I never give much thought to what I’ll do if the unexpected happens. I assume most people don’t. They expect things to go according to plan. As Meridian Engineering Company found out at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims recently, sorting it out when things don’t go to plan can be a long and arduous process.
Continue reading…5 (More) Things You Should Know: Bid Protests
It’s early October, which means that the federal government’s end-of-fiscal-year contracting binge has drawn to an end. With the spate of contract awards, this time of year typically sees an increase in the number of bid protests being filed, or at least contemplated.
If you’re considering filing a bid protest, here are five (more) things to keep in mind:
Continue reading…GAO Report Considers Options to Increase “Mid-Sized” Business Opportunities
Earlier this month, GAO produced an over 50-page report, presenting a discussion on options for increasing business opportunities for “mid-sized” businesses. It can be tough to go from being a small business to competing with all large businesses, so GAO took a look at these small-ish large businesses.
We know SmallGovCon readers are busy, so we’ll provide the CliffNotes version.
Continue reading…GSA Demystifies DUNS Replacement ID
“Change can be confusing. Change can be frustrating.” No, this is not from the cover of a self-help book. This is GSA’s acknowledgment that, often, we fear change.
To combat fears about changes to the DUNS number, GSA recently released a Q&A providing some answers on the new Unique Entity ID (UEI) Standard, which is set to replace the current DUNS system in December 2020. The Q&A followed GSA’s online meeting on the topic in July, which hosted over 700 attendees. GSA answered general questions about the transition, the UEI that will be used, and how to obtain a new identifier. Let’s take a look.
Continue reading…SmallGovCon Week In Review: September 23 – September 27, 2019
Happy Fall Ya’ll! We’ve finally been getting a welcome taste of fall weather, after what seemed like a very long summer season. Hope you are enjoying the season change as much as we are.
But for now, it’s time for another dose of government contracting news. This week, stories about increased use of AI in government contracting, the role of small business in the next moon mission, and a guilty plea for rigging bids at government auctions.
Continue reading…DoD Finalizes Restrictions on Use of LPTA Source Selection Process
Effective October 1, DoD has issued a final rule restricting the use of LPTA solicitations in certain circumstances. This rule implements statutory changes from the 2017 and 2018 NDAA that will greatly impact the use of LPTA procurements by DoD contracting officers.
Continue reading…Contractors Must Prove Increased Costs Caused by a New Wage Determination
Under some federal government contracts, the contractor is required to pay its workers a wage dictated by a wage determination issued by DOL. But what if, during contract performance, DOL raises the applicable wages? Under the FAR, contractors can recover their increased costs.
Naturally, however, contractors have to prove them.
Continue reading…