2nd Annual NSA Acquisition/Industry Partnership Exchange (NAIPE)

The NSA Office of Small Business Programs and Industry Outreach announces the second annual NSA Acquisition/Industry Partnership Exchange (NAIPE) on January 20, 2011. NAIPE will be held at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. The conference is unclassified, but attendees must be from companies actively working/under contract with NSA. Please note that NAIPE is not a business development effort.

NAIPE is a one-day event consisting of informative breakout sessions and a networking lunch featuring keynote speaker Ms. Jennifer S. Walsmith, Senior Acquisition Executive, Directorate of Acquisition. It is designed to give NSA industry contractors the opportunity to meet with representatives from select Agency organizations to discuss issues they are experiencing while doing business with the Agency. Based on industry input, we have identified six breakout session topics:

1. Acquisition Resource Center (ARC)
   Discussion of ARC policies and procedures, including: access, market surveys, expansion of the ARC throughout the intelligence community, etc.
   
   
2. Contracting
   Discussion of a variety of issues, including: contract types, solicitation development, award fees, timelines, set-asides, etc.
   
   
3. Contractor Clearances / Security
   Discussion of security programs, policies, and procedures, including: SCIF, personnel clearances, use of CCAs on classified contracts, etc.
   
   
4. Export Control / International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
   Discussion about the export of technical data and/or defense services, including: ITAR, Export Administration Regulation, Arms Export Control Act, etc.
   
   
5. Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI)
   Discussion of the legal and procurement ramifications surrounding recent legislation and DFAR changes related to OCI.
   
   
6. Small Business Programs and Industry Outreach
   Discussion about: PISA, NSETS II, and BA Infrastructure CPRL programs, as well as Office of Small Business Programs.

Each breakout session will consist of a presentation and question and answer period. We encourage attendees to come prepared with questions for the panelists to ensure the exchange is enlightening and beneficial for both NSA and Industry. Questions may not be company-specific (e.g., Why didn’t my firm win XYZ award?), but rather address overarching issues that many of our Industry partners might be experiencing (e.g., How important is past-performance when considering contracting awards?).

Attendees will have the opportunity to attend four of the six sessions, and two individuals per company will be permitted to attend. Registration is first-come, first-served. All companies in attendance must be actively working on an NSA contract, and will be required to provide a valid contract number at the time of registration.

A continental breakfast, breaks, and buffet lunch will be included with each registration.