Federal Small Business Programs—A Primer for Government Contractors
Exit Strategies for GOVCONs with Set Aside Contracts: 2021 Insights and Lessons Learned from Business Owners and Advisors
Understanding and Avoiding Affiliation Under Small Business Contracting Programs
PODCAST: Williams Mullen GovCon Perspectives - Why Was My SWaM Certification Denied, and What Can I Do?
In August, the Small Business Administration ("SBA") issued a proposed rule that included significant and sweeping changes to its regulations, including to its rules on joint ventures, mentor-protégé, HUBZones, and others....more
As PilieroMazza outlined on December 17, 2024, the Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued its highly-anticipated final rule (Rule) in response to its August 2024 proposed rule and the hundreds of public comments....more
So often in the fierce competition for growth, small businesses get frustrated with enterprise players’ ability to undercut pricing and leverage relationships within the private sector to the disadvantage of equally suitable...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
On April 27th, the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) published a final rule making changes to the regulations governing the 8(a) program. This final rule is SBA’s implementation of the proposed rules issued by the...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
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
Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—in AttainX, Inc., B-421216, B-421216.2 (Feb. 9, 2023)—clarified that in evaluating the experience of a mentor-protégé joint venture (JV) for a small business...more
The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) joint venture (JV) regulations allow large businesses to perform set-aside contracts with their small business protégés and allow small businesses to pool their resources and...more
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule on Oct. 16, 2020, consolidating its Mentor-Protégé programs and making several potentially significant changes to other aspects of SBA's government contracting...more
In 2016, the Small Business Administration (SBA) established a new government wide mentor-protégé program for small businesses called the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program (ASMPP). The purpose of the program was for...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently issued a public report on the SBA’s All Small Mentor-Protégé Program (ASMPP), in which the SBA OIG found certain shortcomings in the SBA’s...more
The federal government sets aside a significant portion of its procurement dollars each year for purchasing goods and services from small businesses. Small business set-aside procurements and small business contract awards...more
Teaming Arrangements under the FAR - Under Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 9.6, a contractor teaming arrangement is when: 1. Two or more companies form a partnership or joint venture to act as a potential prime...more
With the arrival of the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program, the question of how to structure teaming relationships has come to the forefront of many contractors’ minds. This is especially true because companies in approved...more
On July 25, 2016, the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) released a much-anticipated Small Business Mentor Protégé Programs Final Rule that created a new expanded mentor-protégé program, modeled on the existing 8(a)...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a long-awaited final rule establishing a new, expanded mentor-protégé program that will allow all types of small businesses to qualify as protégés, while retaining, but slightly...more
New Small Business Administration Rules Will Increase Eligibility for Large and Small Businesses to Bid Jointly on Set-Aside Contracts, but Not Without Greater Competition - The U.S. Small Business Administration’s...more