Author Archives: SmallGovConContributor

SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 28 – June 1, 2018

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This week, I had the great opportunity to join Guy Timberlake in Minneapolis to discuss the impacts of the 2018 NDAA on small businesses. It was a wonderful event (made all the better by the fabulous participants and presenters).

Minneapolis was fun, but it’s nice to be home. Hopefully you’re gearing up for a lovely weekend (perhaps with a little bit of pool time reserved). Before you punch out completely, let’s check out the latest in the world of government contracting. In this week’s edition of the SmallGovCon Week in Review, we take a look at Washington Technology’s new podcast focused on the future of government contracting, a lawsuit in which a contractor allegedly falsely overcharged the U.S. Navy for ship husbanding services, and more.

Enjoy, and we’ll see you back here next week!

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Small Business Participation Declines, But SBA Still Gives Government High Marks

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It’s that time of year again. School’s ending for the summer and kids are coming home (some sheepishly) with their report cards. And with the close of Fiscal Year 2017, the federal government has also been given its report card.

Like last year, the FY 2017 report card reveals a mixed bag. Though the SBA gave the federal government another “A,” the bottom-line numbers reveal a troubling trend for small business government contractors.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 14 – 18, 2018

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As we head into the second half of May, it is time for graduation parties and summer fun.  But before we enjoy the weekend, it’s Friday and time for the SmallGovCon Week in Review.

In this week’s edition, we highlight GAO giving contractors a second chance to make it into the OASIS unrestricted pool; an audit showing that DOD isn’t giving small businesses enough opportunity; DSS’ plans for a new methodology to vet security of contractor facilities; and more.

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Late Bid Revision Costs Bidder The Award

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When a bidder submits a bid under a sealed bid procurement, it is responsible for ensuring that the bid is timely submitted. But what happens if a bidder wants to revise a bid that’s already been submitted?

As a recent GAO case shows, even a revised bid must be timely submitted in order for it to be considered. If a bidder tries to revise its bid too late in the process, it might end up costing itself the award.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review May 7 – 11, 2018

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For all the mothers out there, happy Mother’s Day!  We hope you have a great, relaxing weekend.  But first, it’s Friday, and time for the SmallGovCon Week in Review.

In this week’s edition, we’ll discuss an important update to the VA’s CVE application process. We’ll also update you on the on-going saga regarding the Department of Education’s student loan servicing contracts and, as is our (unfortunate) custom, highlight some of the week’s examples of government contractors behaving badly.

Enjoy!

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5 Things You Should Know: SBA’s Definition of Manufacturer

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SBA’s regulations say that in order to qualify as a small business under a set-aside or sole-source contract seeking manufactured products or supply items, an offeror ordinarily must either be the manufacturer of the end item or qualify under the nonmanufacturer rule.

This post will discuss five things your small business should know about qualifying as a manufacturer under the SBA’s rules; in a future post, we’ll walk through the nonmanufacturer rule.

Let’s get to it: here are 5 Things You Should Know about the SBA’s definition of manufacturer.

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Bundling Didn’t Allow Agency to Purchase FSS Open Market Items, GAO Says

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An agency cannot buy “Open Market” items from a Federal Supply Schedule vendor when the same items are readily available under another vendor’s FSS contract–even if the vendor selling Open Market items offers them as a discounted bundle and the FSS vendor does not.

In a recent decision, GAO held that it was improper for an agency to buy bundled software packages as Open Market items when another vendor sold the same licenses on its FSS contract as four separate items.

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