SmallGovCon Week in Review: September 4-8, 2023

Happy Friday! We hope you enjoyed the nice long weekend. After this long heatwave, we’ve been enjoying the cooler weather this week, here in Kansas. I think it’s safe to say that most everyone is ready for fall.

There was a lot of activity this week in federal government contracting. We have included some articles that we hope will be of interest, including updates on the 8(a) Program, and a lot of changes on the IT front for federal agencies. Enjoy the weekend!

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: August 7-11, 2023

Hello, Readers! Many small business contractors and agency personnel are paying close attention to the fallout from the recent court decision on the 8(a) Program, as shown in this week’s articles. For an explanation of the decision, see the post from John Holtz, while Nicole Pottroff has explained SBA’s pause on taking current 8(a) Program applications. Another big story was DOL’s new rules.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend and please refer to our most recent blog posts for additional information on federal government contracting matters.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: July 31 – August 4, 2023

Happy Friday, Readers! As we move into a new month this week, big things are happening in the world of federal government contracting, from the impacts of recent federal court decisions on SBA’s 8(a) Program–to the ever-developing conversations about artificial intelligence and social media (and the benefits, limitations, and concerns surrounding each). But amidst many a changing landscape, some things certainly remain constant–the likelihood of facing severe consequences for dishonesty and fraud at the federal government level, for one. Read about all of these topics and many more in the articles below. And have a great weekend!

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: June 12-16, 2023

Happy Friday! Monday is our newest federal holiday, Junteenth. Courtesy of History.com, Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in GalvestonTexas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.

I hope you will enjoy the activities in your community. In our town of Lawrence, Kansas, there is a parade, a free concert and lots of educational events this weekend. I’m really looking forward to it! GSA published a great press release on Junteenth, that we have included below. Lots of activity in the Federal government world this week. We have included some articles that we think are of interest. Have a great weekend!

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OASIS+ Small Business: A Preview

GSA has produced a number of successful contract vehicles over the years, one of which was the One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Solution or “OASIS.” This vehicle, used to acquire professional services (not including information technology) for the government, was so successful that GSA is in the process of preparing its sequel, OASIS+. On March 6, 2023, the agency issued its second draft RFP, and the final RFP is expected soon. In light of this, we’re going to go through some of the planned provisions for OASIS+ for small businesses, with special attention to the provisions on teaming arrangements and joint ventures.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: March 6-10, 2023

Happy Friday Readers! If you are a college basketball fan, then I’m sure you are as excited about March Madness as we are here at SmallGovCon. With so many really great teams competing for that national championship trophy, it’s sure to be an exciting tournament.

Before you move your attention to basketball, let’s take a look at the happenings in the federal government world this week, including some information on the new iteration of the GSA OASIS vehicle. Check out those articles, among others, that we have included below and have a great weekend!

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Final FAR Amendment Encourages Procuring Agencies to Engage with Industry

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule that amends the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), effectively implementing a provision of the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act. The rule permits and encourages agency acquisition personnel to engage in responsible and constructive exchanges with the industry, provided that such exchanges remain consistent with the applicable law and refrain from promoting any unfair competitive advantages.

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