SmallGovCon Week in Review: September 1-5, 2025

Happy Friday and happy September! We hope you had a great Labor Day weekend. It’s that time of year when everything starts to shift. The chill in the air and the marketing of pumpkin spice fills your social media feeds. My kids are back in school and football is back in session as well. Hope you had a great first week of September.

Speaking of shifting, federal government contracting news included a fall target for FAR updates, potential changes to SBIR rules, as well as the unwanted specter of a government shutdown.

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Why File: An Appeal of SBA’s 8(a) Program Denial

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) Business Development Program (the 8(a) Program) is a popular set-aside program that provides a lot of opportunities for small businesses. In hopes of becoming one of those successful businesses, it is common for a company to invest a lot of time, money, and resources into their 8(a) Program application. When SBA denies their 8(a) application, a company may feel like it was all a waste and accept the loss. Focusing only on the denial alone, the company fails to review SBA’s reason for denial. And what if SBA’s reason was wrong? Well, this post explores the option to challenge a denial of an 8(a) application.

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SmallGovCon Attorney-Author Stephanie Ellis Discusses Small Business Contracting goals on “The Federal Drive”

I recently had the opportunity to discuss small business contracting goals with Terry Gerton, host of “The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton.” This was a follow-up to a post I wrote in July regarding the changing landscape of federal small business government contracting requirements. That post, published earlier in 2025, focused on the changes to small business federal government contracting goals that had been affected by EO 14151.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: August 25-29, 2025

Happy Friday and happy Labor Day weekend! Labor Day was established to honor the hard work and achievements of American workers. It originated in the late 19th century during a time of growing labor movements advocating for fair wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable hours. Today, it not only pays tribute to those efforts but also marks the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of the fall season. We hope you enjoy a day of rest, barbecues, and time with family!

This week in federal government contracting, take a look at stories highlighting the FAR overhaul, reduced peer review for Army procurements, and increasing use of AI.

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Check out SmallGovCon’s own Nicole Pottroff on the T.W.I.G. Podcast Discussing 8(a) Program Updates

Partner Nicole Pottroff recently appeared on the GovGenie This Week in Government Contracting (T.W.I.G.) Podcast. The topic was Navigating New SBA 8(a) Rules: What You Need to Know. It was a great time speaking with the hosts of that podcast, including Abraham Xiong. Check out this important information for those who are interested or currently in the SBA’s 8(a) Program, including a rundown of recent changes to the 8(a) Program.

Here is the link so you can check out the full recording.

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Govology Webinar: Avoiding Common Bid Protest Mistakes, September 11, 2025

Bid protests are an unavoidable part of federal contracting—and they seem to be happening more often as competition grows. What many contractors don’t realize is that the outcome of a protest is often determined before it’s even filed. Understanding the rules, timelines, and procedures is critical to protecting your company’s chances.

In this focused course, federal government contracting attorneys John Holtz and Gregory Weber will break down the most common mistakes contractors make during the protest process—and how to avoid them.

Key topics include:

  • The difference between bid protests and size/status protests
  • What pre-bid protests are and why they matter
  • Critical deadlines and how debriefs affect them
  • How to get the most from a debrief
  • Frequent pitfalls that can hurt the protest success

Please join us for this informative Govology webinar by registering here.