SmallGovCon Week In Review: March 23 – March 27, 2020

Posted on by

This week, the attorney-authors at SmallGovCon have provided recommendations, tips, and updates on how contractors can deal with the effects of COVID-19 on their work. In this week in review, I’ve highlighted some of those updates in case readers might have missed them. But I’m also sharing some of the news from other sources about federal contracting in the age of COVID-19 and other updates.

Here are some highlights from our COVID-19 Contractor’s Toolkit:

  • How Congress can help small businesses contractors.
  • A run-down of the big items from OMB’s guidance on dealing with contractors (including purchase thresholds, SAM registration extension, and allowing contractors to telework).
  • What does the nationwide emergency declaration under the Stafford Act mean for federal contractors and how would the Defense Production Act work?
  • What are the benefits of 8(a) suspension during an emergency?
  • Discussions of how the FAR is built to deal with pandemics, what sole-source options are available, as well as dealing with contract modifications.

On top of all that, there were important updates for federal contractors about procurement during a crisis, increased progress payments to contractors, and telework options for contractors.

  • SEWP cuts turnaround time to support COVID-19 response. [fcw.com]
  • Procuring during a crisis. [federalnewsnetwork]
  • White House pushes for more telework as first DoD contractor dies because of COVID-19. [zdnet]
  • DoD increases progress payments to contractors to shore up cash-strapped suppliers. [spacenews]
  • Pentagon Will Not Split JEDI Award EXCLUSIVE. [breakingdefense.com]
  • OMB’s new coronavirus contractor guidance doesn’t answer some of the toughest questions. [federalnewsnetwork]
  • Rensselaer man pleads guilty to wire fraud scheme. [troyrecord]
  • Telework cybersecurity guidance could be on the way. [federalnewsnetwork]
  • Federal contractors face great uncertainty as coronavirus spreads. [federaltimes]
  • Agencies Have Spent More Than $300M In Response to the COVID-19 Outbreak. [nextgov]
  • DoD and Congress using incentives, extra funds and other policies to keep defense companies cash positive. [federalnewsnetwork]
  • Work continues on CMMC rollout amid coronavirus disruption. [fedscoop]
  • Air Force’s emerging tech supply chain remains strong despite COVID-19. [fedscoop]

Looking for the latest government contracting legal news? Sign up here for our free monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.