🔥FEMA NETC/IRS ITPE/DHA J-7/HHS HCAS IT/VA EHRM wins; CIO-SP4/25M DHS Data/DOE OST/DOL ETA BPA/SSA & DOI IT Protest News📰; Will 3.5B NIH RFP HOPSS?

This month’s OS AI Fresh Squeezed Daily News sponsor:

Niyam IT, Inc. (Niyam) applies Human-Centered Design, Data Engineering, Geospatial Technology, and Cloud Computing to deliver program outcomes. Our industry & technology experts deliver mission-centric solutions that address current and future needs. Learn more.

🌟The Peel Podcast: Cybersecurity and a New Administration: Challenges, innovations, and what’s ahead – Chris Hughes, CEO and co-founder of Aquia, the 2024 HHS SDVOSB of the year, discusses his journey from Air Force veteran to driving innovation in federal cybersecurity, diving into Zero Trust, FedRAMP modernization, supply chain security, and the latest shifts in executive orders under the new administration. Listen here.

🐝The Morning Buzz:

• Several major Federal Health events postponed as Trump officials pause external communications at HHS
• Matt Sweatt shares: Will $3.5B NIH NIDA RFP HOPSS before Easter? Three Burning Questions
• Former GSA Administrator shares: To find plenty of waste, DOGE can start with my old agency
• GovWin: What the Federal Hiring Freeze Means for Federal Contractors
• Trump administration to lay off all federal employees in DEI offices
  • Former SBA Exec Robb Wong shares take on new DEI EO and Its Impact on SBA-Certified Small Businesses
  • Tan Wilson shares: DEI rollback is not doomsday for small businesses in GovCon. It’s a wake-up call.
• US Navy focused small businesses to know – Here we spotlight the Department of the Navy focused firms drawing interest of late. Meet them here.
• Game-Changing GovCon AI Tools (and Why Ownership Transparency Matters) – The landscape of AI-powered tools for government contractors is evolving at breakneck speed. Here we spotlight a few of OrangeSlices’ favorite tools, followed by a critical discussion on ownership transparency and why it matters. Read on.

The Juice🥤: Big Investments do not guarantee Big results, but they do signify intent! Some leaders set to make an impact in 2025:

• FEMA adds USDS lead to drive CX
• MindPetal names Michael Grace Chief Strategy Officer
• James Thornbrugh Promoted to Magellan Federal President
• Palladian Partners, a Division of the Altarum Enterprise, Announces Max Entman as President
• Unissant expands growth team with return of Hardy and addition of Schwab
• Jeff Colclough Assumes Business Development VP Role at SOSi
• Acting FBI Chief Unexpectedly Retires as Trump’s Pick Awaits Confirmation
• Derek S. Maltz Appointed to Lead U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

🍊OS AI Premium: Handpicked, crisp, juicy content for our Premium Sponsors/Subscribers:

• More delays for $50B CIO-SP4 GWAC as protest saga continues

Not Yet a Premium Sponsor? Learn about our corporate and individual plans here, starting at $295 annually.

⚖ GAO and the Courts – Check out the latest:

• DHS New Protest Filed on $25M IT and Data Management Program Support BPA
• DOE Protest Filed: $10.5M Office of Secure Transportation (OST) Support Services contract
• SSA Protest Filed: 28321324Q00000135 | Guidehouse
• DOI Protest Filed: 140D0424Q0646 | Easy Dynamics Corporation
• DOL Protests Dismissed: $60+M multiple-award ETA Education, Outreach & Analysis BPA
• Decision Released: NRC Acquisition Management System Support protest denial

🔍 Been heads down working on a proposal? Search and track all the latest protest activity here

🎯GovCon events to get in on now:

• Tonight: Virtual HHS & CMS Industry Happy Hour event sponsored by Magpie Health Analytics
• WHAT’S NEXT!? Austin Roadshow & Happy Hour Featuring the VA TAC
• 📢 Only 4 weeks until Engage FedGov – AI, Automation, Acquisition, Data and Digital Transformation with CMS, DHS, VA, IRS, SEC, State, Commerce, DHA, NASA SEWP and more – 2025 is a year of change and this event will focus on ways different Federal organizations and leaders are empowering and changing how government and industry can work together to meet emerging needs. Details here. 

