SmallGovCon Week in Review: Oct. 5 – Oct. 9, 2020

Posted on October 9, 2020 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday blog readers! Hope you are having a nice week. Kick back and relax with the latest federal contracting updates.

This week saw some important federal contracting updates. SBA has proposed increasing its size standards for certain industries, among them agriculture, mining, some construction industries, as well as transportation and finance and insurance. Additional stories include a contracting officer sentenced for accepting bribes and GSA working on a new small business IT contract. Read on for the details.

DoD CMMC Requirements Begin Rollout November 30

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Shane McCall

February of 2020 seems like a long time ago, for many reasons. But that was when the official version of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) standards were released. Recently, the DoD issued an interim rule that will update the DFARS to implement the assessment methodology and CMMC framework for DoD procurements as well as add a new requirement for cybersecurity assessment under the NIST SP 800-171 framework. Here are some of the key points.

Playing Games? GAO Requires NASA to Scratch $650 Million Contract Due to Foosball Snafu

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Nicole Pottroff

While most of our get-togethers these days involve mask wearing, social distancing, and even virtual happy hours, spending time with friends is a great way to keep spirits light. Unfortunately for one group of friends, their weekly hangouts led GAO to conclude in its recent decision, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., B-418835 (Sept. 25, 2020), that NASA had to cancel a more than $650 million deal and start the procurement process all over.

House-Passed 2021 NDAA Creates Government-Wide SDVOSB Certification Requirement

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Steven Koprince

Ever since the VA set up its SDVOSB verification program, critics of SDVOSB self-certification have been pushing for the government to expand SDVOSB verification government-wide. Now, it might finally happen.

Section 831 of the House of Representatives’ version of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act would expand SDVOSB verification government-wide, formally rename it “certification,” and transfer certification authority from the VA to the SBA.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: Sept. 28 – Oct. 2, 2020

Posted on October 2, 2020 by Shane McCall

We’ve been having some great fall weather here in Kansas this week. From what I’ve heard from others around the country (other than the west coast), the cooler weather has definitely arrived. As you break out your sweaters and pumpkin spice . . . everything, check out the latest government contracting updates.

This week’s news included record spending at the end of the fiscal year, a report on the VA’s Medical-Surgical Prime Vendor Program, and updates on the Chinese telecom ban.

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

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Steven Koprince

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:

University of Texas San Antonio PTAC Legal Update

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Shane McCall

I’m pleased to announce a new learning opportunity from me and my colleague Steven Koprince! There’s been some big changes for government contractors over the last year, so it’s important to sort through them all.

To aid that process, we will be presenting “Government Contracts Legal Update 2020,” a virtual event hosted by the University of Texas San Antonio PTAC. The event will take place on October 22 from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM (CDT). More information can be found here.

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