by Linda Rawson | May 8, 2017 | General, System Integration
Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) Executive Conference
Linda Rawson, President, and CEO of DynaGrace Enterprises – an 8(a), WOSB, Information Technology and System Integration Company, attended the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) Conference. CSIA’s Annual Executive Conference is an annual conference where over 500 hundred members and industry partners gather to network, hear outstanding speakers, share best practices, and learn about new products and services.
CSIA – Control System Integrators Association
2017 is the first year that DynaGrace Enterprises has attended the prestigious annual conference which changes locations every year. The location of this year’s conference was the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. DynaGrace Enterprises’s President and CEO, Linda Rawson completed the two-day Best Practices Training and then attended the three-day conference as part of her commitment to strengthening DynaGrace Enterprise’s operations and growth opportunity.
Control system integrators design, build and implement efficient manufacturing, process, and industrial systems for manufacturing, process, and other industrial facilities to automate tasks and increase efficiency. The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), founded in 1994, is a not-for-profit, global trade association. The mission of CSIA, according to the website, controlsys.org, is: “The mission of the Control System Integrators Association is to advance the industry of control system integration.” By following sound business practices identified by CSIA, members improve their business processes and profit while enjoying an opportunity to share industry expertise and lessons learned with their peers. CSIA has over 500 member companies in 27 countries.
“It is a great privilege to attend the conference and experience firsthand the information shared by top influences in the System Integrator market,” stated Linda Rawson, President, and CEO of DynaGrace Enterprises. “DynaGrace Enterprises has been heavily involved in Department of Defense work and is moving full forward in a growth opportunity in System Integration. The CSIA executive conference has provided additional insight and connections needed to enhance this growth opportunity while staying true to our core of providing exceptional personalized service to each of our valued clients.”
One of the highlights of CSIA is the certification program. Certified companies experience growth by establishing known business practices that are audited and verified. The certification lasts three years and provides a method for manufacturers to work with only certified businesses.
Many participants also report launching new products or services, discontinuing ineffective ones and expanding into new markets. They also report changes in the way they attract, manage and retain employees. Many alliances and partnerships are established at the annual conference as well as establishing a great business model.
The attendance at the conference follows shortly after another significant milestone from DynaGrace Enterprises — the development of strategic partnerships in the area of Human Machine Interface (HMI). DynaGrace Enterprises hopes to lead the field in integrating Virtual Reality into System Integration of Automation Solutions. This integration further supports DynaGrace Enterprises’s path of continued growth, maintaining itself as a provider of Information Technology services.
Customers can learn more about DynaGrace Enterprises by visiting the company’s website at DynaGrace.com or by calling the company directly at 800-676-0058.
by Linda Rawson | Apr 20, 2017 | General
DynaGrace Enterprises Completes Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program
April 20th, 2017
Linda Rawson, President, and CEO of DynaGrace Enterprises – a 8(a), WOSB, Information Technology and System Integration Company, has completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. The program is a $500 million commitment by Goldman Sachs and The Goldman Sachs Foundation to unlock the job creation potential of small businesses across the United States.
SLC UT
Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses
DynaGrace Enterprises is one of the most recent beneficiaries of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. DynaGrace Enterprises’s President and CEO, Linda Rawson completed the 100-hour, four-month curriculum as part of her commitment to strengthening DynaGrace Enterprises’s operations.
The Goldman Sachs, 10,000 Small Businesses program, is a $500 million initiative developed to help small businesses in the United States by providing entrepreneurs with an integrated program of practical business and management education, access to capital, and business support services.
“It is a great privilege to be one of the latest beneficiaries of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program,” stated Linda Rawson, President, and CEO of DynaGrace Enterprises. “DynaGrace Enterprises has been heavily involved in Department of Defense work and is moving full forward in a growth opportunity identified during the Goldman Sachs program. The Goldman Sachs program has provided the additional insight and resources needed to enhance this growth opportunity while staying true to our core of providing exceptional personalized service to each of our valued clients.”
In a report published by Babson College, six months after completing the program, 47.9% of participants reported adding new jobs. This number increased to 55.7% at 18 months and to 60.9% at 30 months after the program Revenues of the participating businesses also grew steadily after program completion, with 68.7%, 73.9% and 81.9% of participants reporting increased revenues six months, 18 months and 30 months, respectively, after program completion. Many participants also report launching new products or services, discontinuing ineffective ones and expanding into new markets. They also report changes in the way they attract, manage and retain employees.
The completion of the Goldman Sachs program follows shortly after another significant milestone from DynaGrace Enterprises — the development of strategic partnerships in the area of Human Machine Interface (HMI). DynaGrace Enterprises hopes to lead the field in integrating Virtual Reality into System Integration of Automation Solutions. This integration further supports DynaGrace Enterprises’s path of continued growth, maintaining itself as a provider of Information Technology services.
