For government contractors, the stakes are especially high. Many contractors either absorbed IEEPA‑driven cost increases or passed them through to the government and other customers under existing contract mechanisms. As...more
3/3/2026
/ Contract Terms ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Importers ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
Learning Resources Inc v Trump ,
Risk Management ,
SCOTUS ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs
U.S. Department of War (DOW) Secretary Pete Hegseth on January 16, 2026, posted a video on social media calling for a line-by-line review of DOW 8(a) sole-source contracts of more than $20 million. The secretary stated his...more
1/27/2026
/ 8(a) Program ,
Audits ,
Contract Termination ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Executive Orders ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Prime Contractor ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
SBA ,
Set-Asides ,
Small Business ,
Sole Source Contracts ,
Subcontractors
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on January 22, 2026, issued a press release and formal guidance related to the 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a) Program). The 8(a) Program provides federal government...more
1/23/2026
/ 8(a) Program ,
Audits ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
New Guidance ,
Prime Contractor ,
Race Discrimination ,
SBA ,
Set-Aside Contracts ,
Small Business ,
Trump Administration
The White House on January 7, 2026, issued an executive order (EO) titled "Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting," which aims to accelerate defense procurement and enhance the defense industrial base by shifting...more
1/8/2026
/ Corporate Governance ,
Defense Contracts ,
Defense Production Act ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration
As part of its Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO), the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council (FAR Council) on Sept. 26, 2025, issued its long-awaited update to FAR Part 19, which governs the small business program. FAR Part 19...more
9/30/2025
/ 8(a) Program ,
Amended Rules ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
HUBZone ,
Multiple Award Contracts ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Rule of Two ,
SBA ,
SDVOSB ,
Set-Asides ,
Small Business ,
WOSB
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on federal procurement titled "Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement" on April 15, 2025 (the April 15 EO), directing that the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) be...more
4/21/2025
/ Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
Government Agencies ,
National Security ,
NDAA ,
OMB ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration
The Trump Administration is in the midst of reviewing prior administrations' spending priorities and federal government contracts and has begun announcing a variety of actions to suspend and/or terminate pending and awarded...more
2/6/2025
/ Bid Protests ,
Breach of Contract ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Terms ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Popular ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Prompt Payment ,
Risk Management ,
Stop Work Orders
The U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Final Rule, which takes effect on Jan. 16, 2025, makes a range of substantive changes to the regulatory regime for small business contractors. Holland & Knight previously...more
1/16/2025
/ 8(a) Program ,
Acquisitions ,
Business Ownership ,
Compliance ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
HUBZone ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Minority Shareholders ,
SBA ,
SDVOSB ,
Small Business
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Dec. 17, 2024, issued a Final Rule that substantially changes the effect of recertifications of size and socioeconomic status under set-aside contracts following the merger or...more
1/14/2025
/ Acquisitions ,
Compliance ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
Government Agencies ,
Mergers ,
Multiple Award Contracts ,
Recertification ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
SBA ,
Set-Aside Contracts ,
Small Business
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Oct. 25, 2024, issued a proposed rule aimed at increasing small business participation in multiple award contracts (MACs) by expanding the application of the Rule of Two to...more
10/28/2024
/ COFC ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) ,
GAO ,
MACs ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
SBA ,
Set-Aside Contracts ,
Small Business
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Aug. 23, 2024, issued a Proposed Rule that significantly changes the effect of recertifications of size and socioeconomic status under set-aside contracts following a merger or...more
9/25/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Certification Requirements ,
Certifications ,
Comment Period ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) ,
MACs ,
Mentor-Protege Program ,
Mergers ,
NPRM ,
Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
SAM ,
SBA ,
Set-Aside Contracts ,
Small Business
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a unit of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) charged with administering the Corporate Transparency Act (the CTA), on Aug. 1, 2024, held a Tribal...more
8/9/2024
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Business Formation ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Transparency Act ,
Department of the Interior ,
Exemptions ,
FinCEN ,
Native American Issues ,
New Guidance ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Subsidiaries ,
Tribal Corporations ,
Tribal Governments
On July 22, 2024, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a Notice of Tribal Consultations (Notice) in the Federal Register related to a forthcoming proposed rulemaking affecting a number of SBA's small...more
7/24/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Business Development ,
Consultation ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
HUBZone ,
Joint Venture ,
Mentor-Protege Program ,
Native American Issues ,
NPRM ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
SBA ,
SDVOSB ,
Small Business ,
Tribal Governments ,
WOSB
The Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) released a joint notice on Oct. 5, 2023, providing clarifying guidance to agencies on facility security clearances for joint ventures in the National Industrial Security...more
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to navigate the impact of the injunction entered in Ultima Servs. Corp. v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., No. 2:20-CV-00041-DCLC-CRW, 2023 WL 463348 (E.D. Tenn. July 19, 2023)...more
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced on Aug. 21, 2023, that it was extending its moratorium on the application of the "bona fide office" requirements for construction contracts under its 8(a) Business...more
As announced by U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law John Klein in an Aug. 17, 2023, webinar, SBA has issued a press release and interim guidance regarding its implementation...more
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee ruled on July 19, 2023, in Ultima Servs. Corp. v. U.S. Dep't of Agric. that the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture's...more
7/25/2023
/ 8(a) Program ,
Affirmative Action ,
Due Process ,
Equal Protection ,
Federal Contractors ,
Fifth Amendment ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
Minorities ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
SBA ,
Small Business ,
Statutory Authority ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
USDA
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued its final rule on April 27, 2023, implementing several changes to the ownership and control requirements for the 8(a) Business Development program. The final rule also...more
5/31/2023
/ 8(a) Program ,
Business Development ,
Certification Requirements ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
Joint Venture ,
Mentor-Protege Program ,
SBA ,
Set-Aside Contracts ,
Small Business ,
WOSB
The United States is likely just weeks away from the federal government reaching the maximum debt ceiling. The U.S. Department of the Treasury is not permitted to expend funds beyond the current debt limit (because it has no...more
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its annual Bid Protest Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2022 on Nov. 1, 2022. The annual report is a requirement of the Competition in Contracting Act and an...more
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule on June 6, 2022, making significant changes to its methodology for calculating the size of certain businesses. The rule becomes effective July 6, 2022....more
The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), published its Final Rule governing implementation of the Buy Indian Act (87 FR 2067) on Jan. 13, 2022. These Buy Indian...more
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has issued a request for information (RFI) seeking information from industry, and in particular small and...more
9/28/2021
/ 8(a) Program ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
HUBZone ,
NAICS ,
Request For Information ,
SDVOSB ,
Small Business ,
USCIS ,
WOSB
In a bid protest decision released on Aug. 27, 2021, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has resolved a long-simmering question regarding joint ventures and facility clearances. Specifically, in InfoPoint, LLC,...more
9/2/2021
/ Bid Protests ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
GAO ,
General Solicitation ,
Joint Venture ,
Mentor-Protege Program ,
National Industrial Security Program (NISP) ,
NDAA ,
SAM ,
SBA ,
US Air Force