We wanted to wish our readers a very happy holiday season! Whether you’re celebrating at home or traveling to see loved ones, we hope the season is merry and bright, safe and warm. We are grateful that we were able to help so many people with our insights, updates, and commentary on the changing federal contracting landscape. We are thankful for all the feedback and insights from our readers as well. Thanks for a wonderful year!
The GSA instituted a program that would allow 8(a) Program participants to enter into an 8(a) pool for GSA schedules (AKA, GSA Multiple Award Schedule) called the MAS 8(a) Pool. This program would allow 8(a) GSA schedule holders to maintain their 8(a) eligibility for a limited time even after they had graduated from the 8(a) Program. GSA described it this way in 2023:
“MAS 8(a) pool contractors will be eligible for sole source awards for as long as they remain active in the 8(a) Program, and continue to qualify as small for the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the sole source order, at the time of award. 8(a) pool contractors will continue to remain eligible for competitive set aside awards for up to five (5) years from the date of award, or until rerepresentation in accordance with FAR 19.301-2(b) (whichever is first), even after the contractor has exited the 8(a) Program.”
In this case, the agency requested a check on 8(a) eligibility, despite the existence of the MAS 8(a) Pool, and GAO was asked to decide if an agency had the discretion to check 8(a) eligibility, even if regulations did not require it.
As another point, The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) both provide oversight for federal procurements but over different areas. Generally, GAO reviews protests of agency compliance with federal procurement regulations and statutes and solicitation criteria, and SBA hears protests regarding the size and status of federal contractors for set-aside procurements. This can create, however, some confusion where their activities overlap. This is something that we have, over the years, addressed in other blog posts. Today, we look at a GAO protest where GAO and SBA crossed paths again and this MAS 8(a) Pool issue arose.
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Happy Friday, readers! We know this time of year gets hectic, with all the preparations and lists to check. One thing you don’t have to check is the updates on federal government contracting for the past week. We’ve done that in our Week in Review! Enjoy the latest updates while you do some last-minute shopping and decorating.
This week in federal government contracting saw important updates on use of AI, predictions for 2026, and a deadline to submit feedback on the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul.
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It’s time for another edition of the SmallGovCon week in review. We hope that all of our readers had a productive week. For many (myself included), this week is the time for holiday concerts and performances, including the fabled Nutcracker performance. The Lawrence Arts Center does a Kansas-themed performance that is well-loved by all who watch. There is a grand holiday party and then a dream sequence that takes up the latter part of the ballet. I imagine some 8(a) contractors are wishing the current actions taken against them were also part of a dream sequence. Alas, they are not and those businesses should do their best to respond to all 8(a) inquiries as much as they can.
This week saw some big updates on the 8(a) front, with both SBA and Congress putting pressure on 8(a) contractors, as well as additional calls for centralization and shared services.
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As we dive into another Thanksgiving season, we wanted to say thank you to all of our wonderful readers who make SmallGovCon such a nice place to write for. We love receiving your comments and questions. Whether you’ve been here for years or just stumbled in recently, we appreciate you. We hope your day is filled with good food, good company, and good cheer. Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s time for the SmallGovCon Week in Review. As you head in to your weekend and look forward to Thanksgiving, it’s time to catch up on the latest in federal contracting news. Have a great weekend and enjoy some crisp fall weather.
This week in federal government contracting saw the NDAA rounding into form, changes to space contracting, and updates for how AI can be used in the federal space.
Continue readingBoth the Senate and House, as part of the draft 2026 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA), have proposed nearly identical ideas on overhauling the Department of Defense’s Contractor Performance Assessment Report System (CPARS) processes. While both NDAAs have passed, and therefore require reconciliation in a committee, their ideas are extremely similar and signal a coming change in CPARS processes for defense contractors. One big change is to focus on specific negative performance events using “a standardized scoring mechanism” and to remove reporting on “positive or neutral performance assessments.”
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