GAO: Key Employee’s Resignation Justified Exclusion From Award

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It’s the day after you submitted an offer for a big government contract, when one of your key personnel walks into your office. “Thanks for everything you’ve done for me,” she says, “but I’ve decided to take an opportunity elsewhere.”

Employee turnover is a part of doing business. But for prospective government contractors, it can be a nightmare. As highlighted in a recent GAO bid protest, a offeror was excluded from the award simply because one of its proposed key personnel resigned after the proposal was submitted.

It’s a harsh result, but it highlights that contractors must not only attract key personnel—they must also retain them.

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SBA Small Business Mentor-Protege Program: Live Training August 11, 2016

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The recently-finalized SBA small business mentor-protege program will change the landscape of set-aside contracting–for large businesses and small contractors alike.

I am excited to announce that Koprince Law LLC has partnered with GOVOLOGY to offer a live electronic training on this important new program.  Please join us on August 11, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Central for this 90 minute training.  The training is open to the public, so please follow this link to register.  If you’re a Koprince Law LLC client or SmallGovCon newsletter subscriber, check your email for a special discount code.

See you online on August 11!

SDVOSB Updates: Free Webinar August 4, 2016

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It’s been a year of big changes in the government’s SDVOSB programs.  First came the Kingdomware Supreme Court decision, which was soon followed by the SBA’s final rule adopting a new “universal” mentor-protege program–and imposing many new requirements on SDVOSB joint ventures.

On Thursday, August 4, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. Central, I will host a free webinar to discuss these important changes.  To register, just follow this link and complete the brief electronic form, or call Jen Catloth of Koprince Law LLC at (785) 200-8919.

See you online on Thursday!

8(a) Program: SBA Final Rule Makes Important Changes

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The 8(a) Program regulations will undergo some significant changes as part of the major final rule recently released by the SBA, and effective August 24, 2016.

Here at SmallGovCon, we’ve already covered big changes to the SDVOSB Program and HUBZone Program brought about by the new SBA rule.  But the 8(a) program is affected by the new rule too, and important changes involving eligibility, the application process, sole source awards, NHOs, and more will kick in later this month.

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Agency Spam Filter Excludes Proposal; Offeror Loses Protest

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An agency’s spam filter prevented an offeror’s proposal from reaching the Contracting Officer in time to be considered for award–and the GAO denied the offeror’s protest of its exclusion.

A recent GAO bid protest decision demonstrates the importance of confirming that a procuring agency has received an electronically submitted proposal because even if the proposal is blocked by the agency’s own spam filter, the agency might not be required to consider it.

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SmallGovCon Week In Review: July 25-29, 2016

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It’s been a very busy week in government contracting with the SBA issuing its final rule on the small business mentor-protege program. It has given us here at Koprince Law a lot to read over and blog about so that SmallGovCon readers can stay abreast of all of the changes packed inside this lengthy document.

But as important as the mentor-protege rule is for small and large contractors alike, it’s not the only government contracts news making headlines this week.  In this week’s SmallGovCon Week in Review, you’ll find articles on proposed new whistleblower protections, opportunities for small businesses at the close of the fiscal year, significant pricing discrepancies under GSA Schedule contracts, and much more.

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