Lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) source selection has been on the decline lately. A recent final rule from the FAR Council, effective February 16, 2021, continues this trend. In the rule, the FAR Council implemented additional restrictions on the use of LPTA for non-DoD contracts.
Continue reading…Coming Next Week: Koprince Law LLC’s New 8(a) Program GovCon Handbook!
The 8(a) Program is tremendously powerful and can be a springboard to massive success in the government contracts marketplace. But the many (many!) rules surrounding the 8(a) Program are complex, and even savvy 8(a) contractors–not to mention first-time applicants–easily can become confused.
I am pleased to announce that next week, Koprince Law LLC will publish a Second Edition of our popular GovCon Handbook on the 8(a) Program. In this revised, updated and expanded Handbook, my colleague Nicole Pottroff and I will cover the 8(a) Program’s rules in detail, including:
Continue reading…SmallGovCon Week in Review: Feb. 15 – Feb. 19, 2021
It looks like the cold snap over most of the country has finally thawed and spring is right around the corner. Hope everyone is recovering from the effects of the cold. The recent Mars rover landing reminded me of the important and exciting work that the government and contractors are doing for the country.
This week saw important updates about CMMC integration by GSA, a reminder that the feds are still looking into procurement fraud, and threats to GSA cyber security.
Continue reading…Reminder: If Pricing is Too High, VA Rule of Two Might Not Apply
The VA Rule of Two, while a powerful motivator for setting procurements aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, does have its limits.
One of those exceptions was discussed in a recent ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The court confirmed that the VA may convert a service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside solicitation to a small business set-aside if the SDVOSB bids it receives are too high in price.
Continue reading…No Protests of SBA Mentor-Protégé Agreements, Says OHA
The SBA’s mentor-protégé program offers powerful benefits. To help ensure that only legitimate small businesses take advantage of the program, the SBA asks applicants a series of questions about potential affiliation between the prospective mentor and protégé.
But once the SBA signs off on a mentor-protégé agreement, that’s that. As the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals recently confirmed, competitors cannot use the size protest process to challenge whether an SBA mentor-protégé agreement should have been approved in the first place.
Continue reading…SmallGovCon Week in Review: Feb. 8 – Feb. 12, 2021
Hello SmallGovCon readers. Here at HQ, we’ve been hit with both a Super Bowl loss from the Chiefs, as well as temperatures topping out in the single digits this week. We’re really looking forward to spring! But in the meantime, enjoy some of these hot federal contracting updates to warm you up.
This week saw stories including myths about CMMC, increase in federal AI spending, and bias affecting growth in the 8(a) program.
Continue reading…Buy American Act Domestic Component Threshold Gets A Raise
A new FAR final rule recently went into effect that has increased the percentage for the domestic component requirement under the Buy American Act, a percentage that had been in place for nearly 70 years before this recent change.
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