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
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
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
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
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
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council Final Rule: Sustainable Procurement - On April 22, the Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration published a...more
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council Notice: FAR Part 40, Information Security and Supply Chain Security, Request for Information (RFI) - On April 10, the General Services Administration, Department of Defense,...more
Keys to Avoiding GAO’s Timeliness Trap - GAO’s recent decision in Marathon Medical Corporation provides a cautionary tale for government contractors seeking to protest the terms by which an agency conducts a procurement....more
House Passes $460 Billion Package of Spending Bills. Senate Expected to Act Before Shutdown Deadline, Federal News Network - The House passed a $460 billion package of spending bills Wednesday that would keep money...more
In a previous article, we analyzed what made protests successful at the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) in Fiscal Year 2023 (“FY23”). Now, we want to share some insights we gained while conducting the same analysis...more
On January 25, 2024, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memo, Increasing Small Business Participation on Multiple-Award Contracts, calling for executive agencies to apply the FAR’s Rule of Two to task...more
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a policy memorandum with a goal of promoting small business participation under multiple-award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts (MACs). One of the...more
Focus on SBA’s SBIC Program, Part 3: Demystifying the Intricacies of the SBIC Application Process - The Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program is emerging as a powerful financial tool for small business...more
In Steiner Construction Co., Inc., the Government Accountability Office (GAO) upheld the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) award of a $1.19 billion small business set-aside shipbuilding contract to a business concern that was later...more
Small business regulations create one of the stickier wickets in bid protest litigation. Although the Small Business Administration (SBA) has exclusive authority to determine a company’s size and socioeconomic status, the...more
Any acquisition involving a small business government contractor comes with a host of questions concerning what effect, if any, the transaction may have on the small business’s size and status post-closing. ...more
H.R. 357, Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act, Passed House - On December 12, the House passed legislation requiring the vast majority of rules issued by federal agencies to be signed and issued by a...more
Department of Defense (DOD) Proposed Rule: National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM); Amendment - On December 13, the DOD published a proposed rule amending the NISPOM based on public comments...more
White House Announces New Actions to Support Small Business: ‘Shop Small Today,’ The Hill - On November 25, the Biden administration unveiled new actions intended to increase support for small businesses. In a post on X,...more
Small Business Administration (SBA) Press Release: SBA Announces Biden-Harris Administration’s Progress in Small Business Lending with End-of-Year Capital Program Numbers - On November 21, Small Business Administrator...more
Department of Defense (DOD) Final Rule: Inapplicability of Certain Laws and Regulations to Commercial Items - DOD issues this Final Rule to amend the DFARS to address the inapplicability of certain laws and regulations to...more
On October 5, the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) issued a joint notice (Joint Notice) with the Small Business Association (SBA) and in coordination with the Department of Defense (DOD) clarifying that the...more
On October 5, 2023, the National Archives Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) released a joint notice to provide guidance on facility clearances for joint ventures (JVs) in the National Industrial Security Program...more
This month’s Bid Protest Roundup focuses on a recent U.S. Court of Federal Claims decision involving the limitations of the government’s deference defense and a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that involved the...more