Event: Steven Koprince on The Govcast with Jack Siney

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Steven Koprince

Sure, you could spend the day before Thanksgiving feverishly researching how to deep fry a turkey without burning down the neighborhood, but if you’re a government contracting wonk like me, I bet what you’re really hungering for is some good, fun talk about federal procurement.

Well, you’re in luck! On Wednesday, November 25, join me at 12:00 Eastern on The Govcast with host Jack Siney. Jack and I will discuss the latest and greatest in government contracting, so bring your questions (but leave the deep fryer unplugged). I hope to see you then!

Including Dollar Amount in Claim “Sum Certain”-ly Serious Business

Posted on November 23, 2020 by SmallGovConContributor

In a recent case, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, dismissed a claim for lack of jurisdiction because it did not include a “sum certain.”

The case is a good reminder of the importance of demanding a specific sum of money for most claims.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: Nov. 16 – Nov. 20, 2020

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Shane McCall

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving this year, even if won’t look the same as it may have in past years. It’s still a time to be thankful, enjoy the (possibly virtual) company of family and friends, and eat some great food–with my personal favorite being stuffing!

As you finalize your Thanksgiving menu, read up on these federal contracting stories, including a number of fraud-related enforcement actions, increased use of OTA, and how the pandemic has changed the way federal agencies work.

Mentor-Protégé Consolidation Goes Live: What Does this Mean for You?

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Shane McCall

The 8(a) Business Development Mentor-Protégé Program has officially been consolidated into the All-Small Mentor-Protégé Program. The goal: to eliminate duplications in regulations and to alleviate confusion between the two programs.

This change has been years in the making. Since the All-Small Mentor-Protégé Program was introduced in 2016, confusion between the two programs has persisted. SBA began looking at how to streamline the programs. We first wrote about the proposed rule changes back in November 2019.

SBA has now implemented its overhaul and consolidation through a final rule; follow along as we take you through what you need to know about the new rules.

SBA Cuts 8(a) Reapplication Period to 90 Days

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Steven Koprince

The SBA has cut the waiting period for reapplying to the 8(a) Program from 12 months to only 90 days.

In a final rule effective November 16, the SBA explains that the shorter period should reduce the need for sometimes-costly appeals of denied 8(a) Program applications.

GAO Clarifies Increase-the-Scope Exception For Task Order Jurisdiction

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Nicole Pottroff

GAO may only consider protests to civilian agency task or delivery orders under $10,000,000 if the protests allege that the order increases the scope, period, or maximum value of the underlying contract. GAO recently dismissed a case for lack of jurisdiction where the protester relied on the underlying contract’s ordering clause to argue that the agency’s amendment to the evaluation scheme was “out of scope.” Let’s take a look.

SBA Proposes Increasing Size Standards in Professional, Management, and Administrative Industries

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Shane McCall

SBA’s recent proposed rule will increase size standards for a number of industries. The rule also said that SBA was thinking about lowering size standards. While most often, size standards increase over time, SBA can also lower them. However, SBA decided against lowering them. Read on for what standards will change.