Customers can learn more about DynaGrace Enterprises by visiting the company’s website at DynaGrace.com or by calling the company directly at 888-676-0058.
The official press release is located here -> http://www.pr.com/press-release/713467
by Linda Rawson | Mar 31, 2017 | Federal Government Contracting
Size Matters
First, what in the world does “Ostensible” mean?
According to dictionary.com, is an adjective and has two meanings:
- Outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness.
- Apparent, evident, or conspicuous: the ostensible truth of their theories.
Does anyone else find this humorous? Really? Cheerfulness concealing sadness? The Ostensible Subcontractor Rule is anything but cheerful.
An “Ostensible Subcontractor” is one that “performs primary and vital requirements of a contract,” or is a subcontractor that the prime contractor is “unusually reliant” upon. The Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations affiliate a prime contractor with all of its ostensible subcontractors for size determination purposes.
Affiliation is not a word anyone wants to hear in the government contracting arena. Especially after an award has been made.
Affiliation can disqualify companies for set-asides due to a partners combined size. The location and industries are not relevant. It is about power and control of the large subcontractor over the prime contractor. The “Ostensible Subcontractor” rule is often the most common type of affiliation found between a prime contractor and the subcontractors with which it teams.
The purpose of the rule is to prevent other than small firms from forming relationships with small businesses to evade the SBA’s size requirements.
The key for a Small Business to avoid falling victim to the ostensible subcontractor trap is to ensure that its proposal, proposal-related documentation, and teaming agreements do not indicate, on their face, that an ostensible subcontractor relationship exists.
Specifically, small businesses must be careful not to “oversell” the technical expertise, past experience, or work to be performed by their subcontractors in the proposal or proposal-related documentation.
While it may be necessary for a small business to emphasize the positive qualities of a large subcontractor to compete effectively for a contract award, the small business does not want to make it evident that they are solely relying on the large subcontractor to perform.
A small business must ensure that it proposes to perform a significant portion of the contract work or management with its own resources or to spread this work and management out amongst multiple subcontractors to ensure it is not “unusually reliant” on one subcontractor.
According to the article, Ostensible Subcontractor Affiliation: Beware These “Four Key Factors,” Says SBA OHA, the proposal in question had a small business prime contractor that perform 51.1% of the contract services, and the large business would perform the remaining 48.9%. Of a total workforce of 20 personnel, 10 employees would go to the prime contractor and 10 employees would work for the subcontractor.
A very typical scenario is to split the employees between two contractors to meet the subcontracting percentages.
The four factors from this article that can contribute to this affiliation are:
- The proposed subcontractor was the incumbent contractor, and not eligible to compete for the procurement.
- The prime contractor planned to hire the vast majority of its workforce from the subcontractor.
- The prime contractor’s proposed management previously served with the subcontractor on the incumbent
- The prime contractor lacked relevant experience and was obliged to rely on its more experienced subcontractor to manage the contract.
As a small business, you must be very careful to follow all the rules completely. The small business mentioned in this article tried to fight the size standard ruling and lost.
by Linda Rawson | Mar 21, 2017 | General
I have owned DynaGrace Enterprises, a Women-owned Small Business (WOSB) and 8(a) firm for almost a decade. So why did I start a government contracting business in the first place? The answer is quite simple. I was younger and dumber and wanted to see if I could. I did not know what I should have known when I started. Maybe this article can give you some insight and help you determine if it was the good idea you thought it was.
There are several types of government contractors, and the one I am most familiar with provides services to the federal government. The manufacturing part and being able to offer a product to the government might be better for you, but I am not as familiar with that type.
Federal government contracting can be a way to start a small business. The market is worth over $100 billion in sales to small businesses each year. Providing services or products to the government is quite different than selling to the commercial sector.
Government contracts can guarantee ongoing revenue for your business. A stable cash flow enables a business to develop marketing budgets, hire staff and grow their business intelligently. The reoccurring monthly business generated from government contracts can also hedge against months that are slow. In fact, many contracts have 3-5 continuous year contract terms. Keep in mind though it can take 30 to 90 days to get paid. But once the payments start you are usually fine.
The procurement process for a government contract is extensive. You can speed up this process by marketing to government customers that have a budget. That can be like finding a needle in the haystack. The government goes through cycles for services. Sometimes they ramp up contractors and some years they ramp up on civilian employees.
You should be prepared for long hours when responding to solicitations. The last couple I have lost to very low bidders. I am not sure how they expect to give any benefits to their employees, but the government will get what they bid for, hence the term, “low bidder”. It is like buying the cheapest vehicle and realizing the plastic cracks in the sun after a month of owning it. I refuse to win a bid on the backs of my employees so the contract goes to a company that will. I run a respectable government contracting business.
