Ben Van Roo

Heads Up...DoD News related to Architect - Engineering (AE) Services! (1) FINAL RULE Effective 8/26/2024 - DFARS Case 2024-D019 Architect and Engineering Service Fees. This rule changes DFARS to implement Section 2881 of the FY24 NDAA to increase the limitation of the contract price (i.e., "fee") for A-E services for the preparation and delivery of designs, plans, drawings, and specifications from 6% of the project's estimated construction cost to 10%. It is applicable to Army, Navy, and Air Force projects (references in 10 U.S.C. 7540,8612, and 9540). The new 10% limit replaces the 6% fee limitation on contract modifications for work not initially included in the contract and redesign, and applies only to that portion of the contract (or modification) price attributable to the preparation of designs, plans, drawings, and specifications. If a contract or modification also includes other services, the part of the price attributable to the other services is not subject to the fee limitation. (Personally, I've been waiting since the early 1990's for this percentage to change (and yes, I've been doing this THAT long). This makes it easier for small AE businesses to participate in the Federal space. So, YEA!) Permalink: https://lnkd.in/g7vF95R6 (2) PROPOSED RULE Comments due 9/27/2024 -- DFARS Case 2023-D007 Task Order and Delivery Order Contracting for Architectural and Engineering Services. This rules proposes a corresponding change to DFARS Subpart 216.5, Indefinite-Delivery Contracts, to require DoD Contracting Officers (KOs) to use qualification-based selections when awarding task orders and delivery orders for AE services that was previously implemented procedurally under FAR Subparts 16.500, 16.505, and 36.6 procedures in 2005 under the final rule for FAR Case 2004-001 Improvements in Contracting for Architect-Engineer Services. This proposed rule adds DoD-specific statutory guidance (10 U.S.C. 3406(h)(2)) to DFARS directing KOs not to request additional info regarding qualifications unless necessary to determine qualifications for a particular task order or delivery order under a multiple-award contract. There should be little to no impact from this proposed rule since there are no procedural changes, new clauses or provisions, and no new applicability in terms of thresholds or types of contracts. Permalink: https://lnkd.in/gwh2_38J

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Have you ever noticed that the word Uber is both a noun and a verb? I have spent years studying shared economy, supply chain and logistics. The first and last mile space has proven profitable and lucrative but also fickle and unpredictable. And I love it. In the world of Yahoos and Googles, Ubers and AirBnBs, a person could argue that branding has very minimal impact on the potential success of a company. I have also spent years studying branding, marketing, product management and customer experience. People love all-inclusive. Sometimes when you're dealing with consumers, a little bit more goes a long way. In WebVans defense, while I'm sure they had the most advanced inventory management system, at the time, I'm sure they didn't have automated storage and retrieval, they didn't have the 5G ecosystem, they didn't have RFID and IOT, they didn't have shared economy and they obviously believed, like Jeff Bezos, that because they had figured out how to deliver a book to your door, they could innovate the entire supply chain. And I love the tenacity. They tried to create an all inclusive customer experience. But like, what happens when the name just kinda sucks? Is it possible that the plateau is being caused by a crappy name? Why would people think Cost Plus is a company that would give them a discount on pharmaceuticals? Why would people think WebVan or GoPuff is the best solution for getting things delivered? Branding is part of the customer experience. It's where the brand loyalty begins and creates the potential for evangelism. Don't forget that part.

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An incredible deep dive from Nathan M. into the cultural and structural issues that are plaguing Boeing and how they got to where they are today. This article should be turned into a business school case study it's that good. And many of these issues aren't unique to Boeing. The focus on financial engineering over actual engineering is an issue at play in many scaled aerospace and defense companies. A definite must-read! https://lnkd.in/gkdpF2tM

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Reposting to my network: Shyam Sankar provides some very insightful responses in this interview. This one hits close to home for me: Q: What region of the world should we be watching? Why? A: America would be my answer to that, actually. We probably don't spend enough time thinking about the assets we do have and how we leverage it. Deterrence is a whole-of-society effort.

