Acquisition
OneGov’s discounted deals are ‘a first step’ to longer-term contracts, officials say
The General Services Administration has asked some companies to re-up their temporary price cuts while it continues to talk with them about becoming direct contractors on its Multiple Award Schedule.
Emerging Tech
Air Force taps Salesforce’s Army contract for personnel modernization work
The enterprise license agreement is part of a $5.6 billion vehicle and will bring agentic artificial intelligence to workforce and logistics management.
Exclusive
Artificial Intelligence
Trump admin floats policy language limiting contractor say on agency uses of technology
Ongoing drafts of policy documents feature language that would limit the private sector’s ability to dictate how their artificial intelligence models are used in government missions, according to sources familiar with their development.
Acquisition
Commerce goes direct to hyperscalers with $4.1B cloud pact
The department cites artificial intelligence, weather modeling and scale as reasons to narrow the competition.
Acquisition
OMB seeks details from agencies on their commercial buying, or lack thereof
A new White House budget office memo also outlines what agencies have to do if they want to go down the non-commercial contracting route and who has the approval power over it.
People
Gruenbaum heading for the exit from GSA
Laura Stanton will lead the General Services Administration’s acquisition shop on an interim basis.
Artificial Intelligence
Agencies are missing a step to share information on better AI acquisition, GAO finds
A new oversight report that sampled four federal agencies underscored several hindrances to effective AI adoption, including a lack of policies for collecting lessons learned in the technology’s acquisition.
Acquisition
Vendors struggle to navigate the Anthropic ban’s fallout
Tech contractors say ambiguity in how Anthropic’s products are able to be used by companies working with the federal government is leaving “traps” they may unknowingly fall into.
Acquisition
New contract for background investigations raises concerns about scale and risk
COMMENTARY | As the government expands continuous vetting and increases workload demands, questions are emerging about whether the acquisition approach can support the mission without delays or performance issues.
Defense
Army, Anduril enter into new $20B enterprise agreement
Much like with Palantir, the Army is entering into this pact with the idea of establishing pre-negotiated prices so it can buy goods and services on an as-needed basis.
Emerging Tech
NASA seeks extension of SEWP V to Sept. 30
The agency says it needs more time to finish evaluations for the IT product recompete and resolve protests at the Government Accountability Office.
People
SEWP’s long-tenured leader is calling it a career
Before leaving government, Joanne Woytek is giving herself enough time to see the popular IT contract's next iteration through protests and into launch.
Acquisition
GSA proposes sweeping changes to Multiple Award Schedule program, including new AI terms and conditions
Refresh 31 would make transactional data reporting mandatory and introduce new AI contract terms.
Acquisition
SBA boots 628 more companies from 8(a) program
Total termination actions now represent 18% of the small business contracting program as the Trump administration's crackdown continues.
Acquisition
Air Force Research Lab seeks more national approach for innovation
Lab officials give a first glimpse at how they want to expand on a pilot program for turning dual-use technology into operational capability.
Acquisition
Contract reviews continue at OMB, official says
Deputy Director for Management Eric Ueland emphasized the need for CIOs to be empowered “at the beginning of conversations” for IT contracts.
Acquisition
FAA launches competition to modernize aging IT portfolio
The Federal Aviation Administration is using a challenge-based acquisition strategy that will require vendors to demonstrate, not just describe, their approach.
Acquisition
Oracle books $88M Air Force Cloud One contract
This award follows a $581 million contract with Amazon Web Services as the Air Force continues to build out its multi-cloud infrastructure.
Modernization
NITAAC finally pulls the plug on CIO-SP4
The troubled $50 billion IT contract vehicle has faced hundreds of protests that the agency could never fully resolve.
Acquisition