Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary Bill Corr, Deputy Secretary Volume 7 • Issue 27

VHW8 Industry Day – Creating Success for 

Small Businesses One Day At A Time

Looking around the Great Hall of 

the Hubert Humphrey Building 

in Washington DC on November 

15, 2011, attendees of the Fifth 

Annual VHW8 Industry Day 

were surrounded by some of the 

very best leaders, innovators 

and professionals of existing 

and emerging small businesses. 

Over 100 small, 8 (a), VeteranOwned, Service Disabled 

Veteran Owned (SDVOB), 

Historically Underutilized 

Business Zone (HUBZone) 

and women owned businesses 

participated in this HHS OSDBU 

sanctioned event by sending 

their very best representatives 

to engage with HHS key 

decision makers and HHS large 

business prime contractors. 

The VHW8 Industry Day was 

created by HHS OSDBU to 

provide a unique opportunity 

for small businesses to support 

their pledge of ensuring a fair 

and reasonable opportunity to 

compete for HHS expenditures.

The activities of the day were 

comprised of quick fire oneon-one appointments and 

informative breakout sessions. 

This provided an opportunity 

for small businesses to attend 

brief meetings and have access 

to agency representatives and 

large business prime contractors 

to market their business. The 
HHS Pulse Page | 2

desired outcome of the event was 

to provide a forum that stimulates 

the creation of relationships 

that would in turn lead to more 

small business opportunities and 

awards. 

So, is attending this event worth 

it? We asked a small business 

and the following feedback was 

gathered:

The Grant Group, LLC, a small 

women owned, 8(a) certification 

pending business that specializes 

in integrated healthcare solutions, 

was represented on industry 

day. The President and Founder, 

Ms. Orlene Grant, RN, BSN, 

MSN was especially grateful to 

have this opportunity to market 

her business. For her, “It’s about 

finding the right set of connections 

to create entry into an agency or 

to team with other businesses. As 

a small business, we have limited 

resources and these industry 

days help us market directly to the 

targeted agency or business so 

we can reach our goals within a 

shorter timeframe.”

Two weeks after the HHS 

OSDBU VHW8 Industry Day, Ms. 

Grant was contacted to see if 

any successes had been realized 

from attending the event. Ms. 

Grant was quick to reply that, 

“the NIH representative was most 

helpful in pointing out agencies 

that I had not considered. That 

information helped broaden 

possibilities. Another CMS 

representative pointed out a 

stellar potential teaming partner 

which is being pursued and 

appears hopeful. In all, the day 

was worth the time invested.”

The HHS OSDBU VHW8 Industry 

Day is inarguably one of the best 

tools that a small business can 

utilize to stimulate growth and 

enhance their ability to compete 

in the government marketplace. 

Every small business needs 

to take advantage of how the 

HHS OSDBU supports their 

mission and goals. For over 100 

businesses and individuals, on 

November 15, 2011 in downtown 

Washington DC, they did just that.

Insider Tips for Better One-On-One Meetings With The Government

When asked how small businesses could improve presentations during one-on-one meetings, Small 

Business Specialists from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Assistant 

Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) responded with the following helpful tips:

• Research and understand the agency’s mission before you meet with the representative.

• Be prepared with a solution to meet challenges. It’s about the solution that you can offer 

to the government and not what they can offer you. They are your customer. 

• Come prepared with a capability statement. Don’t simply supply a business card and 

expect results.

• Know your NAICS codes and the specific project you are targeting.

• Know your business and what you do. If you cannot be concise in your description during the time allocated for the meeting, be prepared to point the agency in the right direction to find that information.

• Show up on time! A first impression is everything.
Reston, VA, November 7, 2011 – IDL Solutions was awarded 

a 6-year, $59 million contract to design, build, operate and maintain 

the Multidimensional Insurance Data Analytics System (MIDAS) 

for the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight 

(CCIIO) of the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 

within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

IDL will build MIDAS on industry leading analytics, data warehousing 

and business intelligence technologies to ensure ease of 

maintenance and deployment during the life of the system.

“We are proud and honored to continue 

supporting the mission of HHS and, in particular, 

CMS and CCIIO,” said Baly Ambegaoker, 

President and CEO of IDL Solutions. 

About IDL Solutions

IDL Solutions, Inc., is headquartered in Germantown, Wisconsin, with 

federal offices in Reston, Virginia and multiple on-site client locations 

throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The company 

provides information technology services, including strategic 

enterprise solutions, enterprise application and web solutions, and 

enterprise networking and infrastructure management. IDL is an SEI 

CMMI Level 3 company. To learn more about IDL, please visit http://

www.idl.com.

