Happy Friday, Readers. We hope you have had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. Talk around the proverbial water cooler, this week, has been about the possible government shut down. On midnight, September 30th, fiscal year 23 will come to an end. Apparently, if certain things aren’t passed by Congress and signed by the President, the new fiscal year will start with a shutdown, and that has a lot of government contractors nervous.
We have included some articles on this topic and other federal government news below. Have a great weekend.
As we have previously written about in several recent 8(a) articles and updates, which can all be found on our 8(a) landing page here, SBA had previously told all 8(a) participants not pending an 8(a) award to “sit tight” and wait for the go-ahead to submit their social disadvantage narratives. Well, according to SBA’s just-released Certify Help Desk Guidance, it appears that go-ahead was just given to all the (justifiably) anxious 8(a) participants out there hoping to confirm their continued 8(a) Program eligibility as soon as possible.
To keep federal contractors apprised of recent decisions affecting the 8(a) Program, we are launching the 8(a) Contractors’ Toolkit. The goal is to provide relevant and useful information for government contractors about eligibility, contract requirements, and best practices. We are here to help federal contractors navigate the rapidly changing waters of the 8(a) Program.
Check back regularly as we cover various topics bearing on federal contractors currently participating in or hoping to gain entry into the 8(a) Program. We will regularly and promptly update the site to keep our readers informed of all updates, clarifications, and guidance regarding the 8(a) Program, as they are released.
We understand that things may feel a bit uncertain and overly complex in the 8(a) Program at this time. Our greatest hope is that this collection of specific information on the current changes to the 8(a) Program and social disadvantage narratives will guide contractors in drafting their narratives, but we are also here to help anyone who needs assistance. More information is available at this link.
If you are needing legal assistance, please reach out at info@koprince.com or call 785-200-8919.
Writing a social disadvantage narrative for application to SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program has always been an arduous undertaking–to say the least. And up until a recent Federal District Court decision (which we blogged on here), only a small portion of 8(a) Program applicants had to submit this time-consuming, highly personal, difficult task. But now (as discussed in the above-linked blog and in this blog on SBA’s recent actions in response to the decision), this requirement is being expanded to all individual applicants that haven’t already provided a social disadvantage narrative. You can read much more about SBA’s implementation of this here. But essentially, you will need to write a social disadvantage narrative if you are an individually-owned1 8(a) applicant or program participant who is trying to get into the 8(a) Program or already in the 8(a) Program–even if you were planning to or already had relied on the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage (which SBA can no longer use).
Fortunately, we have been drafting these narratives for a long time now, meticulously studying and utilizing: (i) SBA’s rules, policies, and guidance on social disadvantage narratives (recent guidance can be found here); (ii) SBA’s feedback on individual narratives; and (iii) SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) decisions covering the SBA’s initial appealed decisions on applicants’ social disadvantage eligibility–as well as OHA’s final decisions on the appeals. So, while SBA’s current regulations and guidance can guide your pen, they are certainly not the only source of helpful information out there. Let’s take a look at some SBA guidance and recommendations based on SBA’s actual decisions that may increase your chances for success.
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!
The SBA’s Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, the office that handles the 8(a) Business Development Program applications, has just confirmed that SBA has “temporarily paused” the submission of new 8(a) Program applications in light of the recent decision by the federal district court of the Eastern District of Tennessee.
Hello and Happy Friday! We hope you had great week and are finishing the week strong today. The SBA and Whitehouse announced that the current administration exceeded its small business goal with a record breaking $163 Billion in federal procurement opportunities. That’s an $8.7 billion increase from the previous year, which is great news for small businesses. You can read more about this and other newsworthy articles below. Have a great weekend.
