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GSA Expands Pool of Awardees Under Commercial Platforms Program; Tom Howder Quoted
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GSA Expands Pool of Awardees Under Commercial Platforms Program; Tom Howder Quoted

The General Services Administration has broadened its pool of vendors under the Commercial Platforms Program, which is designed to help federal agencies easily purchase and analyze online spending on routine commercial products in support of their missions.

The expansion of the Commercial Platforms Program through the award of new contracts will provide federal buyers using GSA SmartPay Purchase cards with access to additional online platforms while gaining insights into their spending, GSA said Wednesday.

“This is about meeting our customers where they are with a modernized user experience and streamlined process for government purchase cardholders,” said Tom Howder, acting commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service.

“Since its implementation in 2020, the Commercial Platforms Program has grown to support close to 40 agencies, including over 55,000 buyers and accounting for 300,000+ annual orders in FY23,” added Howder.

The new awardees are:

  • Amazon Business
  • e-Procurement Services
  • Fisher Scientific
  • Grainger
  • Noble Supply & Logistics
  • Pacific Ink
  • Social Glass
  • Staples
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Army Makes Public 1st Iteration of Its Unified Data Reference Architecture; Jennifer Swanson Quoted
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Army Makes Public 1st Iteration of Its Unified Data Reference Architecture; Jennifer Swanson Quoted

The U.S. Army has launched the initial version of its Unified Data Reference Architecture, or UDRA, which introduces data mesh principles to simplify the service branch’s data architecture, accelerate data-driven decision making and streamline data product sharing, Inside Defense reported Thursday.

Jennifer Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software, said the service has been working in the past year with industry to develop the architecture, which was co-signed by the Army acquisition executive and chief information officer.

“Implementation is beginning across ASA (ALT), and it is going to be required for at least our new programs. We need to kind of do the math on the existing ones and what makes sense,” Swanson said.

“I think we’re going to start taking a look at that soon. But I think that there will be some level of migrating some of that to this data mesh architecture as well,” she added.

POC - 5th Annual CIO Summit

Jennifer Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software, will be one of the panelists at the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual CIO Summit on April 17. Register here to join the event and learn more about the latest modernization strategies and how industry can help meet the priorities of federal CIOs.

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Sparton Receives $106M Navy Contract for Delivery of Sonobuoys
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Sparton Receives $106M Navy Contract for Delivery of Sonobuoys

The U.S. Navy has awarded undersea warfare product provider Sparton Corporation a $106.4 million contract for the delivery of AN/SSQ-125 modified high duty cycle sonobuoys.

The Department of Defense said Wednesday that the sonobuoys will be used for the purposes of testing, training and peacetime operations. The sonobuoys are also being acquired to maintain sufficient inventory in support of potential combat operations.

The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract calls for the production of up to 20,000 sonobuoys.

Work will be carried out at locations in Florida and Indiana, with an expected completion date of March 2026.

The contract was not competitively procured and the Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

SDA Requests Studies to Assess Commercial Disposal Services for PWSA Constellation
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SDA Requests Studies to Assess Commercial Disposal Services for PWSA Constellation

The Space Development Agency is soliciting proposals from industry sources capable of performing engineering studies, analyses and technical trades for commercial disposal services for the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

SDA said Monday it requires studies to determine the feasibility of using existing or planned commercial on-orbit services to provide assisted disposal operations for the agency’s resilient layered network of low Earth orbit satellites designed to deliver space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter.

The studies will inform SDA on what such services exist or are planned, how it may technically and contractually use such services and assess the cost-benefit trade of augmenting practices and future planning.

The call for proposals was made under SDA’s broad agency announcement that seeks new concepts, systems, technologies and capabilities for the Department of Defense’s future missile-tracking satellite constellation.

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New DOD Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy Aims to Elevate Department’s Position in Cyber Domain; Kathleen Hicks Quoted
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New DOD Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy Aims to Elevate Department’s Position in Cyber Domain; Kathleen Hicks Quoted

The Department of Defense has published its new Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy, dubbed DIB CS, to advance the department’s cyber posture.

The plan, which covers fiscal years 2024-2027, is intended to guide the DOD’s internal and partnered cybersecurity efforts and contribute to objectives laid out in earlier strategies, the department said on Thursday.

New DOD Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy Aims to Elevate Department’s Position in Cyber Domain; Kathleen Hicks Quoted

Learn more about the DOD’s approach to cybersecurity at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6, where key cyber leaders will come together to share their thoughts on the federal cybersecurity landscape. Click here to learn more and register for the event.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, a 2024 Wash100 Award winner, said the DOD has “identified opportunities to bolster cybersecurity of our DIB partners, which will improve our overall cybersecurity of the U.S.”

“As our adversaries continuously seek information about U.S. capabilities, the Department, in coordination with the DIB, must remain resilient against these attacks and succeed through teamwork to defend the Nation,” she added.

Four major goals — strengthening the DOD governance structure for DIB cybersecurity, enhancing the cybersecurity posture of DIB contractors, preserving the resiliency of critical DIB capabilities in a cyber-contested environment and improving collaboration with the DIB — guide the new strategy.

To carry out these objectives, the DOD is working with industry, academia and research and development entities.

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KBR’s Byron Bright & RGS CEO Paul Smith Honored as 2024 Wash100 Winners
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KBR’s Byron Bright & RGS CEO Paul Smith Honored as 2024 Wash100 Winners

Executive Mosaic is pleased to recognize Byron Bright, president of KBR Government Solutions, and Paul Smith, CEO of Rancher Government Solutions, as winners of the prestigious 2024 Wash100 Award.

