Category Archives: Federal Government Contracting

GovCon FAQs: Do I need an SBA MPA for a JV?

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We at SmallGovCon are excited to announce this first in a new line of blogs we call GovCon FAQs. Our firm handles a wide variety of federal procurement and contract matters, from bid protests, size protests, joint ventures, socio-economic certifications, to everything in between. Often, when talking to blog readers and contractors we hear the same sort of questions pop up. Of course, we can only provide direct legal advice to our clients. But many of these questions hit on issues that face contractors as a whole, or are items that are commonly misunderstood. So, we decided contractors needed an FAQ page for those common general questions. This blog will kick off that FAQ page for contractors. The first big frequently asked question:

Do I need an SBA Mentor-Protege Agreement to form a joint venture and perform on federal contracts as a joint venture?

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: November 18-22, 2024

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Happy Friday, SmallGovCon readers and have a great Thanksgiving next week! We won’t be posting our weekly roundup next week due to the holiday, but we’ll catch up on any missed news the following week.

In the meantime, enjoy this week’s federal contracting news. Also be sure to enjoy the family, friends, and food at your Thanksgiving table and maybe catch a football game. We will be back, with another edition of the week in review, in December. Some of the key stories this week including an update on small business past performance evaluation for affiliates, and updates on GAO bid protest stats.

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Webinar event: The SBA and DoD Mentor-Protégé Programs, December 3, 2024, hosted by Kansas APEX Accelerators

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Please join us on December 3, 2024, 9:30-11:30am CST for this webinar event. Touted as a game-changer when it was first introduced in 2016, the U.S. Small Business Administration’s All Small Mentor-Protege Program isn’t new anymore. Known now as simply the SBA Mentor-Protege Program, it is still extremely useful for large and small contractors alike.

Government contracts attorney Gregory Weber and Annie Birney of Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC will explain the ins and outs of the SBA Mentor-Protege Program, covering the program’s eligibility requirements, its potential benefits (including the ability to form special mentor-protege joint ventures), the application process, and common misconceptions and pitfalls. Additionally, Gregory and Annie will provide an introduction to the even older DoD Mentor-Protege Program, which set the stage for the SBA’s program, and compare the two programs. Register here.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: November 11-15, 2024

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Happy Friday! We hope you had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend. We have had some beautiful Fall weather here in the Midwest and finally received some much needed rain. It’s hard to believe the holidays are right around the corner!

Please visit SmallGovCon often for updates on the latest information in federal government contracting matters. We truly appreciate our readers and always strive to provide helpful content. Have a great weekend!

This week in federal government contracting news included updates on what the new administration could mean for federal contracting and some great strides for small businesses such as how SBA helps all types of small businesses.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: November 4-8, 2024

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Hello, blog readers! We want to extend a special thank you to all the veterans and active-duty military as we approach Veterans Day. Thank you for your service. Enjoy the weekend.

It’s Friday and it’s time for another week in review. With the recent election behind us, the focus shifts to addressing major issues facing the new Congress. Also this week, SBA announced a record number of certifications for diverse-owned small businesses in FY24. SBA unveiled plans for a streamlined certification process in FY25, aimed at reducing bureaucratic barriers for small firms. SBA also issued a proposed rule to expand the small business rule of two.

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Webinar Event: Legal Updates 2024 hosted by the Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship, November 20, 2024

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The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship is hosting this helpful, virtual workshop on Legal Updates 2024. In this webinar, government contracting attorneys, John Holtz and Gregory Weber will discuss the most important legal developments for federal contractors in 2024. Specifically, we will discuss important new small business rules, updates to the 8(a) rules and application procedures, joint venture changes, updated SDVOSB certification requirements, key provisions of the recent National Defense Authorization Act, recent cases pertinent to federal contractors, and more. Hope you can join us! Register here.

SBA OHA: Operating Agreements Must Clearly Demonstrate Control

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A recent appeal before the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) upheld SBA’s denial of an application for a veteran-owned small business because its operating agreement gave too much control to a non-veteran owner and failed to identify a veteran as the highest officer. The decision in Facekay LLC demonstrates the importance of strict adherence to the control requirements laid out by the various SBA programs.

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