Blue Sky Awarded DoD Nunn-Perry Award

September 3, 2022 – Blue Sky Innovative Solutions (Blue Sky) is proud to announce that the Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Blue Sky with the Nunn-Perry Award for the 2021 fiscal year. The Nunn-Perry award is given to participants in the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) that excel in the areas of protégé development and growth. As a protégé in the Defense Intelligence Agency MPP, Blue Sky worked with mentors, Invictus International Consulting, Bowie State University, and the Mason Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to develop differentiated capabilities in cyber security with an emphasis on Internal Control Systems and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems (ICS/SCADA) and to further enhance corporate operations in all areas. Blue Sky CEO Melissa Peterson shared “The Defense Intelligence Agency, Invictus, Bowie State, and the Mason SBDC provided tremendous support to Blue Sky through the MPP. We are honored by their investment in Blue Sky and excited to pay dividends on that investment as we serve the Department of Defense and other clients.” An awards ceremony will be held in 2023 to celebrate the accomplishments of the winners.

Blue Sky Makes the INC 5000 List – Again!

August 16, 2022 – Blue Sky Innovative Solutions, LLC. (Blue Sky) is thrilled to announce our inclusion on the annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, for the second year in a row! CTO Elton Stokes offered “Congratulations to the entire Blue Sky Team on your demonstrated excellence in serving our clients and thank you to our fantastic clients for partnering with Blue Sky to achieve your missions.

Blue Sky Makes the INC 5000 List!

August 11, 2021 – Blue Sky Innovative Solutions, LLC. (Blue Sky) is excited to share that we made the INC 5000 List. The Inc. 5000 is among the most prestigious rankings of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the independent small business segment based on their revenue growth rate. Blue Sky is honored to be included among these 5000 companies. Ranked at 3,154 nationally and 23 in the DC area, Blue Sky attributes its growth to consistent quality service delivery. As Blue Sky looks to the future, we are excited to continue our accelerated growth for years to come and would like to thank our employees and clients for their help in reaching this goal.

Blue Sky Presents at INSA 8(a) Showcase

July 2, 2021 – Blue Sky was a featured finalist in the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) 8(a) Showcase on June 8th, an event which highlighted some of the Nation’s most innovative 8(a) companies. Selected from a highly competitive field, Blue Sky was recognized for innovations in Data Science, Analytics and Management.

During the showcase, CEO Melissa Peterson shared Blue Sky’s innovative approach to developing and delivering data ingest, conditioning, and management capabilities using a micro-service-based architecture in support of mission-critical Intelligence activities. Blue Sky’s data innovations offer enhanced speed, scalability, security and flexibility for maintaining data; while providing data provenance and lineage at lower lifetime costs.

Melissa Peterson stated, “We are proud of the support we’ve provided over the years, helping the IC tackle some of the nation’s toughest challenges and we’re honored to be recognized as an innovator in the space.”

In case you missed the event, you can listen to a brief excerpt here.

Blue Sky Recertifies as EDWOSB/WOSB

March 1, 2021 – As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Blue Sky Innovative Solutions (Blue Sky) is pleased to announce our recent recertification by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as an Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB/WOSB).

The Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program (WOSB Program) was created to help provide a level playing field for women business owners. Through the Program, the federal government’s goal is to set aside five percent (5%) of all federal contracting dollars for woman-owned small businesses.  To aid in achieving this goal, an agency may make a sole source award in an appropriate industry where: (1) the contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that two or more EDWOSBs/WOSBs will submit offers; (2) The anticipated award price (including options) will not exceed $4.5 million for service contracts (3) the EDWOSB/WOSB is responsible; and (4) in the estimation of the contracting officer, the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price.

Recently, changes were made to the EDWOSB/WOSB certification process disallowing self-certification and requiring certification by SBA or another certifying agency in order to enhance program oversight and effectiveness. Blue Sky completed the new SBA certification process in October 2020 and was recently notified that the process has been completed successfully.

 

Sky CEO Melissa Peterson shared that “Blue Sky is excited to have participated in the initial roll-out of the new certification process. SBA made the process easy and the application portal user-friendly. The new certification process and WOSB program are examples of the strong support that SBA provides to women-owned businesses.”

Blue Sky CEO Shares the Five Things Companies Should do Before Getting their 8(a) Certification

Ms. Peterson talks about this and more with Michael LeJeune, Host of the Federal Game Changers Podcast, in an interview focused on how to prepare your company before getting the 8(a) Certification. The podcast, Episode 105 titled “Prep Before You Get Your 8a”, aired July 15, 2020, and can be heard on your favorite podcast platform, or a link to the complete Federal Game Changers 35 minute interview on SoundCloud can be accessed here.

In the interview, Ms. Peterson shares her knowledge, experience, and proven techniques. She identifies and fleshes out five key points she believes are essential to becoming a successful 8(a) company.

