2016: 1st Quarter - Northwest Commission

February 2016
A newsletter of the Northwest Pennsylvania
Regional Planning & Development Commission’s
Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC)
In This Issue
 SBA Seeking Input on
Certification of WOSB &
EDWOSB
 10 Step Approach to
Government Contracting -STEP 3: Getting Your DUNS
Number
 Using NECO, Navy Electronic
Commerce Online
 NWC PTAC Counselor receives
CVE Certification
 SAM Registration/Renewal
Reminder
 Upcoming National Events
 The NW Commission on Social
Media
 Upcoming Regional Events
 Success Story: Zacherl Motor
Truck Sales, Inc.
 Post Job Openings to
RecruitMilitary.com
Volume 6, Number 1
SBA Seeking Input on WOSB/EDWOSB
Certification
In a December issue of the Federal Register, the Small Business
Administration (SBA) published an “advance notice of proposed
rulemaking” regarding the certifications of Woman-Owned Small Business
(WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Woman-owned Small Business
(EDWOSB).
The posting consists of two parts - the first acknowledges the statutory
changes established by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2015 (2015 NDAA), particularly those that eliminate the selfcertification authority for WOSB and EDWOSB set-asides. The second,
longer component is a lengthy series of questions that serve to articulate
the many problems that SBA faces in implementing a fair and accessible
certification program for WOSB/EDWOSB.
The SBA states that it intends to draft regulations to address the statutory
change, but “seeks to understand what the public believes is the most
appropriate way to structure a WOSB/EDWOSB certification program”.
Public comment is being taken through February 16, 2016.
Read the SBA’s notice, including instructions for submitting
comments, at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-1218/pdf/2015-31806.pdf.
Resources:
 http://www.aptac-us.org/news/sba-seeking-input-on-certification-of-wosb-and-edwosb/
 http://smallgovcon.com/uncategorized/wosb-certification-sba-seeks-public-comments/
“10 Step Approach to Government Contracting”:
Step 3 – Getting Your DUNS Number
“DUNS” stands for Data Universal Numbering
System. The DUNS number is a unique nine-digit
identification code and is issued by Dun &
Bradstreet (D&B). It remains with the company
location to which it has been assigned even if it
closes or goes out of business.
Assignment of a DUNS number is free for all entities required to
register with the federal government by a regulatory agency. This
The Northwest Commission PTAC, includes federal contractors, prospective government vendors and
which serves as a Procurement applicants, and recipients of federal grants.
Technical Assistance Center (PTAC),
is funded in part through a
cooperative agreement from the
Currently, a DUNS number is required if a company wishes to register as
a federal contractor in the System for Award Management (SAM).
Department of Defense (DOD)
through
a
program
that
is
administered by the Defense Logistics
Agency (DLA). The content of any
written
materials
or
verbal
communications of the PTAC does not
necessarily reflect the official views of
or imply endorsement by DOD or
DLA.
Your Northwest
Commission PTAC Team:
Cris Pierce
Government Contracting Manager
[email protected]
Robyn Young
Government Contracting Specialist
[email protected]
Melissa Becker
Government Contracting Specialist
[email protected]
Visit our website:
http://northwestpa.org/government
-contracting/
Your PTAC Team
Instructions for obtaining a DUNS number
Web registration: Go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform and
select “Begin the DUNS Search/Request Process”. Next select country,
and “Continue”. This will bring you to the Government iUpdate
homepage. Select “Continue to Government iUpdate”. From here, you
can choose the option to “Find DUNS or Request New DUNS”.
Follow the steps to provide the
requested information about your
business or organization. Within
24-48 hours, you will receive your
DUNS number via email.
You will need to provide the following data to obtain a DUNS number:
 Legal Name
 Doing Business As (DBA), or other name by which your organization
is commonly recognized
 Physical Address, City, State and Zip Code
 Mailing Address (if separate)
 Telephone Number
 Contact Name
 NAICS Code (Line of Business)
 Number of Employees at your location
 Headquarters name and address (if there is a reporting relationship to
a parent corporate entity)
 Annual Revenue
 Number of Employees
Making changes to your DUNS profile
If there are ever any changes to the data listed above, you will need to
contact D&B to update your company’s profile. You can do this by calling
the D&B help desk or by using the D&B “iUpdate” online system.
