Small GovCon Week in Review: May 3-7, 2021

Posted on May 7, 2021 by Shane McCall

It will be a great weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day and show all those hard working moms out there some appreciation. We hope you can get out and enjoy the wonderful spring weather and make the day special for the mothers in your life. As a wise person once said:

“A Mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” – Cardinal Mermillod.

For those moms who are into federal contracts, and all others in the contracting world, here’s what’s happening in federal government contracting news, this week.

Five Things You Should Know: Past Performance of Subcontractors, Joint Venture Partners, and Affiliates

Posted on May 6, 2021 by Steven Koprince

The government’s hard shift away from lowest-price, technically acceptable evaluations has magnified the importance of past performance in many competitive acquisitions. For start-ups and other companies new to the federal marketplace, past performance requirements can present a significant barrier to success.

Oftentimes, companies with little or no past performance of their own can offer the past performance of another entity, such as a subcontractor or joint venture partner. But the rules surrounding the use of another entity’s past performance are often misunderstood–and recently, the rules have evolved quickly.

Here are five things you should know about using the past performance of a subcontractor, joint venture partner, or affiliate.

Alert: SBA Will Freeze HUBZone Maps Until June 30, 2023

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Shane McCall

HUBZone companies will get some additional time to plan for the unfreezing of the HUBZone maps by SBA. SBA has just issued a direct final rule that will extend the HUBZone map freeze from December 31, 2021, to June 30, 2023.

5 Things You Should Know: SBA’s Recent 8(a) Program Updates

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Nicole Pottroff

SBA has been hard at work this past year updating its 8(a) Business Development Program rules and policies. And we have been doing our best here at SmallGovCon to keep you posted. Many of our blog posts focused on SBA’s monumental November 2020 “rule overhaul,” which implemented several 8(a) rule changes. But given the sheer magnitude of information in that final rule, it is pretty easy to lose track of which updates might affect you, as a potential 8(a) applicant or current 8(a) participant. There were also some pretty important changes to the 8(a) Program just prior to and subsequent to SBA’s November 2020 final rule.

Suffice it to say, there is a lot to process! So, we thought a quick summary blog on some of the most significant changes to the 8(a) Program of late might help you in that endeavor. Without further ado, here are five things you should know about SBA’s recent 8(a) Program updates.

SmallGovCon Welcomes John Holtz

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Shane McCall

I am pleased to announce that John Holtz has joined our team of government contracts attorney-authors here at SmallGovCon. John is an associate attorney with Koprince Law LLC, where his practice focuses on federal government contracts law.

Before joining our team, John practiced law in a variety of areas, including litigation and corporate counsel matters, and developed a wide berth of experience that provided adaptability and resourcefulness to help clients navigate the world of government contracts, be it on a transactional basis or in litigation. Check out John’s full biography to learn more about our newest author, and don’t miss his first SmallGovCon post on ownership and control of a woman-owned small business.

SBA OHA: Ownership and Control are Not the Same in the WOSB Program

Posted on May 3, 2021 by John Holtz

A company learned the hard way that just because their business is majority owned by a woman, it doesn’t mean they are a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) in the eyes of the SBA. The question is one of both ownership and control.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 26-30, 2021

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Shane McCall

If April showers bring May flowers, Lawrence, Kansas should be a kaleidoscope of color next week. The rain was so heavy at one point our street became a river for a few hours. The sun is shining today, however, and you can almost see the grass growing. It’s time to fire up the lawn mower and the grill and enjoy the longer, warmer days.

Just like the weather, there have been a few changes in federal government contracting, this week. Here are a few newsworthy articles, including an update on minimum wage increases for federal contractors, a new loan program for restaurants, and updates on the President’s Made in America policies. Have a great weekend!