Category Archives: Statutes and Regulations

Limitations on Subcontracting: Step-by-Step, Plain English Guides

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In my legal career representing hundreds of small businesses in government contracting, few topics have caused as much confusion as the limitations on how much work can be subcontracted on small business set-aside contracts and sole source contracts (like 8(a) Program direct awards).

Earlier, working with my friends at Govology, I put together step-by-step compliance guides for service contractors, construction contractors, manufacturers, and nonmanufacturers. Each guide is written in plain English and includes examples to help demonstrate how the SBA’s limitations on subcontracting rule (13 C.F.R. 125.6) works in practice.

Here’s where to find my limitations on subcontracting guides:

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SBA Clarifies that SBIR and STTR Programs Will Allow Successor-In-Interest Transfers of Awards

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SBA recently issued a technical amendment to its SBIR and STTR Programs Policy Directive to clarify that successor-in-interest entities are, in fact, eligible to receive phase III awards. The amendment will take effect on October 1 of this year.

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Beta.SAM.gov: Check Early & Check Often!

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If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: when it comes to submitting your GAO protest, meeting GAO’s strict timeliness requirements is a must. So is watching out for notices on contract awards posted online. In Prudential Protective Services, LLC, B-418869 (Aug. 13, 2020), the protest was dismissed as untimely because it was filed more than 10 days after notice of the award was posted to beta.SAM.gov.

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FAR Council Implements Interim FAR Rule Prohibiting Contractor Use of Chinese Telecom Products

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The FAR Council recently moved forward with implementing provisions of Section 889(a)(1)(B) of the 2019 NDAA through an interim rule. This rule, effective August 13, 2020, furthers the work begun previously of separating the federal government and its contractors from certain Chinese telecom and video surveillance companies.

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YouTube Tuesday: Procedures & Pitfalls of Size Protests & Appeals Handbook Now Available

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I’m proud to announce that the new GovCon Handbook, Procedures & Pitfalls of Size Protests & Appeals, is now available! This video highlights some of the main topics from the book.

You can order the book here. I’m also conducting a webinar on August 5 to explore some of the key insights. Be sure to check out the webinar or contact me if you have questions.

FAR Final Rule: Increased Micro-Purchase and Simplified Acquisition Thresholds

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The Federal Acquisition Regulation has officially been updated to increase the micro-purchase threshold and the simplified acquisition threshold, effective August 31, 2020. Various federal agencies had already increased the thresholds through deviations, but this rule makes it official across the board. A few additional thresholds will increase due to inflation.

Read on for the details on how this could impact federal procurement.

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Room for Improvement: GAO Reviews Agency Oversight of Small Business Subcontracting Plans

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Recently, GAO published a report on small business subcontracting plan compliance, concluding that agency oversight of these plans need improvement.

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