Last month, the Coalition announced that nominations for the Excellence in Partnership (EIP) Awards for 2021 are now open. The purpose of the EIP Awards is to recognize individuals and organizations from the acquisition community who have made significant contributions to the procurement system to meet the needs of agency missions. Awardees are selected from the Department of Defense, civilian agencies, and industry. Nominations for the 2021 EIP Awards can be submitted here before the January 31, 2022 deadline. Awardees will be named in March and recognized at our Spring Training Conference in May 2022.
We are pleased to announce that, in addition to four award categories, the 2021 EIPs will also include at least one recipient of the Coalition’s highest honor: The Common Sense in Government Procurement Award. The Common Sense in Government Procurement Award is presented to dedicated individuals who have demonstrated a professional lifetime of leading exceptional “common sense” contributions to improving the operation and management of the Federal acquisition process to ensure that it delivers best value for agencies and citizens. These individuals display great levels of integrity, transparency, and commitment. This honor was last given at the 2016 EIP Awards Dinner to Dr. Steve Kelman, former OFPP Administrator and Weatherhead Professor of Public Management at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Other previous honorees include former GSA Assistant Commissioner for Acquisition Carolyn Alston, Senator Susan Collins, former Senator Joe Lieberman, and Former Congressman Tom Davis.
Each year, we look forward to recognizing a number of well-deserving professionals with the prestigious Lifetime Acquisition Excellence Award, an accolade presented to those in the contracting community who have shown a life-long commitment to advancing “common sense in Government procurement.” In 2020, we selected Darlene Coen, Deputy Program Manager of NASA SEWP, and Joe Pastel, GSA IDIQ Program Manager of Leidos to receive the Lifetime Acquisition Excellence Award for their contributions and impact on the procurement community.
We also look forward to receiving nominations and honoring individuals for their outstanding work in the following categories:
Acquisition Excellence Award – Presented to an organization or individual for outstanding performance over the year in meeting the mission-critical needs of a Federal agency through a Government contract.
Sustainability/Green Excellence Award – Presented to a Government agency or contractor that has made outstanding sustainability contributions to protect the environment.
Advocating for Veterans Award – Presented to an organization or individual for promoting and executing a successful program that supports veterans.
The Coalition would like to thank our members who make the EIP Awards possible through continued support and thorough nominations. We eagerly anticipate recognizing and congratulating all of the 2021 awardees in May for their important contributions to Government procurement.