The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council) recently released the rewrite of FAR Part 19, a notoriously complex set of regulations that covers the policies, procedures and programs designed to maximize small...more
On September 10, 2025, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a Final Rule officially incorporating the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program into the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement...more
9/24/2025
/ Contract Terms ,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
Subcontractors
Shutdowns are inevitably disruptive for federal contractors, but the impact will vary depending on whether the contract is already funded, whether the work is considered “essential,” and whether the contractor requires access...more
9/23/2025
/ Contract Disputes ,
Contract Management ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Funding ,
Government Shutdown ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
Procurement Guidelines ,
Request for Equitable Adjustment ,
Stop Work Orders ,
Subcontracts
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed last week to permit the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to terminate hundreds of grants related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives worth approximately $800 million. The...more
The Department of Defense (DoD) published a Final Rule earlier this month formally implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program. This Final Rule is the culmination of five years of work to...more
10/29/2024
/ Certification Requirements ,
Compliance ,
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) ,
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) ,
Defense Contracts ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Prime Contractor ,
Subcontractors ,
Supply Chain ,
Third-Party Service Provider
A version of this blog post was originally published in September and then published again in January. Funding for several federal agencies will run out Friday night, with funding for the remaining agencies expiring March 8,...more
The end of the federal fiscal year is rapidly approaching with no compromise in sight. Unless an appropriations bill or continuing resolution is passed by Congress before Oct. 1, a lapse in appropriated funds will occur,...more
Almost a year to the day after the Build America Buy America Act (BABA) became law, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has published its “Final Guidance for Grants and Agreements” intended to implement BABA’s...more
It is not any exaggeration to say that mentor-protégé joint ventures (MPJVs) have taken over the world of set-aside Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs). For example, late last year it was reported that the initial...more
6/29/2023
/ Bid Protests ,
Court of Federal Claims ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
GWACs ,
HUBZone ,
Joint Venture ,
Mentor-Protege Program ,
Request for Proposals ,
SBA ,
Set-Aside Contracts ,
Small Business ,
Veterans ,
Women-Owned Businesses
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently issued a proposed amendment to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) that tightens “Buy American” thresholds for DoD procurements....more
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a Proposed Rule and Notification of Proposed Guidance to federal agencies earlier this year regarding the implementation of the Build America, Buy America Act...more
4/12/2023
/ Build America Investment Initiative ,
Buy America ,
Construction Industry ,
Federal Contractors ,
Infrastructure ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
Made in the USA ,
Manufacturers ,
OMB ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Projects
The challenge posed to Department of Defense (DOD) contractors of complying with ever-shifting cybersecurity regulations and guidance continues unabated. On July 26, 2022, the Cyber Accreditation Body (Cyber AB) published a...more
On November 17, 2021, DoD published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register, which formally announced the launching of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 framework. Among other things,...more
On November 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)) announced Version 2.0 of the highly publicized Cybersecurity Maturity Model...more
11/12/2021
/ Certification Requirements ,
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) ,
Compliance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) ,
Defense Contracts ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
DFARS ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Procurement Systems ,
Interim Rule ,
NIST ,
Self-Certification
On September 24, 2021, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors (the “Guidance”). This highly anticipated Guidance outlines the Covid-19...more
10/7/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,
Contract Terms ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Masks ,
Public Contracts ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Religious Accommodation ,
Safety Standards ,
Subcontractors ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On September 9, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors (“Order”). The Order seeks to “promote economy and efficiency in procurement” by requiring...more
9/16/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Mandates ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Service Contract Act ,
Subcontractors ,
Vaccinations ,
Virus Testing ,
Workplace Safety
Maximizing the use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States under the Buy American Act (BAA) is a bipartisan issue. In our previous post, “Ensuring the Future is Made in All of America by All of...more
On January 25, 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Ensuring the Future Is Made in All of America by All of America’s Workers. The order is part of his “Build Back Better Recovery Plan” to strengthen American...more
1/28/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Buy America ,
Buy American Act ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Manufacturers ,
OMB ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Suppliers ,
Trade Agreements Act ,
Transparency