🚀 OS AI launched a new GovCon Events Calendar! – Track More Federal GovCon Events Here.

⚡Check out some of the key Contract Awards:

• HHS: Unison beats 20 to win $22M HCAS/DCIS IT Professional Support Services contract
• FEMA: Bristol Bay subsidiary awarded $18M Comprehensive NETC IT Support task
• IRS Contract Award: CADE 2 TS2 Individual Tax Processing Engine (ITPE) and Solutions Architecture Support
• FAA: Aneon Federal wins Tactical Scheduling and Metering Tool Acquisition Support task
• DOT: NORC beats out 5 to win NHTSA Motor Vehicle Crash Insights Statistical Analysis task
• MSPB: Practical Solutions (PSI) beats out 40 to win IT Support contract
• VA inks $149M task for Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) funding with Oracle Health (Cerner)
• DHA: WOSB A1FED scores win on Training Support Team (J-7) contract

🔍Looking for a specific award or other news? Check out OS’s Advanced Search Function here Did we miss highlighting your key win? Message us at support@orangeslices.ai” style=”mso-line-height-rule: exactly;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;color: #1f5301;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: underline;”>support@orangeslices.ai.

🔥 Hot Off The Presses – Announcements posted recently that are drawing interest:

• IE-TEK, LLC Awarded $21M Contract to Support DISA Internal Business Applications
• Formal Press Release out: Alpha Omega Acquires Macro Solutions, LLC and SeKON, LLC
• Smoothstack launches Fedstack, a new business unit to serve pressing federal government tech needs
• REI Systems Secures Position on Navy SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) and Spot on OASIS+ Contracts
• vTech Solution Wins Prestigious IRS Contract to Elevate IT Systems and Digital Infrastructure
• Alpha Omega and Alesig JV 2Aces secures OASIS + SB and WOSB contracts
• REI Systems celebrates monumental milestone— now officially 100% employee-owned!

🌶 Solicitation Updates/Opportunities Drawing Interest:

• FEMA Pre-Solicitation: $100+M Operations Portfolio Operations Sustainment and Enhancement (OS&E)
• USCIS to award non-competitive Cybersecurity Program Management and Development (CPMD) contract
• FEMA RFQ: Continuous Improvement Division (CID) BPA
• VA RFQ: SharePoint Online Support Services
• VA shares Q&A for Agile Center of Excellence – Technical Development and Support RFI
• FDA Sources Sought: Research and Development of the ARGOS System IDIQ
• IHS RFQ: Patient Business Office/Denial Management Services, Phoenix Indian Medical Center
• IRS WOSB Set-Aside Alert: Data At Rest Encryption (DARE) Program Management and Engineering Support
• State RFI: Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Search, Analysis and Visualization
• NATO RFQ: Business Opportunity for Web Asset Security Assessment Grey Box Web Penetration Testing
• DOE shares Opportunity to Collaborate Using a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
• DISA Sources Sought: Engineering and Development for the Enterprise (ED-E)
• USAF Sources Sought: A1 Multi-Cloud Ecosystem (MCE) Managed Services Support (MSS)
• NASA terminates Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Consortium for Acquisition Development (HCAD) opp

📢 Most Viewed Comments:

• Re: US Air Force focused SDVOSBs to know – Thrilled to support the Department of the Air Force, including the United States Space Force! We’re excited about the opportunities for growth in this market in 2025. More here.
• Re: Winning in GovCon: Latest Insights from Eric Nusbaum – … SB, SDOVSB, and Unrestricted tracks are moving along nicely and there are several active TOs published on these platforms. Would love to share with anyone who is interested in seeing the TOs published to date! More here.