You must first register in the iUpdate system in order to submit any
changes via the online webform. From the Government iUpdate homepage,
select START NOW below “Register to use iUpdate!”, and follow the steps
to complete your registration.
(L to R) Melissa Becker, Government
Contracting Specialist; Robyn Young,
Government Contracting Specialist;
Cris Pierce, Government Contracting
Manager
_______
Follow the Northwest Commission on
social media:
The help desk for D&B can be reached at 1-866-705-5711 for any
questions or concerns.
Continue to follow the series “10 Step Approach to Government Contracting” in
upcoming issues of PTAC Talk. The next step will cover registering in the System
for Award Management (SAM) and the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS).
Doing Business with the Navy: Using “NECO”,
Navy Electronic Commerce Online
NECO – www.neco.navy.mil – is a website provided as a public service
by the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) procurement
automation branch in Mechanicsburg, PA.
According to the NECO homepage, “NECO is your link to the world of Navy
Electronic Business Opportunities”. Its purpose is to provide information
that NAVSUP deems relevant to the Department of the Navy community,
NW Commission PTAC
Counselor Receives
CVE Certification
PTAC Counselor Robyn Young
recently completed courses to
become a Certified Verification
Counselor by the Center for
Verification and Evaluation
(CVE).
CVE manages
the process by
which
VeteranOwned Small
Businesses
and Service
Disabled Veteran-Owned Small
Businesses become verified in
order to qualify for Department
of Veteran Affairs (VA) setasides.
The CVE Training is developed for
those who provide the Veteran
community with education and
services needed to complete the
Veteran’s First Contracting
Program application at
www.VetBiz.gov.
Robyn completed several hours
of training to earn her
certification. Her name is now
included on the list of certified
counselors on the VetBiz.gov
website. Congratulations, Robyn!
The PTAC takes pride in serving
our U.S. Veteran business
owners.
A REMINDER:
SAM registration and
renewal is FREE
PTACs across the nation, along
with our national association
known as the Association of
Procurement Technical
Assistance Centers (APTAC), are
working together to make small
businesses award that there is
never any cost to register in
SAM, and free help is available
for those who need it.
its industry partners, and the public. (Use of NECO does not provide access
to all Federal, Department of Defense (DOD), or Department of the Navy
procurement opportunities).
NECO contains a listing of active Synopses, Requests for Proposal (RFPs)
and Requests for Quote (RFQs) made available by the participating
Command/Activities. Navy and Marine Solicitations are accessible online
for supplies, services and materials. NECO also links to FBO.
Vendors can use NECO to search for opportunities and to bid electronically
on NECO solicitations. The site is free to use. Registration is required to
submit bids, and registered companies can receive daily emails with
procurement opportunities that match their Vendor profile. A Vendor must
have an active DUNS Number and CAGE Code in order to register with
NECO.
Searching for opportunities
A Vendor may search for a Synopsis on the “Search Synopsis” page or for
Solicitations on the “Business Opportunities” page of the NECO site.
The “Search Synposis” function allows Vendors to search both Active and
Archived Synopses. The database consists of Presolicitation Notices and
Modifications posted as well as Award Notices, Sources Sought Notices,
Special Notices, Justification & Approval Notices, Fair
Opportunity/Limited Sources Justification Notices, Combined
Presolicitation/Solicitation Notices, Foreign Government Standards and
Sales of Surplus Property.
Search for synopses by Keyword, Solicitation Number, Type of Synopsis,
NAICS Code, Set-Aside Code, and/or Date Range. Search results will be
categorized by FSG (Federal Supply Group). TIP: If you are searching by
Solicitation number, make sure you only enter letters and numbers. Do not
use hyphens.
Use the “Business Opportunities” link to locate a solicitation. Enter the
Solicitation number, excluding hyphens, and click “Search”. A Summary of
the Solicitation will appear. To view ‘Business Opportunities Detail,’ which
includes any uploaded documents, click the highlighted Solicitation
number (right side of screen).
