The 2022 federal buying season is under way and agencies, including the Department of Defense, have access to a funding bonus courtesy of a windfall from the Technology Modernization Fund. How should they put these use-it-or-lose-it funds to work to drive digital transformation projects forward? And can they overcome the inherent challenges of the procurement process to take advantage of the funding before September 30, 2022?
We’ve got some ideas and some answers below.
Record Funding Available for Federal Buying Season
Last year’s American Rescue Plan Act created a sizeable funding bump for the federal government’s Technology Modernization Fund (TMF). And now, it’s time to use it or lose it. According to an article in Nextgov, federal agencies looking to drive IT modernization projects – including improving cybersecurity and customer experience – can tap into approximately $750 million in funding that’s currently available through the TMF. But agencies need to submit their plans this summer, because once the clock hits midnight on September 30, 2022, any remaining funds will disappear.
You can read the full article here.
Sole Source Contracts Make Procurement Easier
With a little over two months to go before the end of the federal government’s fiscal year and all that funding to spend, agencies might be concerned about how to navigate the notoriously complex procurement process in such a short period of time. The answer lies in using the 8(a) ANC sole source process. According to Ryan Maloney, President of Chenega Systems, the sole source process reduces the procurement process from 12-18 months to just 3-4 weeks.
Curious? You can learn more here.
Department of Defense Leaders Discuss Keeping the Battlefield Edge
The Department of Defense (DoD) is driving digital transformation in a big way to keep the battlefield edge. At the beginning of June, John B. Sherman, DOD’s chief information officer, held a fireside chat with Craig Martell, DOD’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, at the DoD Digital and AI Symposium. The conversation touched on the challenges the United States is facing not just in Europe, but also in securing national interests in INDOPACOM and the technologies that will be central to mission success.
You can watch a video of the chat, or read more about how the DoD is keeping the battlefield edge, here.