COMMERCIAL ITEM ACQUISITION

Who should attend:

Contract professionals who have commercial or ‘off the shelf’ products and are currently selling or planning to sell to government agencies through GSA MAS or other methods.

Should have some knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

What you will learn:

This course provides an extensive analysis of current developments in the acquisition of commercial products and services by the Federal Government. It will assist you in learning how to benefit from specialized regulations applicable to the acquisition of commercial items.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation establishes a mandatory preference for the Federal Government to purchase products and services available in the commercial marketplace using commercial terms and conditions. Since the passage of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, federal agencies have sought to comply with its mandatory requirements in various ways. This course reviews both the regulatory requirements and the practical application of the commercial acquisition process in the federal marketplace.

If you are a contractor selling commercial products and services to either the Federal Government or to higher tier government contractors, this course is designed to give you both the regulatory knowledge and the practical tips to marketing and selling to federal customers. If you are a federal buyer, you will be able to learn what other agencies are doing, within the regulatory framework, to simplify the acquisition process so that you can easily acquire the commercial products and services your agency needs.

The course focuses on the type of products and services covered by the regulatory definition of a commercial item, the procedures used by the Federal Government to acquire those items, the terms and conditions used in solicitations and contracts, and the special price analysis methods used to determine that offered prices are fair and reasonable. In addition, there is a discussion of the specialized terms and conditions associated with the $35 billion General Services Administration multiple award schedule contract program as well as proven methodologies for marketing commercial products and services to federal agencies.

The program will be presented by a faculty of experienced practitioners who were involved in the early commercial acquisition statutory reforms and who have focused on working with commercial vendors and agencies purchasing commercial items. In addition to their detailed lectures, course participants will receive a comprehensive Course Manual to use during the program and after the program has been completed

Speaker and Presenter Information

Craig Stetson

Capital Edge Consulting

Craig Stetson has over 25 years of direct experience in government contract accounting, pricing, subcontract management, regulatory and federal contract compliance, business system implementation, and internal control oversight. His industry experience includes aerospace and defense, manufacturing, construction, architecture and engineering, information and communications, higher education, and not-for-profits.

Mr. Stetson is experienced in a wide range of cost accounting and regulatory compliance matters related to government contracts and grants, including claims preparation and negotiation; cost allowability; application of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and OMB Circular requirements; accounting and business systems assessment related to government contract compliance requirements, internal control sufficiency and overall self-governance; cost estimating, accounting and auditing of federal contracts and grants; and, application and interpretation of Cost Accounting Standards (CAS).

Prior to joining Capital Edge, Craig was a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, Navigant Consulting, and KPMG. He began his career as an auditor for the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA).

William Keating

Capital Edge Consulting

William J. Keating has over 35 years of consulting experience, and is a government contracts expert with a strong background in accounting, business systems and compliance advisory for aerospace and defense clients, and other government contractors.

Bill’s areas of expertise include Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Federal Agency FAR Supplements, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Super Circular, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and Federal Supply Schedules. He has advised organizations on government audits, business systems compliance, claims preparation, contract disputes and investigations.