I have just returned from the Midwest Small Business Government Contracting Symposium in Moline, Illinois where I presented on the topic of “Big Changes for Small Business: New Federal Contracting Rules and Regulations.” There was a great turnout and I enjoyed getting to connect with many of the attendees and presenters. But now that I’m back in the office, it’s time for the SmallGovCon Week In Review.

In this week’s edition, with about six months left in the Obama administration’s term, we take a look at which initiatives will survive and what could potentially go away forever, changes that would required contractors to be registered in SAM prior to submitting an offer loom in the near future, Congress looks to reduce vendor anxiety and more.

• Which contracting initiatives from the Obama administration will and won’t survive into the next administration? Washington Technology takes a look. [Washington Technology]
• The FAR Council is proposing a change that would require prospective contractors to be registered in SAM prior to submitting an offer, not just prior to award. [Federal Register]
• Guy Timberlake looks at the opportunities in the world of simplified acquisitions.  [GovConChannel]
• A proposed change in the law for Alaska Native federal contractors would remove special criteria for justifying sole-source contracts over $20 million. [Set-Aside Alert]
• Auditors will be ascertaining whether the Defense Department’s $10 billion annual contract spend is doled out the way federal regulations say it should be. [FedScoop]
• Congress is taking steps to reduce vendors’ anxiety when it comes to selling information technology to the U.S. government. [E-Commerce Times]
• A $610 billion defense policy bill now at the halfway point in its journey through Congress has the contracting community upset about some procurement and small business reforms. [Government Executive]