SmallGovCon Week in Review: November 14-18, 2022

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday, Readers! We had our first snow this week which was a reminder that winter is blowing in. The birds are flocking to the bird feeders, the geese are flying overhead and there seems to be a red-tailed hawk on every farm fence hunting for food. I say it’s time to snuggle in where it’s warm and enjoy some sports on the television, this weekend.

There was a lot of activity in federal government contracting this week. Here are some articles that we think might be of interest. Enjoy the weekend!

Friendly Inflation: SBA Adjusts Size Standards, Economic Disadvantage Limits, and 8(a) Sole Source Dollar Limits for Inflation

Posted on November 17, 2022 by John Holtz

It probably doesn’t need to be said that all of us have been chafing under inflation lately, and federal contractors are certainly no exception. Rises in costs for goods and labor have exerted serious pressure on businesses and households worldwide. However, not all inflation is bad. SBA recently released a final rule taking into account the inflation of the past few years when it comes to the various receipts-based size-standards and economic disadvantage limits, as well as finally adjusting the 8(a) Business Development Program sole source limits. These changes are crucially important for those businesses that have just barely exceeded the applicable size standards, or that were getting close to the maximum. In this post, we’re going to explore this rule.

8(a) Program and EDWOSB: Are they Economically Disadvantaged Twins or Siblings?

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Stephanie Ellis

Two of the Small Business Administration’s programs require the applicant to demonstrate that they are economically disadvantaged: the 8(a) Business Development Program (8(a) Program) and the Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business Program (EDWOSB). The 8(a) Program requires applicants to be owned and controlled by both socially and economically disadvantaged individuals per 13 C.F.R. § 124.101. Applicants of the EDWOSB program must be owned and controlled by one or more economically disadvantaged women per 13 C.F.R. § 127.200(a)(2). But what exactly does it mean to be “economically disadvantaged,” and do both programs have the same requirements? Below I discuss the economically disadvantaged requirement contained in both programs. Read on to find out whether they are the same, and more.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: November 7-11, 2022

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Shane McCall

On this Veteran’s Day, our firm salutes veterans. Veterans are extraordinarily modest. They don’t ask for, or expect, a “thank you.” But that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve one. If you are a veteran, thank you very much for your service. If you are not a veteran, take a moment today to thank the veterans in your life. We appreciate you and we truly thank you for your service today and every day.

We’ve included some articles on federal government contracting that we found informative, this week. Enjoy the weekend and happy Veteran’s Day!

2022 Bid Protest Report, Success Rate Up, Total Protests Down

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Shane McCall

GAO’s annual bid protest report is a fall tradition for federal contracting attorneys. It’s perhaps not quite as tasty as stuffing in my book, but always interesting. In it, GAO summarizes its slate of bid protests for the previous fiscal year, and we can glean insights from how the protest numbers have changed from prior years.

Here are some key points from this year: (1) the key effectiveness metric, showing numbers of sustains and corrective actions at GAO, was up again to 51% for the 2022 fiscal year and (2) total bid protest numbers are down slightly, continuing a trend from the last few years.

Who You Gonna Call? Your Contracting Officer (Part 3)

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Nicole Pottroff

In our line of work, we regularly litigate protests, claims, appeals, etc., against the Government. But often, procuring and contracting issues can be resolved without the need for litigation–via a little-known method we like to call “talking things out with your CO.” There are also some important things to keep in mind regarding contract performance communications. This article is the last of three articles aimed at providing helpful tips for communicating with your contracting officer. Part 1, which focused on pre-solicitation and solicitation communications, can be found here. And Part 2, which focused on proposal submission communications, can be found here. This article will focus on contract performance communications.

Week in Review: Oct. 31-Nov 4, 2022

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday, Readers and Happy November! I’m excited to be attending the APTAC Conference in Washington DC next week. It should be a great week to chat with PTAC procurement specialists from around the country. If you are attending, please stop by our table and say hello.

We’ve included some articles below on the happenings in federal government contracting, this week, including updates on the GSA UEI delays and the CIO-SP4 procurement. Enjoy your weekend!