Vendor Registration
From the NECO homepage, select “Register with NECO”. When
registering, Vendors may choose to receive Daily Procurement Offerings of
Solicitations as they are posted to NECO. Vendors may choose specific
Commands/Sites from which they wish to receive Notices and select
appropriate Federal Supply Groups. (Check out our Nov. 2015 issue of
PTAC TALK to read an article that includes information and resources for
determining your company’s codes.) A note: NECO generalizes full
FSC/PSC codes by using the FSG, or Federal Supply Group, which is only
the first two digits of FSCs for supplies and only the first letter of PSCs for
services.
The first step in government
contracting, System for Award
Management (SAM), is the
primary supplier database for the
U.S. Federal government,
collecting, validating and storing
data from suppliers and then
making that data available to
various government acquisition
agencies.
A business MUST be registered in
SAM to sell to the federal
government. PTACs are here to
help with new registrations as
well as renewals and updates.
Some APTAC members
teamed up to create a very
useful SAM video with helpful
hints and information – check
it out HERE.
Upon completion of NECO Vendor Registration, a Vendor will receive an
email with a link to create a password. Passwords are encrypted, so they
can only be reset, not retrieved. Multiple company personnel can register
under the same CAGE Code and DUNS Number in order to receive the
Daily Procurement Offerings as long as the email addresses are different.
Bidding online
Be sure to read over the entire solicitation and any amendments and/or
attachments. A Vendor may submit their bid/quote online through the
system, which is then forwarded to the appropriate buying activity for
submission. Awardees are notified via email.
Upon submitting a bid, you are provided the option of viewing a printable
Bid Confirmation. A message will pop-up stating, “Successfully Submitted”.
An email will be forwarded to you for confirmation of receipt. You may
contact the Help Desk for a verbal Bid Confirmation; however, the Help
Desk cannot view bids or contracts.
For more information on navigating, registering and bidding in NECO,
read the NECO Vendor User Manual at
www.neco.navy.mil/press/neco_guide.pdf.
The NECO Help Desk (800-503-6326) provides technical and navigational
support 8am to 5pm daily, Monday through Friday EST.
…And contact us at the PTAC if we may assist you in seeking areas of
opportunity with the Navy.
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter
Upcoming
National Events:
Spring ’16 National Small
Business Federal
Contracting Summit
Date: March 16-17, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Event website:
https://uswcc.org/events/nationa
l-small-business-federalcontracting-summit-spring-2016/
Jointly hosted by The U.S.
Women’s Chamber of Commerce
and The American Small Business
Chamber of Commerce.
This event features an agenda
that includes:

Increased focus on assuring
small business federal
contractors secure our fair
The Northwest Commission PTAC will be regularly
contributing to the Northwest Commission’s
Facebook and Twitter pages. Keep notified of news,
events and topical information by following the
Northwest Commission at
https://www.facebook.com/nwcommission and
https://twitter.com/nwpa_commission.
______________________
Upcoming Regional
Events:
Cybersecurity 101
for Manufacturers in Erie
Business Seminar
Date: February 16, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Location: Knowledge Center – 5240 Knowledge Parkway, Erie
Offered by the Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC) for Erie
businesses. NWIC has invited an expert panel to discuss topics including:
Legal perspective--preventing and responding to cyber-attacks; When shop
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share of federal contracting
(taxpayer) dollars
Access to federal agencies
and prime contractors (see
the list of agencies and prime
contractors who have
confirmed at the event
website)
Timely education and
information on current
trends, opportunities and
threats to small business
contractors
Legal education important for
teaming, joint ventures and
related topics
Connections to potential
teaming and joint venture
partners
Taking new ground – setting
a course for the future with
specific FY 2016 objectives
Influence on The Hill —
connecting votes to action for
our congressional leaders
A registration fee applies. Visit
the event website for location,
agenda, and registration details.
DLA Land & Maritime’s
Training Knowledge
Opportunity (TKO)
Seminar
Date: March 23-24, 2016
Location: Columbus, OH
Event website:
http://www.dscc.dla.mil/News/Ev
ents/tko/register.aspx
The TKO Seminar is a session on
teaching vendors how to start
doing business with the Defense
Logistics Agency. Vendors will be
informed on how to find open
solicitations, how to submit a
quote through the DLA Internet
Bid Board System (DIBBS), the
procedures for viewing &
downloading drawings, and how
to use Wide Area Workflow
(WAWF) to get paid.
