SBA has issued a final rule to revamp the social disadvantage rule for the 8(a) Program. We wrote about SBA’s proposed rule from June 11, 2026 that would “remove the rebuttable presumption that individuals belonging to certain designated groups are socially disadvantaged and set forth revised standards for individuals establishing social disadvantage.” The SBA has now issued a final rule that would do just that. The rule continues the trend of the Ultima decision in 2023, which ruled that the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage under the 8(a) is unconstitutional as it violates the right to equal protection. Based on that decision, SBA stopped relying on the presumption of social disadvantage. Now, SBA has formally issued a rule to eliminate any mention of the presumption from the regulations. SBA’s rule replaces the individual social disadvantage narrative with a test that looks to whether a person experienced discrimination on the basis of race through programs like affirmative action. Here are some details.
Continue readingAuthor Archives: Shane McCall
Event Announcement: GovCon Roundup Live, August 12, 1:00pm EDT, Expanding VOSB and SDVOSB Opportunities & Navigating the SBA Certification Minefield
On this episode of GovCon Roundup Live, hosts Carroll Bernard and Steven Koprince welcome special guest Nicole Pottroff, federal contracting attorney and equity partner at Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC, to break down some recent developments that could reshape both programs:
- The SBA’s June 2026 proposed rule, which would eliminate the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage for individually owned 8(a) firms and replace it with a demanding, evidence-based standard.
- The Ending Discrimination in Government Contracting Act (H.R. 8511 / S. 4390), which could dismantle the statutory foundations of both the 8(a) and WOSB programs.
- The latest on the 8(a) application backlog and the 8(a) & WOSB program audits—and what this could mean for your business.
You’ll come away with a clear view of the legal and regulatory risks, the compliance challenges ahead, and practical steps you can take now to prepare for whatever comes next.
Free to attend—register at this link to reserve your seat and bring your questions for the live Q&A.
SmallGovCon Week in Review: August 3-7, 2026
Happy Friday to our SmallGovCon readers. We hope you are having a great summer and finding some time to get away with family and friends and enjoy some relaxation. I recently spent a week in Colorado with my family and enjoyed some wonderful views and fresh air courtesy of Rocky Mountain National Park. This is the beginnings of the Colorado River, which runs to Mexico. It’s inspiring to know that such a great river starts from such a small stream.
We hope you have time for some rest and relaxation this weekend. Here’s what’s happening in federal government contracting news, including a new SBA website and how the government can procure faster and with more contractors.
Continue readingEvent: 2026 National APEX Accelerator Alliance (NAPEX) Conference, August 16-20, 2026
I’m excited to be presenting “Domestic Sourcing: Buy American Act & Trade Agreements Act” at the 2026 National APEX Accelerator Alliance (NAPEX) Annual Conference in Orlando on Tuesday, August 18.
My session will explore the Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act, providing practical guidance and discussing important legal decisions that impact how to navigate these important domestic sourcing requirements in federal contracting.
The NAPEX Annual Conference is a premier professional development event for APEX Accelerators and Small Business Liaison Officers (SBLOs) from across the country. The conference provides opportunities to share best practices, strengthen the government contracting assistance network, and discuss emerging issues affecting the acquisition and supplier communities.
In conjunction with the conference, NAPEX is also hosting the 2026 Industry Expo, which is open to government contractors and industry partners. The Expo offers an excellent opportunity to connect with leading organizations across the defense and government contracting community.
Whether you’re attending the conference for professional development or participating in the Industry Expo to expand your business network, Orlando offers valuable opportunities to learn, connect, and engage with government contracting professionals from across the nation.
If you’ll be attending, I hope you’ll join my session on Tuesday, August 18, and stop by to say hello.
Learn more about the 2026 NAPEX Annual Conference at https://www.napex.us/national-conferences/.
Additional information about the 2026 Industry Expo is available at https://www.napex.us/businessindustryexpoo.
SmallGovCon Week in Review: July 20-24, 2026
Happy Friday! It’s that time of year when many in our office, and in the federal contracting world, are finding some time for a vacation to reconnect with family and friends. We hope our readers are able to take a break and get some R&R this summer. This weekend, try and find some time to rest, relax, and perhaps enjoy some summer activities.
This week in federal government contracting saw interesting stories including Congress working on some important procurement-related legislation, increased focus on supply chain safety, and steps to enhance whistleblower protections.
Continue readingBack to Basics: Trade Agreements Act
The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) and its companion, the Buy American Act (BAA), both set policies for a preference for increased domestic purchases by the federal government and its contractors. However, the TAA is designed as kind of a counterweight to the BAA. The BAA (passed in 1933), “the first of the major domestic content restriction laws, requires federal agencies to apply a price preference for ‘domestic end products’ and use ‘domestic construction materials’ for covered contracts performed in the United States.” So, the BAA encourages use of US-produced goods.
The TAA, on the other hand, waives some of those BAA requirements for goods coming out of certain favored countries that have trade agreements with the US. In other words, the TAA puts items from those favored countries on an even playing field with the US items. The TAA has some other unique aspects, including a “substantial transformation” test to determine if something is an end product.
In this post, we discuss the basics of the TAA.
Continue readingSmallGovCon Week in Review: July 13-17, 2026
Happy Friday! It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through July! We hope your summer has been filled with meaningful hangouts with family and friends, vacation adventures, and a little extra time to enjoy the season. As we head into the second half of summer, we’re grateful for your continued support of SmallGovCon and look forward to sharing more tips, updates, and resources to help your contracting business thrive. Have a great weekend.
This week in federal government contracting saw articles on pausing parts of CMMC and the role of AI in federal procurement.
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