The good part is I have some fantastic employees, and I have met some wonderful business people who are involved in government contracting. I started out as a civilian employee way back when and then worked for about four contractors before starting my own small contracting business. Having a small budget or lack of budget is a huge problem. The government employees in charge of budgets are usually friendly and appreciate the services we have to offer.
I would never even have thought about having my own business, and this opportunity has given me the experience and the pleasure of being an entrepreneur. It is an excellent way to get started and the SBA offers some training but expect to learn a lot on your own and with the help of mentors.
by Linda Rawson | Mar 21, 2017 | General
My company is DynaGrace Enterprises (DGE). We are a certified 8(a) (Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)) as well as 8(m) (Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) / Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB)). We have been in business since 2006 and the 8(a) is a great program but DGE will 
eventually graduate.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule authorizing federal agencies to award sole-source contracts to WOSB’s eligible for the WOSB Federal Contract Program. It was published in the Federal Register September 14, 2015, and was effective October 14, 2015. The rule levels the playing field for WOSB across the federal contracting marketplace.
Here is a link to the rule as it appears in the Federal Register on September 14, 2015. https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/09/14/2015-22927/women-owned-small-business-federal-contract-program
It appears that for now, the current list of applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes published by SBA for WOSB and EDWOSB contracting set-asides will remain in force, and will be used to facilitate sole source awards until superseded by new data. This NAICS code list can be found here:
2012 WOSB-EDWOSB NAICS Codes
DGE has past performance in the following NAICS codes:
| 237130 |
EDWOSB |
Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction |
| 238210 |
EDWOSB |
Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors |
| 238990 |
EDWOSB |
All Other Specialty Trade Contractors |
| 541330 |
EDWOSB |
Engineering Services |
| 541511 |
EDWOSB |
Custom Computer Programming Services |
| 541512 |
EDWOSB |
Computer Systems Design Services |
| 541519 |
EDWOSB |
Other Computer Related Services |
| 541990 |
EDWOSB |
All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services |
| 561621 |
EDWOSB |
Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) |
| 561990 |
WOSB |
All Other Support Services |
| 811310 |
EDWOSB |
Commercial, Industrial Machinery/Equipment (except Automotive & Electronic) Repair & Maintenance |
This new regulation is great news and represents an opportunity for women-owned small businesses. If you are interested in working with DGE, please contact us.
by Linda Rawson | Mar 14, 2017 | Business, Federal Government Contracting
Named for Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, this program was created to help small and disadvantaged businesses compete in the marketplace.
It also helps these companies gain access to federal and private procurement markets. The program is designed for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. You can read more here in the article titled “What is 8(a)?” which is an excellent 
article describing the 8(a) program.
Why use the 8(a) program?
Contracts can be directly awarded to an 8(a) firm, under $4M for Services and $6.5M for Manufacturing, without much of the normal contracting process overheads:
- A qualified 8(a) firm is considered to be a lock-tight sole source justification which means Justification & Approval (J&A) is not required for contract award per FAR 6.204, FAR 6.302-5(b)(4), and 15 U.S.C. 637
- 8(a) contracts are one of the exceptions listed in FAR 5.202(a)(4), which waive the requirement to publish the synopses of contract actions for section 8(a) of the Small Business Act
- Can continue to use the same 8(a) company for follow-on contracts per FAR 19.805-2(d).
- 8(a) contracts can be issued much quicker than other processes, even IDIQ type task orders
- Even over the $4M/$6.5M threshold, SBA may accept sole source if there is not a reasonable expectation that at least two eligible and responsible 8(a) firms will submit offers at a fair market price per FAR 19.805-1(b).
What are the advantages of using DynaGrace Enterprises as an 8(a)?
As a small business, we have low overhead structure and costs. With technical competence and competitive rates, we strive to provide the best service and support to our clients.
Is the contracting process really that easy?
8(a) Procurement Process
- The government customer has a requirement that could be awarded to an 8(a) firm. For sole source awards the amount will be under $4M for Services and $6.5M for Manufacturing.
- The government customer drafts a Performance Work Statement (PWS) and meets with the Small Business Office (SBO) or contracting agency.
- The Purchase Request (PR) is coordinated through the normal approval process, including base/agency small business office and contracting. On block 12, REMARK section of
the PR, the statement “Recommend sole-source award to 8(a) firm, DynaGrace Consultants, Cage Code 4KM96” is added.
- Base/Agency contracting office sends an “offer letter” to the SBA, and SBA sends an “acceptance letter” to base/agency contracting office.
- Request For Proposal (RFP) is sent to DynaGrace Enterprises where they present an oral or written offer. The rates and cost are negotiated.
- The Base/Agency contracting office negotiates directly with DynaGrace Enterprises for the contractual terms.
- The order is issued to the SBA.
How long does the contracting process take?
Typically between 30 and 60 days.
For more information Contact Us.
We have excellent references available upon request.