In the podcast Ms. Peterson expounds on her winning strategies, which can help any contractor to prepare for and get the most out of 8(a) Certification. Listen to the exciting narrative of how Ms. Peterson positioned Blue Sky to become the successful 8(a) company it is today!

Blue Sky Innovative Solutions Receives 8(a) Certification

September 25, 2019 – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) awarded Blue Sky Innovative Solutions (Blue Sky) its 8(a) certification on September 10, 2019. Blue Sky, which is also an SBA-certified Historically Under-utilized Business Zone (HUBZone) and Woman-Owned Small Business WOSB)/Economically Disadvantaged Woman- Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), provides cyber security, application development, and end-to-end business solutions. This new 8(a) designation expands the organization’s ability to serve the federal government. Upon receiving the news, CEO Melissa Peterson said, “The 8(a) Business Development Program benefits Blue Sky and its customers. It allows us to support new and existing clients faster, which in turn provides more opportunities to current and future Blue Sky employees and enables us to better serve our community.” She continued, “That community includes our business partners who, by collaborating with Blue Sky as an 8(a) company, can better engage their customers.” Blue Sky completed a thorough vetting process to demonstrate it meets the 8(a) Business Development Program’s specifications. This included an examination of the company’s ownership, operations, financials, and experience. The SBA’s approval reinforces customers’ confidence in Blue Sky’s ability to meet project and business goals. Over the course of nine years – the maximum length of the 8(a) status – Blue Sky will pass the certification’s many benefits onto their customers through 8(a)-designated efforts. These include: Accelerating the contracting timeline and achieving awards in as few as five days Enabling sole-source selection (i.e., direct awards) for efforts valued up to $4 million Ensuring timely project startup as 8(a) sole-source awards cannot be protested per the Federal Acquisition Regulation Granting access to unique expertise offered by Blue Sky and its subcontractors About Blue Sky Innovative Solutions Blue Sky is an SBA-certified 8(a), WOSB/EDWOSB, and HUBZone company that delivers information technology (IT) solutions, advanced cyber security services, and management services to federal and commercial customers. They are headquartered in Upper Marlboro, MD and have a HUBZone principal office in Washington, DC. A proven prime and subcontractor, Blue Sky uses best-practice-aligned methodologies and a results-driven approach to exceed client expectations. They have several value- added certifications, including Quality [International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015], IT Service Management (ISO 20000-1:2011), and Information Security (ISO 27001:2013). If you would like more information about Blue Sky, its 8(a) certification, or any of its services, please contact Melissa Peterson at 202-327-5415 or melissa.peterson@bsis-llc.com. Click here for a link to to see press release.

Blue Sky Recognized with ISO 20000-1:2011 (IT Service Management) and
ISO 27001:2013 (Information Security Management) Certifications

December 17, 2018 — Blue Sky Innovative Solutions (Blue Sky) has achieved two new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifications: 20000-1:2011 for IT Service Management Systems and 27001:2013 for Information Security Management Systems.

ISO 20000-1 is the first international standard for IT service management and specifies requirements for “establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving a service management system.” ISO 27001 is one of the most widely recognized and internationally accepted information security standards.

It identifies requirements for a comprehensive Information Security Management System and defines how organizations should manage and handle information in a secure manner. In order to achieve these two certifications, Blue Sky’s compliance was validated by an independent audit firm after demonstrating ongoing and systematic compliance with IT service management and IT security guidelines.

These achievements demonstrate and affirm Blue Sky’s commitment to best-practice aligned service management and its strong approach to managing sensitive information so that it remains secure.

Blue Sky Achieves ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certification

November 30, 2018 — In recognition of the commitment and investment that Blue Sky Innovative Solutions (Blue Sky) has made to quality service delivery, Blue Sky has been awarded the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management.

The ISO 9001 certification is the world’s most widely recognized quality management standard and helps organizations to meet the expectations and needs of their customers. As part of the ISO 9001:2015 certification process, Blue Sky submitted to a rigorous audit of its quality management system. By achieving this level of certification, Blue Sky demonstrates its ability and desire to infuse quality in all that it does.

Blue Sky Joins the Department of Defense’s Mentor-Protégé Program

October 17, 2018 – The United States Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) selected Blue Sky Innovative Solutions (Blue Sky) and Invictus International Consulting (Invictus) to participate in its three-year, Department of Defense (DoD) sponsored Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP). The Program encourages mentor firms like Invictus to provide counsel and support to promising small businesses like Blue Sky.

Blue Sky is one of only four protégés selected to participate in the program. CEO Melissa Peterson states “As a dedicated partner to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Blue Sky is honored to have been selected for this prestigious program. We look forward to leveraging the program to further enhance the quality support that we provide to the Agency.”

The MPP supports the DIA and DoD efforts to enhance the industrial base by strengthening small businesses. The MPP concentrates on enhancing protégé capabilities in areas including artificial intelligence, counterintelligence, analysis, mission support and organizational effectiveness.