DE Under 3: U.S. GAO Report on Military Spouse Employment Focused on Challenges of Part-Time Work
A Discussion with GAO General Counsel Edda Emmanuelli Perez
GovCon Perspectives Podcast Episode 24: Effective Use of “Open and Frank” Discussions in Bid Protests
Award Protests: Choosing the Forum
How to Assess the Likelihood of Success in Deciding Whether to Bring a Bid Protest
In a decision issued on September 16, 2024, the United States Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) ruled that federal contracting rules do not prohibit government agencies from requiring contractors to enter into labor...more
On September 10, the Court of Federal Claims (COFC) issued an opinion in Zolon PCS II, LLC v. United States, holding that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA or Agency) unreasonably issued a deviation from FAR...more
This article is part of a monthly column that provides takeaways from recent bid protest cases. This installment highlights three decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Each of this month's decisions...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has released a proposed rule that would significantly alter a number of SBA small business program regulations, including those governing size recertifications. ...more
Department of Defense (DOD) Proposed Rule: Transactions Other Than Contracts, Grants, or Cooperative Agreements for Prototype Projects - On September 4, DOD published a proposed rule and request for comments regarding...more
Federal government contracts are routinely awarded to companies supplying goods and services to U.S. government agencies. According to the Government Accountability Office, in 2023, the federal government committed about $759...more
The DE OFCCP Week in Review (WIR) is a simple, fast and direct summary of relevant happenings in the OFCCP regulatory environment, authored by experts John C. Fox, Candee J. Chambers and Cynthia L. Hackerott. In today’s...more
This month’s Bid Protest Roundup highlights three recent protests from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The first protest concerns whether the protester is an interested party; the second involves the adequacy of an...more
A recent Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) decision highlights the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) regulations relating to agency evaluations of a mentor-protégé joint venture’s past performance and experience,...more
We have addressed on this blog questions relating to jurisdiction at the GAO, Court of Federal Claims (CFC), and district courts to hear suits relating to awards using the government’s Other Transaction (OT) authority....more
A recent decision, Independent Rough Terrain Center, LLC v. United States (“IRTC”),[1] confirms the U.S. Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction over bid protests related to follow-on production contracts arising out of...more
The Procurement Integrity Act (“PIA”), codified at 41 U.S.C. § 2101–2107, is intended to prevent unethical and improper competitive practices from influencing federal procurements. To achieve this end, the PIA prohibits...more
Late last year, the Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) contradicted long-standing Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) precedent on the acceptability of photocopied signatures on bid bonds finding that the Government’s...more
Sparksoft Corporation - B-422440;.2 - • The awardee’s Systems Security Officer (“SSO”) was awarded a positive finding for holding a certified information systems security professional (“CISSP”) certification....more
Construction Industry Wage-and-Hour Issues: 6 Tips for Laying a Foundation of Compliance - The construction industry feeds a significant part of the U.S. economy, providing millions of short- and long-term jobs across the...more
The first decision, Kearney & Co. v. U.S., explores the ability of contractors to use labor mapping to bridge differences between an agency's stated needs and a contractor's offerings under its U.S. General Services...more
The Department of Defense assessed an average of about 40 defense-related mergers and acquisitions each year from 2018 to 2022, a small portion of the roughly 400 defense mergers estimated to occur annually, according to a...more
The Federal Government is committed to developing its relationship with small and disadvantaged businesses through set-aside contracts that incentivize and protect these companies from competing with large, established...more
Bid protests of other transaction agreements, also known as “OTs” or “OTAs,” are a common topic for this blog. These federal agreements differ from your everyday procurement contracts in that they are not subject to the...more
7(a) Loan Approval for Borrowers with Unresolved COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Compliance Issues: On May 21, SBA’s OIG issued an inspection report assessing SBA’s 7(a) loan approval process for borrowers with unresolved pandemic...more
ITility, LLC - B-421871.3 - The protester argued that the Department of Homeland Security had unreasonably assessed the awardee a “positive” based on an incorrect understanding of what the awardee had proposed....more
Current and future U.S. defense contractors, and entities interested in acquiring these contractors, should prepare for increased regulatory scrutiny of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions. Congress is signaling that...more
Monday, April 13, 2024: Contractors Have Second Opportunity to Comment on OFCCP’s Supply & Service Contractor Portal Information Collection - OFCCP published in the Federal Register Notice of a 30-day public comment period...more
FTC Non-Compete Ban Attacked by Businesses: What You Need to Know about the Ban - On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a final rule banning employers from enforcing non-compete agreements against...more
In the late 1990s, the General Services Administration (GSA) created the concept of Contractor Teaming Arrangements (CTAs). Unlike the contractor teaming arrangements described under FAR 9.601, which simply describe a joint...more