Byron Bright and Paul Smith are contestants in the annual Wash100 popular vote competition! Visit Wash100.com to cast your ten votes for these and other candidates. Voting closes April 30. 

The Wash100 Award annually recognizes the best and brightest individuals in the federal government and the government contracting industry. These 100 executives of consequence are honored not only for their accomplishments thus far, but also for their anticipated impact in the GovCon landscape in the coming year and beyond.

Bright earned his fifth Wash100 Award this year for his continued commitment to advancing government technology innovation at the helm of KBR’s $4.5 billion government solutions segment. He has been with KBR for nearly 14 years and has led the government business for seven years. Learn more about why Bright was selected yet again to the Wash100 list — read his full Wash100 profile here.

Smith made his return to the Wash100 list this year, winning his fourth overall Wash100 Award. The RGS CEO was appointed to the role in July of last year.

“I am delighted to be back in the saddle at Rancher Government to help drive agnostic, secure open source solutions to meet and accelerate U.S. Government missions,” Smith said.

Read more about Smith’s selection to the 2024 Wash100 list here.

Executive Mosaic congratulates Byron Bright and Paul Smith on their Wash100 wins.

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House Lawmakers Request Info on OSTP’s AI Workforce Development Efforts
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House Lawmakers Request Info on OSTP’s AI Workforce Development Efforts

A group of House lawmakers has asked the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to provide information on its efforts to further develop the federal workforce on artificial intelligence in line with the priorities outlined in the most recent AI executive order.

In a Tuesday letter to Arati Prabhakar, director of OSTP and a previous Wash100 awardee, the lawmakers presented a list of questions requesting details about the office’s plans to coordinate collaborative efforts for AI-related programs across the federal government and work with the programs and fellowships run by the National Science Foundation to deliver on the EO’s workforce development goals.

The legislators serving as members of the New Democrat Coalition wanted to know how the National AI Talent Surge will evolve to support long-term goals for the federal AI workforce.

They also asked how OSTP intends to coordinate with the Department of Labor and other relevant agencies to mitigate the potential harmful impacts of AI on workers and use other best practices to expand the diversity of the AI workforce.

The letter was signed by 40 lawmakers led by Reps. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., and Haley Stevens, D-Mich.

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Army Futures Command Forms All-Domain Sensing Cross-Functional Team
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Army Futures Command Forms All-Domain Sensing Cross-Functional Team

Army Futures Command has established an all-domain sensing cross-functional team that will advance four lines of effort for the service branch.

The four lines of effort of the team, dubbed ADS CFT, are multisensor dominance, sensing architecture, advanced processing and dissemination and operational enablers, the Army said Tuesday.

The creation of the new CFT came after the service’s assured positioning, navigation and timing/space CFT completed its original mission.

“Our team swiftly delivered on our last mission, proving the CFT concept is effective in accelerating capability delivery. We look forward to helping the Army and Joint enterprise converge understanding and deliver all-domain sensing solutions,” said Mike Monteleone, director of ADS CFT.

The new cross-functional team is expected to achieve full operational capability by the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.

All-domain sensing supports the optimization and synchronization of intelligence collection, processing and dissemination efforts and sensor-to-shooter activities.

POC - 9th Annual Army Summit

Attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 9th Annual Army Summit on June 13 to hear military officials, government leaders and industry executives share their most urgent priorities, strategies and solutions to their toughest challenges. Click here to register.

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DIU, AUKUS Pillar II Unveil Electronic Warfare Innovation Challenge; Doug Beck Quoted
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DIU, AUKUS Pillar II Unveil Electronic Warfare Innovation Challenge; Doug Beck Quoted

The Defense Innovation Unit and AUKUS Pillar II have partnered to launch the inaugural trilateral prize challenge to identify electromagnetic spectrum technologies that could offer protection against adversarial electromagnetic-targeting capabilities.

AUKUS Pillar II is a defense and security partnership between the U.S., Australia and the U.K., DIU said Tuesday.

The challenge is seeking key capabilities that could help identify targets using EMS, monitor target movement using EMS, select and apply EMS assets and enabled weapon systems and evaluate attack effects using EMS, among others.

A team of subject matter experts will assess and pick the winning companies in July.

“There is enormous potential in collaborating with our allies and partners, and our AUKUS electromagnetic warfare (EW) Challenge is an example of this,” said DIU Director Doug Beck.

“A strong international community of defense innovation entities can help nurture and harness these new capabilities,” Beck added.

The trilateral prize challenge will be carried out by DIU, Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator in Australia and the U.K. Defence and Security Accelerator in three synchronized competitions.

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AFWERX, SpaceWERX Launch Notice of Opportunity for Space Applicable Technology Submissions
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AFWERX, SpaceWERX Launch Notice of Opportunity for Space Applicable Technology Submissions

Department of the Air Force commercial investment arm AFWERX AFVentures has released, on behalf of SpaceWERX, the program year 24.2 Strategic Funding Increase — or STRATFI — and Tactical Funding Increase — or TACFI — notice of opportunity for space technology submissions.

The STRATFI and TACFI programs seek to facilitate the delivery of capabilities needed by the DAF by providing financial support to help transition onto Phase III work that is being done under Phase II Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer contracts, the Air Force Materiel Command website reported.

STRATFI provides between $3 million and $15 million in funding over 48 months while TACFI provides between $375,000 and $1.9 million over 24 months.

The programs are open to Small Business Concerns with Phase II SBIR or STTR contracts that have been running for at least 90 days or have been completed within two years of submitting a capability package.

The latest notice of opportunity calls for the submission of a capability package by April 12. Under program year 24 rules, the package can only be submitted by an SBC’s government point of contact.

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