SmallGovCon Week in Review: August 9-13

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday the 13th, Readers! In doing research on the origins of why Friday the 13th became an ominous day on the calendar, I found a lot of theories. Dr. Simon Bronner, a professor of American studies and folklore at Pennsylvania State University says that Friday the 13th is just a convenient milestone for people who are looking to trace bad luck to a certain cause—but there’s nothing special about the date itself. Apparently, the number 13 is considered lucky in some countries, like Italy, he adds. I’m one who prefers to look at things optimistically so I’m gong to side with the Italians on this one. I hope your Friday the 13th is the best day ever.

Here are some articles covering the happenings in federal government contracting this week. Enjoy, and have a wonderful Friday the 13th and weekend. Wishing you all “buona fortuna” (good luck in Italian).

Does the SBA’s Rosy Spin on Goaling Achievement Hurt Small Businesses?

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Steven Koprince

“Overpopulation crisis solved!” That’s the sort of headline I expect the SBA’s press team would write the day after a global thermonuclear war.

Obviously, I’m exaggerating a wee bit to make my point, but the SBA’s press release on FY 2020 small business goaling achievement follows a pattern I’ve seen across several Presidential administrations and SBA Administrators: when it comes to reporting on the small business goals, the SBA fervently emphasizes the good news while almost entirely ignoring the bad.

If you look past the headlines and examine the raw data, there is plenty of bad news to be found in the FY 2020 goaling report. So is the SBA doing a disservice to small businesses by pretending this bad news doesn’t exist?

GAO: Non-Procurement Regulations No Grounds for Protest

Posted on August 11, 2021 by John Holtz

The grounds for GAO protests are numerous, ranging from vague terms in a solicitation to showing that an awardee’s proposal lacked needed information. However, they are not unlimited. One protester argued that the terms of a solicitation were inconsistent with regulations concerning mortgage insurance. Unfortunately for them, that isn’t something GAO will consider.

GAO’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Conference – Too Little, Too Late

Posted on August 9, 2021 by SmallGovCon Contributor

The costs of filing a bid protest can dissuade some protesters from submitting bid protests. One silver lining for protesters is a recommendation for reimbursement of costs upon a sustained decision. However, even when GAO says a protest is “clearly meritorious”, the protest may still be dismissed prior to GAO issuing a decision.

What happens when an agency takes corrective action in the face of a likely sustained GAO decision? One protester recently found out.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: August 2-6

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday, All. We hope you had a productive week (or if you were on vacation, hope you were able to just tune out). Here are some highlights in federal government contracting including news on the contracting dollars in the 2020 fiscal year , a bill aimed at enhancing small business participation in the federal marketplace passing in the Senate, and an announcement to nominate former HUD appointee to lead federal procurement. Enjoy your weekend!

SBA Issues 2020 Small Business Scorecard, Small Business Contracting Over $145 Billion!

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Shane McCall

The SBA released its annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard for fiscal year 2020 of how federal agencies are doing in meeting their small business goals. The SBA, in announcing the Scorecard, highlighted that small businesses received $145.7 billion in federal contracts , a $13 billion increase from the previous fiscal year. But looking beyond the headlines, not all of the trends are positive for small businesses. Let’s take a look at the numbers.

Koprince Law is Now Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC!

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Shane McCall

It is with great pleasure that we announce that the firm you have known as Koprince Law LLC has a new name:

Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC

The firm, a boutique federal government contracts firm in Lawrence, KS, will continue to focus on providing services to federal contractors throughout the United States and beyond, with a special focus on those issues unique to small business federal contractors.