DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE -
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Amendments Related to Sources of Electronic Parts -
The Department of Defense (DoD) is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition...more
5/7/2018
/ Audits ,
Bid Protests ,
Cyber Threats ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
GAO ,
Liquidated Damages ,
NASA ,
Paid Sick Leave Act ,
SBA ,
Small Business ,
Subcontractors ,
Verification Requirements
Being and remaining a small business in the eyes of the government is one of the most important considerations for every federal contractor participating in small business set-aside programs. The rules of the contracting game...more
Registering with SAM.gov is a fact of life for government contractors. And, from what we often hear, a challenging fact at that. Indeed, it can be difficult to navigate the registration process, and it is time-consuming....more
On February 21, 2018, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued final rules to amend its regulations that pertain to Economic Price Adjustment clauses for firm-fixed-price contracts, identifying VA's Task-Order and...more
The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”), signed last week, made some significant changes to the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) Historically Underutilized Business Zone (“HUBZone”) Program. Most of the...more
After the ball drops in Times Square this New Year’s Eve, many DoD contractors will wake up with a headache. And I don’t mean from too much champagne. I’m talking about extensive DoD cybersecurity requirements these...more
It’s protest season. Or, maybe it is always protest season. In any event, the best defense for a size or status protest is always to be prepared before the protest is filed. That means regularly assessing potential...more
The U.S. Senate has proposed a provision in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that, if adopted, would raise the stakes for larger firms in filing bid protests. The provision would apply to protests against DoD...more
Many contractors we talk to believe that cybersecurity requirements are exclusively a concern of contractors working with DoD or with highly-classified, top secret projects. While perhaps true to some degree in the past, that...more
SBA's size standards are one of the agency's most important metrics. The size standards draw a bright line between small and large businesses for each industry by NAICS code. A firm that is below the size standard for its...more
If your company pursues small business set-aside contracts, either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor, you have to prepare for the possibility of a post-award size protest alleging affiliation. Once the protest is...more
We work with many firms that have or would like to invest in small businesses. One of the biggest issues for an investor in a small business is the potential that the investment will create an affiliation between the investor...more
Re: Proposed New OMB Circular A-xxx -
Dear Ms. Dillon:
We are writing to submit comments on the above-referenced proposed Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) Circular, issued on October 7, 2016, 81 Fed. Reg....more
Overview -
- Why size matters
- Toolbox for maximizing your time as a small business (“SB”)
- Tools that work
- Tools you might think work, but generally do not
- Tool of the future?
-...more
The HUBZone Program needs some TLC. After a peak of 14,000 SBA-certified participants in 2009, the HUBZone Program has seen a significant drop in participation over the past few years due to various factors. This, in turn,...more
On August 24, 2016, the Small Business Administration’s long-awaited rules creating the new small business mentor-protégé program took effect...
...more
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING -
Category Management: What Contractors Need to Know -
In December 2014, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced a new initiative called Category Management. This policy could...more
8/22/2016
/ Acquisitions ,
Estate Planning ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) ,
Kingdomware Techs. Inc. v United States ,
Mergers ,
OMB ,
Rule of Two ,
SCOTUS ,
Small Business ,
Succession Planning ,
Veterans Administration
Dear Ms. Flowers:
We are writing to submit comments on the above-referenced notice of proposed rulemaking, issued on June 20, 2016, 81 Fed. Reg. 39,883. Our firm represents small business federal contractors. We submit...more
On July 25, 2016, SBA released its long-awaited final rule creating the new mentor-protégé program for all small businesses. Many aspects of the new rule are very exciting and should be beneficial for the small business...more
In a big win for veteran-owned small businesses, the Supreme Court today ruled unanimously in favor of Kingdomware Technologies, Inc., in its case against the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”).
Kingdomware had...more
Today, SBA issued its final rule to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertains to the limitations on subcontracting (“LOS”) applicable to small business set-aside contracts,...more
Overview -
- Making the decision to protest and what you can expect
- When, where, and why to file
- Common pre- and post-award protest arguments
- The strongest arguments
- Defending your award...more
SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals recently issued a surprising decision finding that the mentor-protégé affiliation exemption does not excuse program-specific requirements for SDVOSB joint ventures. OHA agreed with SBA’s...more
Government Contracting -
LESSONS LEARNED FROM PROTESTS INVOLVING “LATE” PROPOSALS -
Most, if not all, proposals for government contracts are submitted electronically, whether by email or through a third...more
OVERVIEW -
- History and proposed changes to SBA’s ITVAR size rule
- What is SBA’s new ITVAR size rule?
- Understanding the nonmanufacturer rule and waivers
- What should ITVARs do now
...more