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
In a lengthy and complex effort, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule on December 17, 2024, that amended many requirements related to small business contracting. As with most rules, there are some...more
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Aug. 1, 2024, is beginning a system upgrade to its certification portal that will impact the following socioeconomic set-aside program certification programs ...more
On December 22, 2023, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Pub. L. No. 118-31, 137 Stat. 136 (2023) (NDAA 2024) went into effect. Among other things, NDAA 2024 includes a provision phasing out...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
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 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule on Nov. 29, 2022, establishing its Veteran Small Business Certification Program for veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) and service-disabled veteran-owned...more
Veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) looking to contract with the federal government will be subject to new certification requirements beginning January 1, 2023,...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) Final Rule on Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Certification (the Final Rule) takes effect on January 1, 2023. The majority...more
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the functions of its Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) will fully transfer to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on January 1, 2023. The CVE...more
On Friday, May 13, 2022, the Department of Justice announced that it reached a settlement with Hensel Phelps Construction Company (“Hensel Phelps”) over allegations that the company had, in violation of the False Claims Act,...more
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council published three final rules on Aug. 11, 2021, amending the FAR to implement changes mandated by various National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) and to homogenize the FAR...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
Over three years after the filing of the initial sealed complaint, a New York-based construction company and several affiliates - including its bonding company - have agreed to pay a combined $4.47 million to settle a False...more
Veteran-Owned Business Priority - In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court surprised many by hearing a bid protest concerning the application of the "Rule of Two" for veteran-owned small businesses in procurements run by the U.S....more
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently sustained a protest that challenged the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) failure to set aside an acquisition for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB)...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a proposed rule on December 4, 2018, to implement, among other things, certain provisions of the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) of 2016 and 2017. The proposed rule,...more
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently published a report on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs's (VA) implementation of the Veterans First Program. This congressionally-mandated program requires the VA to...more
Two Washington, D.C. area government contractors have agreed to pay the government for their respective roles in defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in schemes to fraudulently obtain government contracts...more
The Government recently indicted an Army veteran for allegedly using his status as a service-disabled veteran to help a company qualify as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business and falsely obtain nearly $40 million...more