Happy Friday! We hope you enjoyed the nice long weekend. After this long heatwave, we’ve been enjoying the cooler weather this week, here in Kansas. I think it’s safe to say that most everyone is ready for fall.
There was a lot of activity this week in federal government contracting. We have included some articles that we hope will be of interest, including updates on the 8(a) Program, and a lot of changes on the IT front for federal agencies. Enjoy the weekend!
Continue readingOur very own Nicole Pottroff was featured in the Washington Post yesterday, in an article titled: “SBA program upended in wake of Supreme Court affirmative action ruling.” This article covers SBA’s 8(a) Program and its recent changes, as well as the federal court decisions that sparked the changes and some of the more widespread concerns moving forward. We have been fortunate enough to help countless companies get into the 8(a) Program, stay in the program, and navigate all the opportunities and benefits it has to offer. We have blogged consistently on everything from the federal court decisions at issue to the SBA’s implementation of the ordered changes to the 8(a) Program–doing our best to ensure our readers stay up-to-date on all things 8(a) in these times of uncertainty and change (a collection of all these articles can be found here).
So suffice it to say, we are excited to see the program being talked about on such a highly-esteemed, public, national forum. We are also very proud to see Nicole’s name in such a significant article on that forum. If you haven’t yet, go give it a read.
I’m excited to announce that I will be presenting at Senator Ernst’s Entrepreneur Expo in Ames, Iowa. This is a wonderful opportunity for Iowa’s small businesses to learn about government contracting and federal innovation programs. This event will feature successful small business speakers, multiple information sessions with procurement experts, and networking opportunities with federal, state, and local agency officials. I’ll be discussing both the SBA Mentor-Protégé Program and small business joint ventures.
There are multiple programming tracks within the Expo for participants to choose from, as well as networking sessions. Hope to see you there! Free registration at this link. Additional information about this event here.
For large and small contractors alike, teaming agreements are often essential to winning and successfully performing federal government contracts. Many agencies are (increasingly) requiring teaming agreements for a prime contractor to rely on subcontractor experience, qualifications, or resources. Even where a teaming agreement is not required to compete for a contract, it can still significantly reduce the likelihood of disputes during contract performance. So it is easy to see why teaming agreements are special enough to be the star of their own show. In this webinar, government contracts attorney, Nicole Pottroff & Greg Weber, will explain how to develop, negotiate, and administer teaming agreements that are both compliant and effective, covering best practices for teaming agreements that go beyond the bare minimum legal requirements and lead to more successful teams. Please join us! Register here.
Join this webinar as John Holtz and I explore the pivotal role of NAICS codes in determining eligibility for SBA’s exclusive small business set-aside contracts. Recent revisions in size thresholds, size calculations, and industry classifications within the latest NAICS manual have reshaped the landscape. We’ll also discuss NAICS codes appeals, which can be a powerful tool. Register here.
SBA administers four socioeconomic programs: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a)) Women-Owned Small Business Program (WOSB) and HUBZone. The SDVOSB, 8(a), and WOSB programs all require that the key owner generally have control over the long-term decision-making and the day-to-day operations of a company. These same rules apply to the veteran-owned small businesses program (VOSB) as well. A recent decision from the Office of Hearings and Appeals at SBA reveals that the operating agreement or bylaws for these types of companies must be very clear about how they are operated.
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Happy Friday! We always know it’s almost Labor Day when the sunflower fields start blooming in Kansas. They hold a special place in our hearts because they are the state flower. People come from miles around to visit and photograph the beautiful fields each year. I mean, how can you not smile when you see a sunflower, right?
We hope you have some fun plans for the long Labor Day weekend and if you have a bit of spare time, we have provided some interesting articles on what’s happening in federal government contracting below, including new small business data, updated rules on the 8(a) Program, and more. Have a great holiday weekend.
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