By Jodi Essex
We’ve seen so many changes in the government contracting world in the past year it’s difficult to keep it all straight. Here’s a quick recap of the changes that are happening or are in the works:
CMMC / Cybersecurity
The government has now introduced a less burdensome version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), called CMMC 2.0. This new version allows defense contractors and subcontractors to do self-certification at the lowest level instead of being certified by a third-party certifier. This new model also simplifies the CMMC structure and aligns the requirements with the NIST 800-171 standard.
DUNS / Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
On April 4, 2022, the government will cease use of the DUNS number and begin using the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) as the official identifier for doing business with the federal government. No action is required for those that already have a SAM registration; a UEI has already been assigned and you can view it in your SAM profile. For more information, visit: https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei
Minimum Wage
The White House issued an executive order requiring federal contractors to increase the minimum wage from $10.95 to $15.00/hr for employees working on federal contracts. These requirements are to be implemented into all new solicitations by January 30, 2022 and inserted into all contracts by March 20, 2022.
Vaccine Mandates for Federal Contractors
While Executive Order 14042 is still being debated in courts, as of January 24, 2022, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued new guidance to federal contracts and stating that they do not plan to enforce the contract clause that implements the requirements of EO 14042. See statement here: https://www.saferfederalworkforce.gov/faq/contractors/
Veteran Certifications
On January 21, 2023, the Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA), will transfer the duty of certifying veteran-owned business over the Small Business Administration. Currently the VA and the SBA each have their own veteran-owned certification programs. Details on the transition will be forthcoming.
For more information, contact Jodi Essex at jodir@iastate.edu or 515-509-0769.