“MILITARY TIMES” By Patricia Kime “More than three-fourths of 112 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers earned four- or five-star ratings from the federal government for quality, according to new data released.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “For the second year, no VA hospitals received a one-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, the agency within the Department of Health and Human S
“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Strategic guidance on The System for Award Management and factors for using it in small business marketing to government agencies and prime contractors.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “A PUBLIC DOMAIN ACQUISITIONS BULLETIN BOARD Established as the public announcement vehicle for federal procurement, SAM Contract Opportunities is a web-based, “Public Announcement Bulletin Board” to satisfy fairness
“SMALLTOFEDS”By Ken Larson “The FOIA is a law that gives you the right to access federal government information. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Agencies must disclose any information that is requested – unless that information is protected from public disclosure.” _________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND Extract: United States Department of Justice Web Site: “Enacted
“SMALL TO FEDS“ By Ken Larson “As a volunteer counselor over the last 2 decades, I have noted common traits among the most successful small business federal government contractors. The following are 10 of the most prominent traits and tips on how successful small companies developed them.“ ________________________________________________________________________________ “Teaming with an existing firm and developing a capability statement and proposal that rings the bell on a g
“GEOPOLITICAL MONITOR” “In an eight-year aerial campaign between 1965-1973, US warplanes dropped around 800,000 tons of munitions, striking at least 55 of Vietnam’s 63 provinces and cities in an attempt to turn the tide of the war between the US-backed south and the communist-controlled North. A significant proportion of bombs failed to detonate on impact, and remain buried just beneath the surface in the countryside.” _________________________________________________________
“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Becoming informed on government contract closeout steps and putting in place processes to support them in your business system is the most important general principal to remember.“ _______________________________________________________________________________ “If you are an off-the-shelf or purchased-finished supplier of goods to the federal government, your contact closeout is reasonably simple. You will make delivery at a firm, fixed price to t
“WALL STREET JOURNAL” – Red Scare By Matthew Hennessey “You can’t steal your way to greatness. And you can’t bluff your way to hegemony. Communism is a self-defeating ideology—impoverished, weak and ugly. So don’t worry too much about the future. It’s got America written all over it.” _________________________________________________________________________________ “President Trump’s visit to China has prompted Americans to reflect, as we periodically do, on the state of our
Vermillion River Valley - Hastings, Minnesota (click the link and then the pic for close-up view) https://www.flickr.com/photos/odysseyof_armaments/55275632610/in/dateposted-public/
“FEDERAL NEWS NETWORK” By Anastasia Obis “Military spouses headed to Capitol Hill to advocate for the Military Spouse Small Business Recognition Act — a bill designed to expand access to capital and Small Business Administration resources for military spouse entrepreneurs — and to secure a commitment from lawmakers to sponsor the legislation.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “More than 50 military spouse-owned businesses partic
GAO Report GAO-26-107861 “GAO is making four recommendations to DOD, including that the department provide enhanced analytic tools for regional operators; assess the National Access Elsewhere Security Oversight Center (NAESOC) risk response effort; and ensure ongoing stakeholder feedback”. ________________________________________________________________________________ “Fast Facts DOD’s Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency ensures that contractors are properly acce
“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Conducting business in the fast-paced modern era demands that company training be sophisticated, interactive and responsive to changing times. It should evolve out of core company processes and contain feedback mechanisms.” _________________________________________________________________________________ “As fast as things move these days if we don’t train and communicate effectively we are running very high risks. Some training will be global,
“Wargames can evaluate policy choices before they are made. Connect choices to a direct, scoreable comparison of what each reform would will put in the magazine on day one.” _______________________________________________________________________________ “One number buried in the Pentagon’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget request reveals a decade of acquisition decisions in a data point: The U.S. Navy is requesting 785 Tomahawk cruise missiles. In 2025, Congress funded 55. That 1,200
“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Talent is fluid today. It is also being re-defined. Thus, what used to be considered a ‘Pool’ (either captive or available) is now a technologically-equipped, high speed resource of communicators with motivated skill sets seeking opportunity.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “Economic hardship has also put a hard, cynical edge on many. Employment selling must occur both ways (employer and employee
“SCORE Southeast Minnesota” By Dean L. Swanson “Success requires consistent planning, grit, and strategic execution. You also need to recognize resources that can help you amplify your growth with continuous business planning and evolution for survival.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “A new CEO and reader of this column emailed me and said, “How can I grow my business and assure its survival? I started my new business severa
“DEFENSE OPINION” By Frank Larkin “At issue is the as-yet-incomplete adoption by the Department of Veterans Affairs of a new electronic health records (EHR) system for the 170 VA medical centers and 1,193 outpatient sites across the nation that serve approximately nine million veterans“ _______________________________________________________________________________ “Roll out of the new EHR system has lagged, both due to the ripple effects of developmental problems that have s
“SMALLTOFEDS” By Ken Larson “Certain costs cannot be allowed in prices, cost reimbursements or settlements under contracts with the US Government. The government is unwilling to pay for these costs as direct charges to federal government contracts or through indirect expense pools applied to federal government contracts.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “A company is not prohibited from incurring unallowable costs, but they can
“FEDERAL TIMES” By Melissa Rayworth “For entrepreneurs, it’s part of the central mythology: You launch your own business because you want to be your own boss. To thrive as a business owner, it helps to have an independent streak and be comfortable going it alone. But when small and mid-sized companies begin pursuing government contracts, it can help — immensely — if they strategically collaborate with other businesses.” ________________________________________________________
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios “AXIOS” By Colin Demarest “Conflicts abroad and defense-contract competitions at home illuminate in real time the future of America’s war machine. Today’s closely watched fights are shaping those of tomorrow, and the pace of battlefield innovation is only accelerating.” ________________________________________________________________________________ “WHY IT MATTERS Cheap, abundant drones are devastating far more expensive systems in East
