GAO: No OCI Where Information Wasn’t Competitively Useful

Access to corporate information on another contract will not result in an information organizational conflict of interest when the information accessed is not competitively useful to the present solicitation.

As a bid protester recently discovered in DV United, LLC, B-411620, B-411620.2 (Sept. 16, 2015), the mere fact that the successful offeror had access to one of its team member’s information on another government contract did not result in an information organizational conflict of interest because the information was not competitively useful.

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SBA Moving Closer To “Universal” Mentor-Protege Implementation

The SBA is moving toward implementing its proposed “universal” mentor-protege program for all small businesses.

According to testimony presented by the SBA’s Associate Administrator for Government Contracting Business Development at a recent Congressional hearing, the SBA has put together a Mentor-Protege Program Expansion Project Team to oversee the implementation of the new program.

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Inspector General: SBA Should Implement WOSB Certification Program

The SBA should implement a women-owned small business certification program, according to the SBA’s own Inspector General.

In a recent report on management challenges facing the SBA, the SBA Office of Inspector General urged the SBA to adopt a WOSB certification program–and stated that failing to do so may allow ineligible firms to receive WOSB set-aside contracts.

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SmallGovCon Week In Review: October 26-30, 2015

Happy Halloween Eve! Hopefully your Halloween weekend is full of treats and not tricks.

Speaking of treats, here is this week’s SmallGovCon Week In Review.  In this week’s Review, contractors weigh in on whether lowest-price technically acceptable contracts lead to lower employee wages, a federal employee heads to jail for his role in a bribery scheme, GSA mulls consolidation of expiring contracts, and more.

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Announcing Koprince Law’s New YouTube Channel

I am pleased to announce a new way to get the latest legal news and notes on government contracting issues.  Today, Koprince Law LLC has launched a YouTube channel, where we will regularly post new videos on important and interesting government contracting issues.

You don’t need to have a lot of extra time on your hands: our typical video update is around five minutes long and covers a single topic.  We will occasionally post lengthier “seminar-style” overviews of key topics, as well.

So what are you waiting for?  If you’re ready for more government contracts news (or you just want to check out my spiffy Kansas Jayhawks tie), head on over to the Koprince Law LLC YouTube channel, and be sure to check back every week for new videos.

No Wholesaler NAICS Codes For Set-Aside Contracts, SBA OHA Confirms

Federal agencies must classify procurements for supplies under the appropriate manufacturing or supply NAICS code, not under a wholesale trade or retail trade NAICS code.

In a recent NAICS code appeal decision, the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals confirmed that supply procurements should not be classified under wholesale or retail trade NAICS codes–and rejected a prospective offeror’s claim that the agency should have assigned a wholesale trade NAICS code to the solicitation.

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SmallGovCon Week In Review: October 19-23, 2015

My poor, long-suffering Chicago Cubs will spend another winter without a World Series trophy.  Maybe next year the Cubbies will finally break the Curse of the Billy Goat.  In the meantime, there is plenty happening in the world of government contracting to keep my mind off of baseball.

In this week’s SmallGovCon Week In Review, a prison sentence is handed down in a SDVOSB fraud case while guilty pleas are entered in a separate case alleging DBE fraud, President Obama vetoes the 2016 NDAA, Carroll Bernard of GOVOLOGY provides an overview of the non-manufacturer rule, and much more.

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