There will also be topics of
discussion on Alternate Offers,
Source Approval Requests,
Breakout Program, and the Parts
Purchase or Borrow Program.
floor data needs enterprise level security; Link between cybersecurity and
cybercrime; You’ve been hacked—now what?
For details and registration, visit http://www.nwirc.org/events/cyber/.
Registration deadline: 2/11/16. Email [email protected] for additional
information or questions.
Doing Business with the DLA
Training Workshop
Date: February 24, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. - noon
Location: Northwest Commission, 395 Seneca Street, Oil City, PA 16301
This free session will cover the basics of doing business with the Defense
Logistics Agency (DLA), the agency of the Department of Defense that
provides the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other federal
agencies with nearly 100 percent of the consumable items needed to
operate. The PTAC will discuss how and what DLA buys and provide
attendees with basic knowledge on how to use the agency’s internet bid
board systems (“DIBBS”) and technical data folders (“c-Folders”) to find
opportunities and bid on solicitations.
This is a good workshop for manufacturers and machine shops to learn
about potential areas of opportunity with the DLA.
Cosponsored by the Clarion University Small Business Development Center
(SBDC), the Oil Region Alliance and the Venango Area Chamber of
Commerce.
For more information or to register for this FREE seminar, please contact
Cris Pierce at [email protected], 814-677-4800 ext 102, or register
online here.
How to Become a PA COSTARS Supplier
Training Workshop
Date: March 8, 2016
Time: 9:30 a.m. – noon (Sign-in starting at 9 a.m.)
Location: Benson Memorial Library, 213 North Franklin Street,
Titusville, PA 16354
Cosponsored by Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce along with the
Gannon University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the
Titusville Community Development Agencies. This workshop will discuss
the COSTARS program. “COSTARS” is the Commonwealth of PA’s
cooperative purchasing program that provides suppliers and local
procurement units and state-affiliated agencies a tool to find and do
business with each other.
For more information or to register, contact Cris Pierce at
[email protected], 814-677-4800 x 102. Online registration opening
soon at
http://nwpaptac.ecenterdirect.com/Conferences.action?CenterID=1.
All sessions are held at DLA Land
and Maritime, located in
Columbus, Ohio free of charge.
The only cost you may incur is
lodging, food and transportation.
For more information and to
register, visit
http://www.dscc.dla.mil/News/Ev
ents/tko/register.aspx.
26th Annual Government
Procurement Conference
Date: April 6, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Event website:
https://www.fbcinc.com/e/procur
ement/
The conference includes
educational sessions,
procurement matchmaking, and
a dynamic exhibitor showcase.
Participating firms will have the
benefit of marketing their
products/services to procurement
representatives and small
business specialists from
government agencies.
There is a registration fee for this
event. For more information and
to register, visit
https://www.fbcinc.com/e/procur
ement/
U.S. Department of Energy
Small Business Forum &
Expo
Date: May 23-25, 2016
Location: Atlanta, GA
Event website:
http://smallbusinessconference.e
nergy.gov/
This event will feature plenaries,
educational workshops, a large
Exhibit Hall, and business
matchmaking sessions. Over 600
attendees will represent all levels
of Federal, state, and local
government agencies, the small
business community, large/prime
contractors, and many more!
Registration fee applies. For full
details and registration, visit the
OSHA Compliance & Frequently Asked Questions
Business Seminar
Date: Monday, March 14, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. to noon
Cost: $20
Location: Northwest Commission, 395 Seneca Street, Oil City, PA 16301
If OSHA were to show up at your door today, would you be prepared for an
inspection? Are you certain that you are doing everything possible to
minimize workplace accidents and injuries? If you are unsure or answered
‘no’ to either of these questions, this seminar is for you!
Speaker, Mark Harmon, will provide answers to your compliance questions
and will discuss recent changes to OSHA’s recordkeeping rule.
Offered by the Clarion University Small Business Development Center
(SBDC) and co-sponsored by the NWC PTAC.
Registration for this event is required.
