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.

SBA Dials Back on 8(a) Program “Immediate Family” Restrictions

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Steven Koprince

If you’ve been interested in applying to the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program, but have a close family member who has already participated in the 8(a) Program, SBA’s message–until now–has been, for the most part, “thanks, but no thanks.”

But in a new rule taking effect on November 16, 2020, SBA has dialed back on the restrictions applicable to people who want to participate in the 8(a) Program, but who have immediate family members who have previously received 8(a) benefits.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: Nov. 9 – Nov. 13, 2020

Posted on November 13, 2020 by Shane McCall

We sure are enjoying the change to fall weather here in Lawrence, Kansas, home of the SmallGovCon blog! The leaves are beautiful–until you have to start raking them. Hope you are enjoying the weather in your parts, too.

This week saw some important updates in the government contracting world. These included lessons from public and private sector organizations on cybersecurity, a new Army museum, and what a new administration could mean for contractors.