OHA: Broken Hyperlink Doesn’t Excuse Not Responding to CVE

Posted on July 8, 2021 by SmallGovCon Contributor

In my last blog post I wrote about a contractor’s unsuccessful attempt to convince the GAO that its solicitation was improperly dismissed as being untimely because the State Department didn’t recognize its automatic “out of office” email reply response. It appears that federal agencies in general are unforgiving when it comes to a contractor’s reliance on electronic communications without follow-up.

In a recent case, the SBA Office of Hearing Appeals (OHA) rejected a contractor’s petition for reconsideration upholding the OHA’s appeal of a cancellation of the contractor’s verified status as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses because it could not access a cancelation letter through a link provided by the VA.

Introducing Our GovCon Teaming Resource Guides!

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Steven Koprince

When it comes to federal contracting, teaming is an invaluable strategy for many businesses–large and small alike. But the rules and processes surrounding teaming can be complex and confusing, even for experienced contractors.

That’s why Koprince Law has teamed up ourselves–with the government contracts experts at The Pulse of Government Contracting to create special, in-depth Teaming Resource Guides for federal contractors and subcontractors. After an introduction to the basics of teaming, Part I of our series focuses on joint venturing, while Part 2 is a deep dive into prime/subcontracting teaming.

You can check out our Teaming Resource Guides by clicking here. And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out the other services our friends at Pulse offer to federal contractors!

Event: Responsibility in Government Contracting, Hosted by Govology

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Steven Koprince

To be awarded a government contract, a company must do more than submit the winning proposal — it must be “responsible.” The concept of responsibility in government contracting is far-reaching and can include such things as having adequate financial resources, a satisfactory ethical record, acceptable past performance, and even required security clearances.

On July 15, please join me and Chris Coleman as we discuss this cornerstone of government contracting in a session hosted by Govology. Chris and I will cover responsibility in-depth, including what is inclued in the FAR’s definition of responsibility, how the government evaluates responsibility, and how a small business can challenge a non-responsibility determination through the SBA’s Certificate of Competency process.

It’s easy to register: just click here. See you on July 15!

Certificates of Competency: A Little-Known Friend of the Small-Business Contractor

Posted on July 7, 2021 by John Holtz

You can’t believe it. You did everything right. The solicitation required that offerors have three distinct licenses. You have two, but one should cover for the license you don’t have. However, the agency says you have to have all three as distinct licenses, and denies your offer. Fortunately, you have a potential savior: The Certificate of Competency (“COC”)

Five Things You Should Know: Eligibility for Small Disadvantaged Business Self-Certification

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Steven Koprince

The Administration’s recent announcement that it plans to boost Small Disadvantaged Business contracting by 50% means that we may see increased interest by government agencies and large prime contractors alike in doing business with self-certified SDBs.

But my guess is that the Administration’s push will come with additional oversight, too–after all, increasing the goal isn’t worth much if the government cannot be confident that the contracts it counts toward its SDB goals were awarded to eligible entities. In my experience, many contractors check the SDB box in SAM without fully understanding what it takes to be an eligible Small Disadvantaged Business under federal contracting laws.

So before you click that box (or re-click it on your next SAM update) here are five things you should know about eligibility for self-certified SDB status.

CIO-SP4: Is it Limiting Mentor Experience Too Much?

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Shane McCall

The CIO-SP4 is a big deal for many small and large federal contractors. And lately it’s been a bit of a moving target as to how NITAAC will evaluate the experience of companies working together in prime-sub, mentor-protégé, and joint-venture relationships. We wrote about some of the issues with past performance and other recent changes. One change that caught my eye puts a restriction on the number of experience examples a large business mentor can provide. But should it?

Event: 8(a) Program Conversation with Teresa Moon of Parabilis

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Steven Koprince

For disadvantaged small businesses, the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program can help level the playing field by providing powerful benefits, including access to sole source and set-aside contracts. And in the wake of the Administration’s announcement that it will attempt to boost SDB contracting by 50%, this could be the right time for many businesses to consider an 8(a) Program application.

On Wednesday, June 30 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern, please join me as I discuss the 8(a) Program with Teresa Moon of Parabilis. As a back-and-forth conversation (not a webinar), this promises to be an informative and fun event. Click here to sign up. See you on June 30!