For more information or to register, please contact the Clarion University
SBDC at (814) 393-2060, [email protected]. Or register online at:
http://web.clarion.edu/sbdc/training/classes/BusinessSkillsWorkshops/2
016-03-14OSHA.asp.
Resources for Veteran-Owned Businesses
Business Seminar
Date: Friday, March 18, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. to noon
Location: Clarion University SBDC -- Gregory Barnes Center,
330 North Point Drive, Suite 100, Clarion PA 16214-3873
Hosted by the Clarion University Small Business Development Center
(SBDC), this event will include presentations by the Northwest
Commission and North Central Commission PTACs, U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) and the SBDC.
Topics will cover: Pursing the government marketplace and the resources
available thru the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC); the
Northwest Commission's Veterans Initiative program; SBA's Veteran’s
Advantage Loan Program and other SBA resources for Veterans; SBDC
resources available for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
For more information or to register for this FREE seminar, please contact
the Clarion University SBDC at (814) 393-2060, [email protected]. Online
registration at:
http://web.clarion.edu/sbdc/training/classes/BusinessSkillsWorkshops/2
016-03-18Veteran.asp.
official event website at
http://smallbusinessconference.e
nergy.gov/.
RESOURCE:
Stay informed of federal agency
outreach events for small
business by visiting the Federal
OSDBU Interagency Council’s
OUTREACH CALENDAR.
How to Become a PA COSTARS Supplier
Training Workshop
Date: April 23, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. to noon
Location: Erie County, Edinboro University
This workshop will discuss the COSTARS program and the steps involved
in becoming a Supplier in the program. “COSTARS” is the Commonwealth
of PA’s cooperative purchasing program that provides suppliers and local
procurement units and state-affiliated agencies a tool to find and do
business with each other.
For more information or to register, contact Robyn Young at
[email protected], 814-677-4800 x 130. Online registration opening
soon at
http://nwpaptac.ecenterdirect.com/Conferences.action?CenterID=1.
Keep up-to-date on our 2016
PTAC-sponsored events by visiting our
NW Commission PTAC events webpage
throughout the year.
Success Story:
Zacherl Motor Truck Sales, Inc.
A local family-owned business continues to branch out and grow its roots
regionally after successfully partnering with the Northwest Commission
Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).
Clarion-based Zacherl Motor Truck Sales blossomed with regional
municipalities and townships after the company became COSTARS
approved. COSTARS is a Pennsylvania program designed to streamline the
buying process for Pennsylvania government entities.
Founded in 1940, this local trucking company had a history of fruitful sales
through selling vehicles to local and non-local municipalities. After the
implementation of COSTARS, municipalities began to embrace the
program, leading to the trend of purchasing equipment specifically from
COSTARS approved companies. Stephen Kahle, Vice President of Zacherl
Motor Truck Sales, said it became clear that, in order to sell trucks to
municipalities, as the company had done for all of those previous years,
Zacherl Motors needed to become a COSTARS member.
“Municipalities began to realize that the COSTARS program made the task
of purchasing equipment much easier and more cost effective than the
former process of spec’ing, advertising, bidding and awarding contracts,”
said Kahle. “We knew that we needed to be involved with COSTARS but we
honestly did not know how or where to start the process.”
Do you have a Success
Story to share? A story about
your success in government
contracting and how the
Northwest Commission PTAC was
a part of that success?
Contact the PTAC to share your
story!
The seed of doubt vanished after Kahle attended a COSTARS presentation
offered by the Northwest Commission PTAC.
In 2013, Zacherl Motor Truck Sales was accepted and approved as a
responsible bidder for the COSTARS-25 municipal work trucks contract.
Shortly after, the company started seeing an increase in contacts and
quotes.
“After advertising our COSTARS approval on our website, we quickly
started receiving requests for quotes from customers,” Kahle said. “Our
success in making COSTARS happen at our company was all made possible
after meeting and working with Cris Pierce and Robyn Young of the
Northwest Commission PTAC.”
For information regarding how to become a COSTARS Supplier--or any other aspect of
state, local or federal government contracting--contact the PTAC office.
________________________________
395 Seneca Street
Oil City, PA 16301
814-677-4800
www.northwestpa.org/government-contracting