To address the unique challenges facing federal contractors during the COVID-19 pandemic, SmallGovCon is launching the COVID-19 Contractors’ Toolkit. The goal is to provide relevant and useful information for government contractors about contract requirements, best practices, and advocacy options.
While every business will have its own unique challenges, it’s our hope to offer general information to guide decision making for federal contractors in these unprecedented times.
Continue readingIf you were to fire up the ol’ Google and search for the phrase “hubzone map” guess what you would get—not one but two links that purport to be the Small Business Administration’s Historically Underutilized Business Development Zone (HUBZone) program map.
Is there any indication which is the correct map? No. Might one return false results? Yes.
Continue readingA few months ago, we blogged on a sustained GAO decision that concluded the Marines had failed to evaluate offerors in accordance with the Solicitation. Specifically, GAO identified issues with the evaluations of offeror samples, and recommended that the Marines reevaluate offerors. In the wake of GAO’s decision, the Marines filed a request for reconsideration.
Unfortunately, the Marines request did not comply precisely with GAO’s filing procedures, resulting in a dismissal.
Continue readingThe hot topic of late—for good reason—is the coronavirus (or COVID-19), and its incredible impact on people and the world’s economy. It’s inescapable, and turning on the evening news can be downright scary.
We’re all concerned with how to protect our loved ones from the impact of this outbreak. But for business owners—particularly small business owners—those concerns are compounded by the fear of potential economic hardships that are almost certain to come.
In this post, we’ll discuss suggestions as to how a federal government contractor might prepare for disruptions caused by the coronavirus (or other calamities).
Continue readingThe acronyms and terminology used in federal government contracting can be a labyrinth–one sadly devoid of David Bowie. In this post, we’ll clarify some of the common methods used for government procurements, the regulations defining them, and the terminology associated with them.
Continue readingLet’s say you’re a subcontractor to a prime contractor, which holds a construction contract with the Government. And you run into problems which need to be solved by submitting a claim to the contracting officer.
But, as the subcontractor, you don’t have a contractual relationship (privity of contract, in legal speak) with the Government. Can you still submit the claim?
Continue readingGAO sustained a protest recently where the agency seemed to think that a reasonable cost was also a realistic cost.
That is not necessarily so.
Continue reading