The SBA and other agencies have set a goal of awarding 23% of all federal government contracts to small businesses. Earlier in 2022, the Biden Administration increased the Small-Disadvantaged Business goal from 5% to 11% in hopes of encouraging small businesses to do business with the federal government. In 2020, that equated to $145 billion dollars awarded according to the SBA, exceeding their goal of 23%. 

2022 is a great year for small and medium businesses to engage with the federal government. Larger prime contractors are seeking suppliers and subcontractors to help with their larger contracts.   

In this 1.5-day Forum led by Baker Tilly and Jenner & Block, we will discuss a number of topics that will help answer questions and make navigation of federal contracting less daunting as a small or medium business.  
 

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AGENDA

Day 1

9:30-10:00 AM

Key Note Address
Mr. Joseph P. Bentz, Deputy Director, Defense Contract Audit Agency

10:00AM-10:45 AM

Pricing to Win - Proposals and Responding to RFPs
Robert Craig, Principal, Saggar & Rosenberg, P.C.

You received an RFP.  So, how do your price and put your best offer in play?  See what our panelists say as they discuss strategies and give tips to better prepare a proposal.

10:45 AM
Break

11:00 AM -12:00 PM

Audit/Accounting & Financial Considerations for Small Businesses
Nick Goodman, Partner and Bill Leonard, Sr. Manager, Baker Tilly

As small and medium-sized businesses grow, it is evitable a financial statement audit will be required. These audits address accounting rules under U.S. GAAP and can be complex, especially for government contractors.

During this session will provide a financial accounting update focused on the most pressing U.S. GAAP rule changes affecting government contractors as well as address considerations and best practices government contractors can incorporate to prepare for their external financial statement audit. Issues and topics Nick and Bill will address and discuss, as well as answer participants' questions. Topics include:

• Significant accounting challenges small and medium-sized government contractors face as organizations grow in both size and complexity
• Impacts of new accounting standards and best practices for successfully preparing for financial statement audits
• Revenue recognition challenges and the impact by type of contract
• Documentation of business processes and internal controls in the financial statement audit
• Importance of general IT controls on the financial statement audit
• Understanding required financial statement disclosures 
• Audit testing examples  

12:00-1:00 PM
LUNCH BREAK 

1:00-2:15 PM

Working with the Defense Contract Management Agency for the First Time 
Krista Larson, Corp Admin Contracting Officer, DCMA and D.J. Halpaus, Experience Manager, Baker Tilly

This session will provide small and medium-sized federal contractors, especially compliance and contract professionals, with insight to working with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Administrative Contracting Officers (ACOs). As federal contractors grow their business with the Department of Defense (DOD), the progression from engaging with only the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) will shift to working more with an ACO at DCMA. This change in oversight can be confusing and difficult for an organization as it tries to understand how and when it should be interacting with each agency. 

During this session, D.J., who worked for DCMA for over 12 years, will share his experience working with small and medium businesses during this transition.  Krista, a current contracting officer with DCMA, will provide an overview of DCMA including who they are, what they do, and how they work with DCAA to provide contract management for DoD.  Both D.J. and Krista will discuss and provide their perspectives of how to build relationships with contracting officers and their teams, minimize confusion, and help companies thrive through this transition so that contractors can continue to deliver world-class products and services.

2:15-3:15 PM

Dispute Issues that Matter to Your Small Business Now
Matthew Haws & Carla Weiss, Jenner & Block 

While you are laser-focused on winning and performing more government contracts, your competitors are thinking about how to derail you with a protest.  To stay on your desired growth trajectory, you need to understand how size protests and bid protests can affect your company’s journey through government contracting—in both positive and negative ways.  Understanding these dispute processes can help you avoid costly mistakes, and also give you an advantage against less prepared, less compliant competitors.  What types of disputes should you be thinking about right now?  First, businesses often bring—or have brought against them—protests alleging that a company is not actually small or does not meet the relevant socioeconomic status.  Second, contractors can dispute the NAICS code – and associated size standard – assigned to a procurement in order to gain access to or an advantage in a particular procurement.  Finally, small business issues can arise as part of bid protests before the Government Accountability Office or the Court of Federal Claims.  For small businesses participating in government contracting, understanding the disputes landscape before a protest lands on your doorstep can keep you moving smoothly through your growth trajectory.

3:15 PM
BREAK

3:30-4:30 PM

CyberSecurity vulnerabilities and CMMC for Small Business 
Matt Gilbert, Partner, Baker Tilly

In the past few years, focus on cyber has been a priority for the federal government and its agencies, especially agencies with critical infrastructure vulnerable to cyber attacks.  CMMC has had its issues in implementation but is moving forward.  However, vulnerable contractors, large and small, must comply.   Baker Tilly, along with a cyber-firm will discuss both the needs and requirements for contractors in this session.

4:30 – 5:00 PM

Mentor Protégé’ / Teaming / Partnering
Gloria Larkin, President & CEO, Target Gov

There are unique programs and processes in the federal marketplace designed to help small business gain traction sooner. However, these programs can be the source of great frustration if the small business is not clear on how to position as a protégé, or how to be a good partner that other large and small businesses will want to work with. This session takes a realistic, tactical approach to benefitting from these powerful opportunities.

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Day 2

9:00–10:00 AM

DCAA’s Focus on Small Busines
Patrick Fitzgerald, Director and Drew Lewis, Baker Tilly and Joseph Greger, Small Business Program Manager, Defense Contract Audit Agency 

This session will continue the discussion started at last year’s conference in the session “Becoming a Blip on DCAA’s Radar Screen” and build on this year’s Keystone address from DCAA’s Deputy Director.

• We'll examine the DCAA’s recent initiatives and its expectations for growing companies regarding their compliance and audit requirements.
• We will explore the triggers for increased government compliance for growing businesses and how best to comply with them.
• In addition, we will also discuss the most significant compliance topics and emerging issues that many growing companies are either dealing with or will likely face in the near future.

The panel presenters will offer their perspectives and prognostications on these emerging issues as well as some practical solutions and best-in-class practices to help the small and medium business community achieve mission success.

10:00-11:00 AM

The FAR Panel – Rules, Relevancy & Requirements 
Derek Boyd, Director, Baker Tilly and Matt Haws, Partner, Jenner & Block

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provides contractors with a significant amount of regulatory guidance and clauses to comply with.  At the same time, understanding and implementing Executive Orders (EOs) and the continuous proposed and new changes to guidance, regulations, and programs impacting federal contractors can be complicated, daunting, and risky if not properly incorporated into running the business. During this session, our panel of legal and compliance experts will help decipher some of the most important issues in the FAR and discuss the latest EOs and program changes every business should know.

11:00
BREAK

11:05 AM - 12:15 PM

Market and Policy Briefing by Professional Services Council
Stephanie Sanok Kostro, Executive Vice President, Policy, and James Millar, Research & Analysis, Professional Services Council

An industry favorite, this discussion gives executive-level insights into the state of the government contracting industry as well as trends in buying and policy within agencies.

12:15-12:30 PM

Closing Remarks