Heather Kirk December 16, 2022 1 Comment

Members of the OrangeSlices AI team attended yesterday’s festive holiday happy hour and information session, which featured none other than Santa Claus himself, along with some odd little elves. This group was passing out gifts and the latest insight on several upcoming RFQs, to include a pair of multiple award BPA competitions at the National Institutes of Health; a handful of near term RFQs at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; one new innovative approach being tested to incent small business goals being met; and insights about opportunity on the horizon at CMS as the agency reacts to some new legislation.   

If you don’t go to this recurring and increasingly popular event hosted by Shelley McGuire, you are missing out. It is always a fun and well-run event filled with valuable updates and connections added every time. (Track her events here)   

Opportunity Updates*  

  • CMS ECIS – This is currently in queue for small business review. Expect to see a subcontracting goal associated with the task order award dollars. It is not expected to be the HHS goal. Instead, it will be a negotiated goal, but (pay attention large business bidders) there is expected to be an incentive through award fee for companies who can exceed this goal. Proof will be required to receive the payoff. Note: This is something new that CMS is trying with the award fee with subcontracting in it, so feedback is welcome as it will help the agency adjust how this might work for future opportunities.  
  • CMS FFRDC recompete – Some policy has changed that allows for a small business review of FFRDC tasks – this is new. It is worth watching for those who track and bid on these efforts.  
  • CMS Data Administration and Engineering Services (DAES) – This was initially going to be released on the DASH BPA, but, once the agency realized they cannot award an 8(a) set aside action on DASH (it is a small business vehicle, not 8(a)), they pulled it back. Expect to see the forecast updated soon. The RFP is expected out in mid-March and the current thinking is that it will go out on 8(a) STARS III, but this is not definite.  
  • CMS IAAS – This is expected to come out unrestricted, but it is expected to have some subcontracting goals tied to it.  
  • CMS Service Center – An amendment is forthcoming with the agency expected to have it positioned so Phase I and Phase II are together.  
  • CMS Eligibility Appeals IT Support – Building on the update from last month, the IT portion of the former Eligibility Appeals contract is still expected to be broken out and to go out as small business, but this is not definite yet. If, after the agency does their research, they don’t believe they can set it aside, they plan to post a sources sought notice.  
  • CMS Advanced Provider Screening (APS) – They are being very tight lipped at this point. It was pointed out by one attendee that at the industry day event, CMS stated that any updates on this opp would appear on the HHS forecast (not the CMS forecast). We will let you read between the lines on this one.  

Larges: Be Forewarned. In 2023, CMS is going to be increasingly on the lookout for secure and committed teams when evaluating bids, with large businesses expected to have signed teaming agreements in place. Reducing risk is the name of the game.  

And some notes on a pair of upcoming NIH BPA competitions that are certain to draw a crowd:  

  • NIH NHLBI multiple-award Agile Development, Data Science and Strategy Services BPA – This is expected to go out unrestricted, with two awards minimum set aside for small. A request has been put forth that subcontracting goals be applied to any task orders awarded to large business. 
  • NIH NHLBI multiple-award OSPEEC BPA – This is also expected to go out unrestricted, with two awards minimum set aside for small. 

Industry Day Gifts* 

Some additional insight and perspective were provided from community members who attended this week’s CMS Industry Event. A few of the notable items that caught our attention: 

Implementation for Inflation Reduction Act will drive opportunity – There is a lot the agency needs to do in terms of policy guidance, direction and technical systems development and modification. Expect there to be lots of opportunities around IRA for those firms who support CMS.  

ACA and Medicare Provider Program Enrollment Surge – Another key tidbit shared is the anticipated increase in enrollments in both the Affordable Care Act as well as into the Medicare Provider Programs. Expect to see a corresponding set of opportunities arise as a result, with CMS looking to make it easier for the provider community to do business with the agency. Look for them to find ways to streamline existing processes to make sure beneficiaries, as they enroll, are aware of all the services that are available to them.  

Sharpen Your Pencils – Procurement Innovation and Spend Optimization will increasingly be a focus as the agency looks to become a smarter buyer of goods and services.  

Pitching CyberSec to CMS? No so fast on CMMC – While Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) has gained traction across the broader Federal sector, it may not be implemented at CMS.  

*Please note that this is the way OS AI heard it. If you are pursuing any of these opportunities, we encourage you to validate this information. We all know how quickly things can change. If anyone heard something different from what we provided, please message us at support@orangeslices.ai and we will make any changes necessary.   

Included here are just a few of the HHS-oriented items posted to OrangeSlices AI over the past few months: 

About OrangeSlices AI   

Developed by a team of government and industry contracting subject matter experts, the OrangeSlices AI data driven platform is a publicly available searchable listing of the top information technology and consulting services contractors doing business with the Federal government today. Driven by a robust and comprehensive set of authoritative and trusted data sources, the OS.ai tool is intended to help government and industry leaders find the right partner to help deliver on the important missions of the Federal government. Learn more about how you can engage with OS AI here.    

 

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