with Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s national security adviser.

Register now to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s GovCon International Summit on Oct. 10. Speakers will discuss how international partnerships, emerging technologies and coalition warfare are reshaping the defense landscape and how the U.S. can stay ahead of the curve.

POC - GovCon International Summit
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Bipartisan Senate Bill to Extend Chief Data Officers Council
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Bipartisan Senate Bill to Extend Chief Data Officers Council

Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Todd Young, R-Ind., have proposed a bipartisan bill that would extend the Chief Data Officers Council for seven years to help federal agencies address data management challenges as they adopt and field artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee said Monday the proposed Modernizing Data Practices to Improve Government Act would direct the CDO Council, which is set to expire in 2025, to assess the federal government’s data management practices to enhance data access, quality and transparency.

The legislation would also require the Office of Management and Budget to submit a report recommending ways to improve and clarify the roles of chief data officers across government.

Under the proposed measure, the CDO Council would also be required to report to Congress and OMB on key data governance issues facing agencies, offer recommendations for data ownership and retention policies to include procurement contracts for AI systems and provide guidance on how agencies should define and use synthetic data that AI tools create.

“As the use of artificial intelligence continues to grow, federal agencies must have strong data practices and protections in place to better provide efficient and effective services to the American people,” said Peters, chairman of the Senate panel.

“Extending the Chief Data Officers Council will ensure that the federal government is able to pursue best practices to manage and protect data, especially as agencies increasingly adopt AI and other technologies to improve government operations,” the senator added.

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DOD OIG Flags Navy for Failure to Address E-2D Aircraft Deficiencies
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DOD OIG Flags Navy for Failure to Address E-2D Aircraft Deficiencies

The Naval Air Systems Command‘s E‑2/C‑2 Airborne Command & Control Systems Program Office, or PMA‑231, has failed to address or correct 141 of the 213 deficiencies identified in the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft during the seven operational tests it had been subjected to, according to the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General.

The DOD OIG made this observation in an audit report released Monday concerning the airborne early warning command, control and surveillance aircraft and the efforts NAVAIR has undertaken in partnership with Northrop Grumman to modify and upgrade the E-2D’s capabilities to match emerging technologies and threats.

According to the DOD OIG, the deficiencies were not addressed because PMA-231 did not track them and did not develop plans to evaluate and correct them. Consequently, the DOD watchdog concluded that the E-2D “does not have all required performance capabilities…which could prevent the Navy from accomplishing missions.”

To resolve this problem, three recommendations were proposed. First, PMA-231 should establish a process to track deficiencies in the E-2D found during operational tests. Second, PMA-231 should identify deficiencies that have not been resolved, determine if they should be resolved and take action accordingly. Third, the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition should establish a process to monitor the work being done by PMA-231 regarding the deficiencies.

The Navy aims to acquire a total of 80 E-2Ds by 2026, of which 62 have already been fielded. The work with Northrop to upgrade the aircraft is planned to continue until fiscal year 2027.

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NASA Unveils New Communication Plans for Better Industry Engagement
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NASA Unveils New Communication Plans for Better Industry Engagement

NASA has released two new communication plans to reduce the barriers hindering small and minority business enterprises from working with the agency and improve how NASA engages with all businesses before, during and after contract awards.

The plans were created following an assessment of best practices and barriers to procurement by a multidisciplinary team that included the Offices of Procurement and Small Business Programs, NASA said Monday.

The Small and Minority Business Enterprise Communication Plan outlines the agency’s goals for enhancing its outreach efforts and increasing spending with such businesses to encourage their participation in the procurement processes.

In the updated Vendor Communication Plan, NASA highlights existing efforts to remain in contact with award recipients, including through webinars, email support and final performance review, and provides guidelines on meeting with contractors to ensure proper communication with the industry.

“By implementing innovative practices and refining our procurement processes, we aim to not only drive forward our key mission objectives but also to stimulate industry-wide innovation and inclusivity,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, a past Wash100 Award recipient.

“These efforts are vital as we seek to leverage the full spectrum of talent and creativity available, ensuring that all voices have a chance to contribute to our groundbreaking work in space exploration,” she added.

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