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BIGGEST PRODUCT UPDATE YET!!! Over the past 6 months of the journey, our users have continually been asking for this one golden question: How much money is there for X? Up until now, you still had to piece the full picture together on our platform. No more. Create market sizings in minutes with competitors, funding offices and key stakeholders at your fingertips. We are so pumped for this next iteration of Usul and aren't slowing down anytime soon. Interested in multiplying your DoD capture? Book a demo here: https://lnkd.in/gbkrP3yk

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What's missing from this Defense Innovation Board recommendations report on Data? This is a comprehensive report and set of recommendations from the DIB on improving data access and quality across the department. Would highly encourage you to read. One other recommendation I would recommend adding is a CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE SUB-TIER SUPPLIER INFORMATION, STARTING WITH TIER 1, to enable better monitoring of supply chain risks and ultimately improve supply chain resilience. Getting this information after a contract has been set up is quite difficult for many reasons including lack of incentives for a contractor to provide it. At a minimum, Tier 1 information is something that contractors have at their fingertips as they know who their next tier suppliers are. Information beyond that into next Tiers is more difficult and requires them to reach out to their next tier of suppliers. It can be done through solutions like Resilinc as we have seen at DLA and other agencies. But it takes time and effort. Recommendation: Add a requirement, for contracts of certain size and above, to provide Tier 1 supply chain data, based on part #s, products, service offerings being delivered. Anthony Di Stasio Brooke Pyne Peter Guinto Brandon Hodges Dr. Marina Theodotou G. Nagesh R. Ryan Connell John Ferry Rob Handfield #emergingtech #supplychainresiliency

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Some more insight into what we are building at Aerodome 📈🚀

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DoD rule-makers have been busy with proposed rules for DFARS. Those of you with a NAICS code that begins with 5416--management, scientific, and technical consulting services NAICS--will want to pay attention to this first rule in particular... Preventing Conflicts of Interest for Certain Consulting Services (DFARS Case 2024-D007) - Proposes amending DFARS to-- ▶ implement Section 812 of the FY24 NDAA which prohibits DoD from awarding contracts assigned a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code beginning with 5416 to offerors who hold contracts that involve consulting services with certain covered foreign entities. ▶ add a new solicitation provision in which an offeror certifies whether the offeror, its subsidiaries, or affiliates hold a contract for consulting services with one or more covered foreign entities and whether the offeror maintains a conflict-of-interest mitigation plan that meets certain requirements. ▶ requires that if the offeror, its subsidiaries, or affiliates hold such a contract and the offeror is selected for award, the offeror may submit its existing conflict-of-interest mitigation plan, which will be incorporated into a contract resulting from the solicitation. The provision is prescribed for use in solicitations assigned a NAICS code beginning with 5416 that involve consulting services. (https://lnkd.in/gCdMD7D4) DoD Cost or Pricing Data Reporting Requirements (DFARS Case 2022-D004) - Would amend DFARS to-- ▶ require offerors to submit data other than certified cost or pricing data upon contracting officer request. ▶  establish a $2 million threshold for the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data statute requirements with respect to contract modifications, subcontracts, and modifications to subcontracts.  ▶ require that contract modifications to reflect the revised threshold be executed “as soon as practicable.” The proposed rule implements these changes via several proposed new clauses. (https://lnkd.in/gfNcW2rR) Public Access to Results of Federally Funded Research (DFARS Case 2020-D028) - Proposes two new clauses that require contractors with contracts that include fundamental research to develop and maintain a data management plan and to submit final peer-reviewed manuscripts to the Defense Technical Information Center’s publicly accessible repository. (https://lnkd.in/g7bDcij6) Comments for all proposed rules are due on 11/25/2024. Instructions to comment are found at each permalink.

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I'm pretty critical when it comes to resources like this BUT I have to say THANK YOU to the NSIN - National Security Innovation Network Transition Cell for putting an informative guide together. This guide along with the webinars held by NSIN every Thursday (see below) should be something every emerging tech company, especially those new to government, should attend. Thanks Jesse Gipe Jon LazarAndy Tennant David S.! Keep these resources coming! #emergingtech #barriers2entry #defensetech #defenseinnovation

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Excellent analysis. I can attest from my own and portfolio companies’ experience that IQT (In-Q-Tel) and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) are extraordinarily effective at commercial efforts, DARPA on advancing great research, and there are another 3-5 units that do solid work. H/t Nicholas S. for surfacing this great post

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We are living in a world that embodies our Industrial Transformation & Supply Chain Technology investment thesis at REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions & Great Power Competition; The Climate Crisis & Severe Weather; Consumer Behavior & Demographics. Join us. #IndustrialTransformation #SupplyChain #Innovation #Technology #Startups #VentureCapital

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Regardless of who wins tomorrow, we at Space VC are prepared to work with either administration. As a country, we have much to do over the next 4 years: ✅ Rebuild our defense & manufacturing industrial base ✅ Reform the legacy DoD procurement process that favors Defense Primes ✅ Modernize national space policies & strategy ✅ Advocate & accelerate investments in emerging energy & storage solutions ✅ Embrace AI tools within Government agencies to drive efficiency ✅ Support any American who wants to start a small business or company ✅ Invest in new solutions & optionality for families within education, healthcare & social benefits ✅ Measuring & monitoring the physical world, both for climate & security ✅ Embrace high-impact immigration, aim to recruit the best & brightest around the world ✅ Encourage growth, investment and M&A for the capital markets ✅ Create a fair, easy to predict corporate & personal tax structure ✅ And much, much more Our country’s to-do list is too long to wait for “one team” to take power. We will work with anyone willing to advance these causes for the U.S 🇺🇸

