Serellium

The House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence released its end-of-year report yesterday. Key takeaways for AI solutions entering federal government market: 1. No one solution. Diversity in AI applications are both critical and inevitable. All promising AI capabilities should be coming to the table at this stage. 2. Customization wins. Every federal agency requires unique solutions, aligned with unique mission sets and regulatory needs. Agency-specific policies, requirements, and solicitations will showcase the needs. 3. Congress endorses leveraging AI to reduce administrative bureaucracy. This endorsement will translate to continued investments and interest in new, wide-ranging solutions across federal government. 4. Congress emphasizes transparency of AI adoptions for government tasks. Agency releases of AI adoption state-of-plays will reveal gaps and progress — and how new capabilities can fit in.

Veterans Affairs published its inventory of AI use cases, demonstrating exactly how they’re absorbing new AI capabilities across nearly every sector of the VA mission. From automating administrative tasks, to medical diagnostic automation, to customer service enhancements, the inventory highlights the breadth of capabilities, their purpose, outputs, stage of development, and more. So what? New AI solutions should study the inventory, and think critically about how to posture AI capabilities to apply to the range of govt needs across federal agencies opening new procurement mechanisms to absorb them. (Spoiler alert: every agency will approach this differently.)

The final text for the proposed 2025 National Defense Authorization Act -- which authorizes the $895b in appropriations for U.S. defense sector -- was recently released. Take note of six game-changing updates for small businesses in the defense contracting space: 1. New 5% contracting goal for non-service disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs). This is a first since there's currently no government-wide procurement goal for this group. 2. Enhanced support for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). Dept. of Defense acquisition personnel will receive training to better promote contracts with SDVOSBs. 3. Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program gets a boost -- military research institutions included and with a potential pilot program for rapid allocation adjustments. 4. A new "Small Business Bill of Rights" to improve Dept. of Defense communications with small business professionals. Expect a) better customer service, b) more timely responses, and c) a clear issue resolution process. 5. Streamlined procurement processes, with a push for more accessible contract notices. The aim is to make contract opportunities easier to decipher. 6. Stronger emphasis on domestic content and supply chain security. Small businesses in manufacturing or domestically sourced products will see more opportunities. Each of these changes aim to level the playing field for small businesses in federal contracting.

Rarely do new government contract solicitations surprise us -- but this one did: A federal agency is seeking Valet Services to accommodate Veteran patients, family members, and visitors for a large, center-city medical center. Estimated 100-200 vehicles per day spanning a 5-year contract. A strong signal in response to the long-standing complaints that Veterans have voiced regarding basic barriers to accessing care. And an equally strong signal that the government can and will pursue new, creative solutions via contracts that are best met by the private sector.

The Pentagon's $100M award toward scaling edge data mesh capabilities underscores the growing demand for innovative tech solutions in the federal market. Businesses looking to bring new capabilities to government must align with federal priorities - in this case, DoD's Open Data and Applications Government-owned Interoperable Repositories ecosystem, which laid the groundwork and will enable ample new solutions to come to the table.

The Dept. of Defense released a draft solicitation for what may be the largest AI-related contract in government history, up to $15b over the next decade. AI companies would be smart to contribute responses that: 1. Showcase diverse capabilities and unique applicability to DoD's missions. 2. Shape and inform this expansive requirement. 3. Enhance your business's visibility to the government. Responses due Dec. 20, 2024.

Spot on. Startups are seeking repeatable revenue, diverse technology applicability, and a stable, powerful market. The smartest ones are seeking government contracts.

Prediction: federal government contracts for artificial intelligence capabilities will only continue to surge. Businesses with innovative AI solutions should be making a plan. Here are three immediate actions business leaders can take to bring new AI technologies to the federal market.

The White House recently released an in-depth memorandum on AI and national security. Three near-term implications: 1. Industry's thought leadership is more important than ever to inform cutting-edge, safe, effective new technology investments at the intersection of AI and national security. 2. Anticipate increased federal investments in new AI capabilities to advance national security priorities -- and spanning all sectors of federal government. Critical for industry partners to pay attention, and make a plan for translation of new solutions to government industry. 3. Capability integration has never been more pressing. Private sector partners need to come to the table to provide stronger, more relevant combinations of capabilities that can ensure the U.S. government stays ahead of the curve. https://lnkd.in/efSbJjMr

Past performance vignettes are CRITICAL to your pitch for government contracts. There's a reason many gov't RFPs prioritize past performance above price & approach: gov't wants to know you can do the work, and better than competitors. Ideal vignette: - Client description - Task overview - Approach breakdown: how you solved the problem - Results (quantitative heavy) - Quality control and big picture outcomes that benefited the client long-term Keep a running list and populate every new project. Easy off-the-shelf content for proposal and pitching time.