Thank You, Veterans!

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Steven Koprince

I am back in Lawrence after a great trip to Minneapolis last week for the 2016 National Veterans Small Business Engagement. At the NVSBE, I presented four Learning Sessions: one on the nomanufacturer rule, the second on SDVOSB joint ventures, the third on best (and worst) practices in prime/subcontractor teaming agreements, and the fourth on common myths in the SBA’s size and socioeconomic set-aside programs (no, a contractor is not required to list a solicitation’s specific NAICS code in the contractor’s SAM profile).

It was great to see so many familiar faces and make so many new acquaintances. A big thank you to the organizers for putting on this fantastic event and inviting me to speak. Thank you, also, to all of the contractors, acquisition personnel and others who attended my Learning Sessions, asked insightful questions, and stuck around to chat afterwards. Another “thank you” who those who stopped by the Koprince Law LLC booth on the trade show floor to talk about government contracts law and collect a spiffy Koprince Law pen. And finally, thank you to all of the veterans who attended the NVSBE–and those who didn’t–for your service to our country.

SBA Proposed Rule Will Allow SBA OHA Size Standard Appeals

Posted on November 7, 2016 by SmallGov Contributor

The SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals will have authority to hear petitions for reconsideration of SBA size standards under a proposed rule recently issued by the SBA.

Once the proposal becomes a final rule, anyone “adversely affected” by a new, revised or modified size standard would have 30 days to ask OHA to review the SBA’s size standard determination.

SmallGovCon Week In Review: October 31-November 4, 2016

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Steven Koprince

Wow! After 108 years, my Chicago Cubs are the World Series champions! I was in Minneapolis for this year’s National Veterans Small Business Engagement (which was an amazing event), and split my Game 7 viewing between the hotel bar and my room. I wish I could have been at Wrigley Field, and I wish that my grandfather (who really started the family on the whole Cubs thing) could have been alive to see it. But I am sure somewhere he is smiling along with all the other Cubs fans who couldn’t see this moment.

While my week consisted mostly of convention halls and Cubs, there was no shortage of news in the world of government contracting. In this week’s SmallGovCon Week In Review, a company was able to continue contracting with the VA even after it was indicted and convicted of fraud, a new report indicates that WOSBs are still being shut out of opportunities to earn major government contracts, a look ahead to the election and what changes may lie for federal contractors, a contractor gave a high-ranking government official free living space–and didn’t violate the ethics rules–and much more.

GAO: Lower-Paid Incumbents An “Obvious” Price Realism Concern

Posted on November 3, 2016 by SmallGovCon Contributor

An offeror’s proposal to hire incumbent personnel–but pay those personnel less than they are earning under the incumbent contract–presents an “obvious” price realism concern that an agency must address when price realism is a component of the evaluation.

In a bid protest decision, the GAO held that an agency’s price realism evaluation was inadequate where the agency failed to address the awardee’s proposal to hire incumbent personnel at discounted rates.

GAO: No “Public Posting” Of Solicitation In Closed Government Office

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Steven Koprince

An agency failed to meet its obligations to properly publicize a simplified acquisition valued between $15,000 and $25,000 where the agency placed the solicitation in a three-ring binder at the reception desk in a government office–and that office was closed during most of the relevant time.

In a recent decision, the GAO affirmed that principle that even when the dollar value of a simplified acquisition doesn’t meet the requirement for electronic posting on FedBizOpps, the agency still must take reasonable steps to maximize competition.

SmallGovCon Week In Review: October 24-28, 2016

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Steven Koprince

The curse is broken! For the first time in 71 years, my Chicago Cubs will play a World Series game in Wrigley Field tonight. While I wish I could be in Wrigley to cheer them on, the ticket prices are being called “record breaking,” and not in a good way. So I’ll be watching with my family from the comfort of my couch right here in Kansas–which, if nothing else, will offer the advantage of a better dinner than the ballpark (I’ll take chicken smoked on the Big Green Egg over a ballpark hot dog any day).

But before I head home to watch the first pitch, it’s time for our weekly dose of government contracting news and notes. In this week’s SmallGovCon Week In Review, a judge has blocked implementation of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Rule, Guy Timberlake sounds the alarm about proposed changes to small business goaling, a group of contract employees have gone on strike in protest of alleged legal violations, and much more.

SDVOSBs & VOSBs: I’ll See You In Minneapolis For NVSBE 2016

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Steven Koprince

If you are a service-disabled veteran owned small business or veteran-owned small business, there’s no bigger event than the annual National Veterans Small Business Engagement.

This year’s NVSBE will be in Minneapolis, and is less than a week away. I am excited to announce that I’ll be presenting four Learning Sessions at the 2016 NVSBE on a variety of legal topics important to SDVOSBs and VOSBs.