Submit your small business success story and 

you may be featured in an upcoming issue of 

HHS Pulse. Please email us at: sbmail@hhs.gov

To Unsubscribe to the HHS Pulse simply 

email us at sbmail@hhs.gov. Please include 

Unsubscribe in the subject and add your 

name and email address in the message.

Visit our newly re-designed website

http://www.hhs.gov/smallbusiness/

Have a question?

Please visit our FAQ page for answers:

http://answers.hhs.gov/categories/962

HHS Pulse Page | 3
Federal Business Opportunities 

http://www.fedbizopps.gov 

General Services Administration

http://www.gsa.gov 

SBA Government Contracting and

Business Development. 

http://www.sba.gov/gcbd/ 

Small Business Administration

http://www.sbaonline.sba.gov 

Central Contractor Registration 

http://www.ccr.gov 

Government Agency Links 

http://www.usa.gov/Agencies. 

shtml 

Excluded Parties List System

http://epls.arnet.gov 

Women-Owned Businesses Links: 

National Association of Women

Business Owners 

http://www.nawbo.org 

Small Business Administration: Contract 

Assistance for Women Business Owners 

http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/ 

sbaprograms/onlinewbc/index. 

html 

Women’s Business Centers 

http://www.awbc.biz 

Women Impacting Public Policy

http://www.wipp.org

Web Sites to 

Bookmark

January 10, 2012

Vendor Outreach Session Time:

8:45 am -12:00 noon

200 Independence Avenue, 

SW Hubert H. Humphrey Building

Washington, DC

Registration is scheduled to 

open, Wednesday,

November 30, 2011.

February 14, 2012

Vendor Outreach Session Time:

8:45 am -12:00 noon

200 Independence Avenue, 

SW Hubert H. Humphrey Building

Washington, DC

Registration is scheduled to 

open, Friday, Wednesday, 

January 4, 2012.

March 13, 2012

Vendor Outreach Session Time:

8:45 am -12:00 noon

200 Independence Avenue, 

SW Hubert H. Humphrey Building

Washington, DC

Registration is scheduled to 

open, Friday, January 27, 2012.

For additional information, visit 

the Federal OSDBU Directors 

Interagency Council’s website 

at: http://www.osdbu.gov

Office of Small & Disadvantaged

Business Utilization 

Please scan the QR Code to obtain 

additional information about the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human 

Services’ Small Business Program. http://www.hhs.gov/smallbusiness/

Subscribe to “The HHS Pulse” here
HHS Pulse Page | 5

High-end team and leadership 

provider Team Results USA has 

tripled its business with HHS in the 

last three months. Already deeply 

involved with several parts of NIH 

including the NIH Training Center 

and the Center for Scientific Review 

(CSR), Team Results USA is now 

working on critical team initiatives 

at the FDA. Clients there include 

the Senior Leadership Team and 

the Program Management Team 

at the Center for Drug Evaluation 

and Review (CDER).

“We have a unique approach to 

building effective teams,” says 

Team Results CEO, workplace 

psychology specialist and former 

National Security Agency staffer 

John Kolm. “We train America’s 

new diplomats, over 35 Federal 

agencies, and Fortune-100 

companies like Toyota and IBM. 

It’s a pleasure to include all the 

great folks at the FDA in our work 

for HHS!”

The success of the company is due 

to its retreats, which are different 

from the decades-old games, 

workshops and rope courses we 

all know. Team Results USA uses 

modern ideas and technologies, 

taking work teams on a 21st

century “Mission Impossible”. 

Their outdoor simulations are filled 

with adventure, espionage tricks, 

secret codes, fun and laughter and 

over 165 special props unique to 

the company. With 

HHS manager. “The results are 

immediate, measurable and 

sustainable, and they follow up 

with us back at work and write 

reports. We get visible productivity 

benefits and a clear return on the 

investment.”

Over 90% of Team Results USA’s 

clients re-engage the company 

within 12 months. Team Results 

USA begin in 1996 and has four 

offices worldwide. The largest 

office is in Potomac MD and 

serves the U.S. Government, 

which accounts for about 70% of 

its business.

“HHS is a particular pleasure to 

deal with,” adds CEO John Kolm. 

“Their Small Business office makes 

a real effort to reach out to the niche 

specialties that small business 

tends to do best. That way, HHS 

can not only get the bulk supplies 

they need from major providers, 

but also the best practices in the 

world from specialists in technical 

and professional areas. The Small 

Business folks are terrific, and 

HHS managers can be sure that 

they’re getting the best value and 

choice by using them.”

