Skyway Wire
Choosing a Topic under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program: An Ice Cream Analogy
Eleven (11) Federal Agencies participate in the SBIR/STTR[1] Program and release “funding opportunities on a regular periodic basis throughout the year.”[2] While SBIR.gov provides guidance on the...
October 2024 Update
Welcome to FY 2025. It’s a whole new year. Let’s make it a great one. We already have our first Continuing Resolution. Let’s hope it does not take Congress until April to pass the budget like last...
Performance-Based Services
The US Government requires services outside of their own internal capabilities to function effectively. These services can augment a current capacity, or it can provide a whole new level of...
September 2024 Update
It feels like life is speeding up again now that the summer is unofficially over (after Labor Day). I get that it just “feels” that way in a lot of areas. It’s not like we took a sabbatical over the...
The Trade Agreement Act
This blog will clarify the Trade Agreement Act (TAA) update on the countries that started out and remain on the list. Secondly, we will cover if India is a participant party of the TAA or an...
Agency Needs
Efficiently articulating agency needs is the cornerstone of successful acquisitions. Despite its seeming simplicity, this skill often perplexes even the most seasoned planners, requirement...
Sources Sought
I often get asked whether it is a good idea to respond to Sources Sought announcements. My response is always a surprised “Yes, of course!” But perhaps the question is being asked because of a lack...
How Attitude Affects Contracting
With this blog article I will recount my personal thoughts and observations on how a person’s attitude can and will affect their performance on the contract. ...
Government Priorities During Negotiations
Professionals in the government contracting arena, from both government and industry, should understand and acknowledge the fact that the two sides have different priorities. Aside from the obvious...
What Is an IDIQ and How Does It Help My Business?
FAR 16 covers “types of contracts” and this is where you’ll find indefinite delivery contracts, in FAR Subpart 16.5. There are actually three types of indefinite delivery contracts:...
What Do You Review Just Before You Submit Your Proposal?
Everybody reviews their proposals (or should!) right before submission - and usually more than once and by more than one person. You can call it what you want: Pink Team review, review of...
US Space Force – Seriously?
I write this blog to fulfill two obligations: first, to correct an erroneous statement I made and repeated in various Skyway forums and platforms in the past week, and second, to clear the air and...
Contract Management is like Flossing
“I love flossing”, said no one, ever. I recently went to the dentist for my semi-annual checkup. I got the obligatory “Have you been flossing?” question. To which I gave the obligatory answer, “Most...
Hiring and Managing the Talent You Need to Win – Part 3: “We All Need Somebody to Lean On”
Proposals are all about interdependence. Responding to a government RFP is a process with many moving parts: Subject matter experts (SMEs) develop solutions and proposal text, and review text....
Long Term Contract Pricing
In today's government contracting world, long term contracts are widespread. Given the length and complexity of the source selection process, many agencies will opt for long term contracts to reduce...
Treasure Hunt vs Treasure Map
National Treasure is such a fun movie. It’s interesting, it’s complex, it’s full of action and intrigue. It’s about the hunt. It’s about following the clues and working to figure out where the next...