Among its suggestions to streamline the acquisition process, the Section 809 Panel has proposed to eliminate the ability to file a protest at GAO and the Court of Federal Claims. Instead, the Panel would require protesters to choose between filing at GAO or the Court.
Let’s take a look.
Continue reading…Under the so-called “once 8(a), always 8(a)” rule set forth in the FAR and SBA regulations, when a procurement has been accepted by the SBA for inclusion in the 8(a) Program, any follow-on contract generally must remain in the 8(a) Program, unless the SBA agrees to release it for non-8(a) competition.
Now, the Section 809 Panel has proposed a modest, but potentially important change to the “once 8(a), always 8(a)” rule–a change that would allow for acquisitions to be removed from the 8(a) Program without the SBA’s explicit consent.
Continue reading…Amidst the news cycle focusing on the government shutdown, there is some other action in the House of Representatives that recently caught our eye.
The House recently passed a bill called the “Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses Act of 2019.” If the bill becomes law, we will see a dramatic expansion in the size of sole source contracts for SDVOSBs, WOSBs, and HUBZones.
Continue reading…Congress should require Government acquisition personnel to communicate with industry, according to the Section 809 acquisition reform panel.
In the third and final volume in its series on streamlining and improving DoD acquisition processes, the Section 809 Panel takes aim at Government reticence to communicate with industry, and says that merely permitting such communications doesn’t go far enough.
Continue reading…While most of the rules for SDVOSB eligibility now reside with the SBA, the VA is still responsible for verification of entities for inclusion into its database of verified SDVOSBs and VOSBs. A recent Court of Federal Claims case describes what sort of conduct might get a business removed from the VA’s database–even if that conduct doesn’t run afoul of the SBA’s SDVOSB rule.
While the conduct in this case is somewhat egregious, it is a good reminder that VA has the power to thoroughly investigate the eligibility of an SDVOSB and can revoke the verified status based on inaccurate statements in an application.
Continue reading…As the shutdown ticks into its 27th day, federal employees and contractors across the nation wait in limbo with no end in sight. Hopefully the pain ends soon, and everyone can get back to work.
Meanwhile, closer to home, folks are very excited about the AFC Championship this weekend. Hopefully our New England-area readers will excuse our overt partisanship towards the Chiefs.
Even with the shutdown, there have been some important developments in government contracting. This week, we’ll look at a new DOD rule about LPTA procedures, suggestions for the DOD’s CIO, and more.
Have a great weekend . . . and GO CHIEFS!
Continue reading…Counseling clients and prospective clients on a potential bid protest, we often ask: Why would you like to file this protest? Of course, the answer inevitably involves the discussion of a flaw (or several) in the evaluation process that, had they not been committed, would have resulted in a different award decision.
In its latest report, the Section 809 Panel offers another consideration: Will this protest ensure confidence in the acquisition system?
Continue reading…