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Like most policy, the desired outcomes are seldom those to which we arrive, calling my shot: Step 1. Demand source code from contractor that I don’t know what to do with Step 2. Share it through one of many nightmarish repos with other government entities who also have no idea what to do with it Step 3. Hand code off to “software factory” staffed with prime contracted 0.5x developer drones Step 4. Prime suddenly drops a “proprietary” product that looks a lot like a bootlegged knock off but was “developed under IRAD” Step 5. Buy what was free, with an added VAR tax https://lnkd.in/eqv-62Dx

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Garrett Smith would have you believe he's "a head in the clouds, visionary CEO who's not grounded in reality." But Reveal Technology's story proves otherwise. While some defense tech startups chase headlines and trade show sponsorships, Garrett and his team have quietly become the first commercial software solution certified on the Army's mobile network. Today on #CrossingtheValley, I sat down with Garrett and Dave Caudle, the company's VP of Defense, to unpack how a small team is revolutionizing tactical edge operations. This episode just might change how you think about defense tech. We cover: 🎯 The Power of Tactical Truth While others pitched PowerPoints to generals, Reveal spent time on ranges with sergeants and lieutenants, building capabilities they wished they had in combat. Result? When they finally met program leadership, the grassroots demand was undeniable. 💡 The Integration Revelation Most founders obsess over technology readiness (TRL). Reveal discovered early that integration readiness (IRL) is the real kingmaker. It's not enough to build great software – it has to seamlessly integrate into the warfighter's complex ecosystem. 🤝 The Platform Play What started as an edge mapping solution is morphing into something much bigger. With a recent acquisition and a $33.6M STRATFI award, Reveal is positioning to become the standard platform for AI-enabled operations at the tactical edge. Full episode available now at ValleyCrossers (dot) Com. Whether you're a founder, investor, or acquisition professional, you don't want to miss this. #DefenseTech #Military #Innovation #Leadership

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In a recent case underscoring the significance of export controls, a Kansas businessman has pleaded guilty to violating U.S. laws by selling advanced aviation equipment to Russia. Learn more about the details and implications of this case. #ExportControls #Aviation #Compliance 🌍🔒

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Small unmanned surface vehicles (sUSV) have been one of the priorities for the US Navy, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), United States Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Hicks, and Replicator with contracts recently awarded to a mix of mid-size, non-traditional, and venture-backed companies. According to Hicks, “Replicator is demonstrating from the top and across the enterprise how to deliver all kinds of capability at speed and scale.... What we’ve done in under 12 months can take seven-to-ten years.” In early 2020, Federal Budget IQ identified unmanned as a 10-year multi-billion-dollar national security policy and funding priority driven by the evolution of our National Defense Strategy, its increased focus on near-peer competitors, operational and staffing challenges, and budgetary realities. #defensetech #unmanned #susv #replicator #publicsectorforecast Chauncey Goss Maureen Holohan Becky Leggieri Cameron Leuthy Austin Smythe

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Defcon AI Inc., a defense technology startup that provides logistics insights for military operations, said today it has raised $44 million in seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners to expand its team and build more capabilities. In addition to Bessemer, Fifth Growth Fund and Red Cell Partners also joined the round. Military organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense, which contracts with Defcon AI, are faced with innumerable obstacles when deploying manpower and resources to the field. These could be issues such as hurricanes, washed-out roads and enemy action. All of this must be modeled and represented to get the best outcome when coordinating in the field where people and things need to move from point A to point B as efficiently as possible.

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A massive untapped opportunity in PE: Port-co leadership development. All PE folks recognize the connection between effective leadership and port-co returns. (95% according to Teneo survey). However... <10% we've talked to are actually systematic about developing port-co leaders. Big missed opportunity. My last firm is quietly crushing it with its focus on building great leaders from within. But for the rest... failure to invest in developing your port-co leaders could: → Make for a weaker pitch to sellers → Make it tougher to attract top talent → Lead to employee retention challenges → Make it tougher to achieve target returns → Cause more problems to hit the PEGs desk → Make the PE partner's job more challenging My partner and I have spent the past few months obsessing over this opportunity, and building something really cool for PE firms who are serious about generating stronge performance by building stronger leaders. Details on what we're building in the comments below. ⤵️ Thoughts always welcomed!

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