SmallGovCon Week in Review: September 21-25, 2026

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday! Fall is here, bringing some cooler weather and pumpkin everything. For small businesses contracting with the federal government, the SBA has been rolling out some important changes—including proposed updates to size standards and recent changes to the 8(a) program. The size-standard proposal could affect which businesses qualify as “small,” while the 8(a) changes may mean new considerations for current and prospective participants. We have been adding some blog posts about these changes so please stay tuned to SmallGovCon.com for the latest developments.

This week in federal government contracting saw stories related to size standards and government enforcement on bribery and false certifications.

GovCon FAQ: Can a Foreign-Owned Entity Be a Small Business Under SBA Rules?

Posted on September 25, 2026 by Gregory Weber

Given that the customer in Federal Government Contracting is the United States government, many people assume that to be a “Small Business” for this industry, you must be owned by United States citizens or a United States business. While this distinction could matter for other federal government contracting purposes, to simply qualify as a small business under SBA rules, a business does not necessarily need to be owned by a United States citizen or business. This installment of our GovCon FAQ series will discuss how a foreign-owned business can still be seen as a small business under SBA rules.

BREAKING: Comment Period on Proposed Size Standards and Methodology Extended to November 20, 2026

Posted on September 24, 2026 by John Holtz

Back on August 19, 2026, SBA issued proposed rules–one covering what would change and one covering the underlying methodology. This would, in most cases, monumentally increase the size standards for the various industries that perform federal contracts, along with simplifying how industries are categorized and switching several industries from receipts-based to employee-based size standards. Indeed, we had two separate posts on these changes, one exploring the actual size standard increases and the other exploring the recategorization and switch to employee-based size standards. SBA initially set a deadline of September 21, 2026, for comments on these changes. Now, it is extending that date, as we’ll explore briefly below.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: September 14-18, 2026

Posted on September 18, 2026 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday! Another week in the books and it sure was a busy one! For small business owners, that means celebrating the wins, learning from the challenges, and giving yourself a little credit for everything you managed to get done. This weekend we hope you can take a breath, step away from the emails for a bit, and enjoy some time off.

This week in federal government contracting news, stories include a CIO-SP4 post-mortem and new RFO parts being published for comments.

Govology Webinar! Communicating with Government Contracting Officials: What Can (and Should) Contractors Really Say and Do? (2026 Update)–September 29, 2026

Posted on September 15, 2026 by Shane McCall

Clear communication with contracting officers and agency officials can help contractors resolve performance issues, negotiate contract changes, and protect valuable business relationships. But missteps can lead to unauthorized commitments, violations of gratuities and conflict-of-interest rules, contract disputes, or protests.

In this webinar, government contracts attorneys Nicole Pottroff and John Holtz will debunk common myths about contractor communications, including who has authority to modify a contract, how to respond to unauthorized instructions, when one-on-one communications are appropriate, and how government gratuities rules differ from commercial practices. Register here.

Let’s Clarify and Discuss: GAO Explains the Difference Between Clarifications and Discussions

Posted on September 14, 2026 by Jordan Akins

When do an agency’s communications with an offeror amount to a clarification, and when do they cross the line into a discussion? That’s exactly what this post will discuss and, hopefully, clarify for you. Understanding the distinction between clarifications and discussions is important because the type of communication an agency has with an offeror can affect an offeror’s ability to address issues or make changes to their proposal. A recent GAO decision explores the difference between clarifications and discussions and offers insight into when each type of communication may be appropriate.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: September 7-11, 2026

Posted on September 11, 2026 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday! It’s sunflower season here in Kansas—our state flower—and the sunflowers were at peak bloom over Labor Day weekend. The hot weather didn’t seem to bother them, and it certainly didn’t keep people from coming out to enjoy the beautiful fields this year. It’s a great place to remember how beautiful the world can be. If you have a sunflower field near you, I encourage you to take some time to go see them.

As you head into the weekend, here is our roundup of the latest in federal contracting news.

This week in federal government contracting included stories about the savings from contract cancellations and a continued push for AI use by the federal government.