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Because �鶹��ý understands that Business Development is a crucial topic in the construction industry that interests and affects all of our members, we will be offering several BD-related educational sessions and networking opportunities.

�鶹��ý of America’s Business Development Forum, is partnering with The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), to offer free one-on-one BD “Check-Ups” for �鶹��ý Convention attendees to review and offer guidance on their BD and marketing related efforts. Subject matter experts from across the nation will be paired with attendees to answer questions and challenges relating to BD planning, sales, proposals, client presentations, branding, brochures, websites, social media, and more.

On Jan. 31, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OSD) released the final version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). The Department of Defense (DOD) will begin including the final CMMC model as “go/no go” in all new solicitations starting in late summer/early fall of 2020. On the same day, defense officials held a news conference discussing the final version of CMMC. For further information on this, click “learn more.”

On Jan. 16, Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) introduced bipartisan, �鶹��ý-backed legislation to prohibit federal agencies from using reverse auctions on federal construction contracts. On Dec. 19, the Senate unanimously passed a companion bill to this measure. Reverse auctions in federal contracts typically require contractors to bid against each other in real time with ever increasing lower prices in order to win a particular contract. Several federal agencies have advised against this practice due to the administrative burden it requires, as well as acknowledging that the guaranteed low price at time of bidding often does not mean the project will be lower in cost at the close. �鶹��ý supports commonsense procurement reform to improve the delivery of federal construction projects.

�鶹��ý of America’s Business Development Forum, with support from The Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), will offer free one-on-one Business Development (BD) “Check-Ups” to �鶹��ý Convention attendees to review and offer guidance on their BD and marketing related efforts. Subject matter experts from across the nation will be paired with attendees to answer questions and challenges relating to BD planning, sales, proposals, client presentations, branding, brochures, websites, social media, and more. The Free Business Development and Marketing Check-Up booths will be open Tuesday and Wednesday March 10 & 11 from 9:30-11:30 am PST. To learn more and sign up ahead of time please contact paige.packard@agc.org.

On Jan. 7, the Senate confirmed �鶹��ý-backed nominee Jovita Carranza to lead the Small Business Administration (SBA). Administrator Carranza previously served as Treasurer of the United States at the Department of the Treasury under President Trump and served as Deputy Administrator for SBA under President George W. Bush. Prior to these appointments, Administrator Carranza spent 30 years working for the United Parcel Service (UPS). As administrator, she will be a key voice in shaping the administration’s pro-business agenda and advocating on behalf of the nation’s small businesses and contractors.

On Dec. 19, the House passed H.R. 5430, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (USMCA). The passage of this legislation represents a major first step towards ratification of the newly negotiated trade pact between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Senate is set to consider USMCA in the new year. �鶹��ý has long supported this measure due to the significant economic impact trade with our North American neighbors has on the construction industry. Ratification of this new agreement will help ensure that trade impacting the construction industry supply chain remains free, fair, and certain.

For the eleventh year in a row, �鶹��ý of America has been named as one of the nation’s top lobbying operations by Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill. The publication’s annual ranking of top lobbyists lists �鶹��ý CEO Steve Sandherr as a top lobbyist. Sandherr said the listing is a really an acknowledgement of the quality of the association’s government relations team, noting that the team secured $7.6 billion in federal highway funding that Congress had planned to cut, a disaster aid package with billions of dollars dedicated to rebuilding impacted communities, and regulatory reforms to lower the bureaucratic burden on the industry, among other accomplishments this year.

On Nov. 8, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published a proposed rule that makes significant revisions to its mentor-protégé program (MPP). This proposed rule marks the most significant revision of the program since its inception in 2016. The mission of the MPP is to help build a broad base of emerging business enterprises capable of performing high quality construction at competitive prices. The proposed rule would have significant implications for the government contracting community.

On Nov. 8, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OSD) released part of Version 0.6 of the draft Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This version includes CMMC Levels 1-3, but not Levels 4-5. According to OSD, “CMMC Levels 4-5 are not included in this release because public comments are still being addressed.” Updates to Levels 4-5 are expected to be provided in the next public release. According to OSD, the CMMC model will continue to be improved with the finalization of Version 1.0 in January 2020. The Department of Defense (DOD) will begin including the final CMMC model as “go/no go” in all solicitations starting in Fall 2020.