Team Results USA is on CCR and 

ORCA, is in the HHS procurement 

system and can be reached at 

(202) 257 5593, on the web at www.

teamresultsusa.com or by email to 

john.kolm@teamresultsusa.com .

Leadership Company Works 

with Top Teams at HHS

Setting up for a program with U.S. Diplomats in Cumberland MD
Contracting Opportunities

HHS 

Operating 

Division

Release Date Contact Acquisition 

Strategy

Procurement 

Category Dollar Range NAICS: Project Description

CDC 2nd QTR 2012

Sharon Campolucci 

404.498.6861

SCampolucci@

cdc.gov

Full & Open IT Services $1,000,001 to 

$5,000,000 541511 Pharmaceutical Transactions Data

CDC 2nd QTR 2012

Charmaine Graves

404.498.2387

CGraves@cdc.gov

GSA Schedule Technical

Services

$100,000 to 

$500,000 541990

New Contact Center - Emergency 

Surge Transition

CDC 2nd QTR 2012

Gary Nakashian

770.488.2401

GNakashian@cdc.

gov

GSA Schedule IT Hardware & 

Software

$100,000 to 

$500,000 334119

IT Hardware EOL 

replacements - 

Laptop e6400, 

desktops, LCD 

monitors - ISG

CDC 2nd QTR 2012

Ronald Lake

770.488.1186

RLake@cdc.gov

GSA Schedule Technical

Services

$100,000 to 

$500,000 611710

Competency 

Gap Assessment 

and career map 

development

CDC 2nd QTR 2012

Gretchen 

Floreno 

404.639.1534

GFloreno@cdc.gov

Small Business 

Set-Aside Construction $100,000 to $500,000 236220

OPS Center Maintenance/Upgrades

CDC 2nd QTR 2012

Cheryl Stauss

404.639.7812

CStauss@cdc.gov

Full & Open IT Services $1,000,001 to 

$5,000,000 518210

Integration with 

ASPR and DSLR 

Coopertive Agreement Reporting 

System

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Doreen Williams

301-827-3366 GSA Schedule Health Services $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 33

This is for the 

occurrence of 

transfusion-related 

adverse events and 

utilization of blood 

and blood products 

in the U.S.

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Doreen Williams

301-827-3366 TBD Research &Development

$100,000 to 

$500,000 54

Copy Testing of 

Messages in Directto-Consumer (DTC) 

Promotion of 

Prescription Drugs 

Study

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Gina Jackson

301-827-1982 TBD Construction $500,001 to $1,000,000 23

Construction for 

new Direct-toConsumer (DTC) 

viewing room

HHS Pulse Page | 6
HHS 

Operating 

Division

Release Date Contact Acquisition 

Strategy

Procurement 

Category Dollar Range NAICS: Project Description

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Patricia Pemberton

301-827-1022 TBD Business Services $5,000,001 to $10,000,000 56

Analytical, evaluation, and technical 

assistance Blanket 

Purchasing Agreement

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Jennifer Fagan

301-443-5861 TBD IT Services $5,000,001 to $10,000,000 54

CDER Informatics 

Technical, Analytical, and Development Support

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Patricia Pemberton

301-827-1022 TBD Business Services $100,000 to $500,000 56 Canon Copier Paper Supply

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Linda Giles

301-827-7048 TBD IT Services $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 54

Sales Data - Global 

& Nat’l pharmaceutical sales 

data to estimate 

& forecast trends, 

price & volume of 

distribution

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Doreen Williams

301-827-3366 GSA Schedule Equipment $100,000 to $500,000 42

Requisition will be 

used to purchase 

a MiSeq System 

MiSeq System 

Integrated system 

for automated 

generation of DNA

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Doreen Williams

301-827-3366 GSA Schedule Equipment $100,000 to $500,000 42

12-color flow cytometer to replace 

vintage 1994 

FACSort - MCM / 

Patel $200,000

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Dawn Rabunsky

301-827-7066 TBD Equipment $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 54

ICP-MS and 

smoking machines 

purchase for ORA 

Lab/Atl

FDA 2nd QTR 2012 Dawn Rabunsky

301-827-7062 GSA Schedule Research &Development

$100,000 to 

$500,000 54

On going research 

on HP/HC list - 

Usability testing of 

various list formats 

(experiment)

Contracting Opportunities cont.

HHS Pulse Page | 7