Being familiar with the structure of a solicitation is imperative if you hope to be a successful federal government contractor. However, the solicitations that accompany competitive procurements, in the form of a “request for quote,” “invitation for bid,” or “request for proposal,” are often lengthy, making it easy for contractors that are new to federal government contracting to get lost in the legalese, and unable to pinpoint the vital information. Does that mean that parts of the solicitation are not important? Not at all. Contractors should be familiar with all parts of the solicitation. But knowing what to expect, and how to quickly find information that may make or break your decision to submit an offer will increase your efficiency and effectiveness when drafting proposals, saving you precious time for other important things.
Continue reading…Govology Webinar Event: Communicating with Government Contracting Officials: What Can (and Should) Contractors Really Say and Do? October 20, 2022, 1:00pm EDT
When it comes to effective communication, the government and industry often get it wrong. Misconceptions and misunderstandings abound and can prove very costly for contractors.
In this webinar, Nicole Pottroff and I will debunk some of the most common myths and misunderstandings held by contractors, including when and how you can communicate one-on-one with a contracting officer, who has authority to modify your contract, what to do when an unauthorized official gives you instructions, how the government gratuities rules differ from standard commercial practice, and much more. I hope you will join us! Registration link is here.
Who You Gonna Call? Your Contracting Officer (Part 2)
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 communications with your contracting officer during the proposal submission process. This article is the second 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. This article will focus on proposal submission communications. And the third will focus on contract performance communications.
Continue reading…SmallGovCon Week in Review: October 10-14, 2022
Happy Friday, Readers. I don’t know about you, but it feels like fall brings with it a flurry of activity! There are so many community events going on this weekend, it’s hard to decide what to attend. We’re certainly very fortunate to have so many options. I hope you can get out and enjoy the fall activities in your neck of the woods and get in a bit of relaxation, as well. Here are some articles that we found particularly informative concerning federal government contracting this week, including GSA schedule pricing, CIO-SP4, and Polaris updates. Enjoy your weekend!
Continue reading…Pay it Forward, or Pay the Price, Says SBA in Proposed Rules for 8(a) Tribal Entities
In a recent notice for Tribal consultation and request for comments, as well as a published proposed rule, the SBA seems to be signaling an increase in oversight of Native or Tribally-owned entities who are 8(a) Participants. SBA has an apparent goal of enforcing more stringent repercussions for not fully adhering to some stipulations that exclusively pertain to Native or Tribally-Owned participants in the 8(a) Business Development Program. While not final yet, the SBA has placed these potential consequences, the reasoning behind them, and the proposed rule out in the public for discussion. As these actions may present some rather drastic changes for some 8(a) Participants, I have done a quick breakdown of them here.
Continue reading…Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC Names John Holtz New Senior Associate Attorney!
Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC, a boutique federal government contracts firm in Lawrence, Kansas, is pleased to announce that John Holtz has been promoted to the role of Senior Associate Attorney.
Since his time with the firm began, John has excelled at providing the highest quality service and counsel as a federal government contracting attorney. “I am both deeply appreciative and excited to work with this firm in an elevated capacity. I look forward to this new role and providing even greater services for our clients,” John says.
John has been practicing since 2016, and his previous experience lent itself well to working in federal contracting legal matters. With Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC, John has been part of numerous successful bid protests, size appeals, and government contract disputes. He is passionate about getting clients the best results and always goes above and beyond for each one–be it for a minor drafting question or a Court of Federal Claims case. John has also been a regular contributor to the firm’s well-known blog, SmallGovCon.com, and has participated in numerous webinars and presentations sharing his knowledge and passion with others. Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC is excited to announce this news and to see all that the future holds for John in his new role.
John Holtz can be reached at: jholtz@koprince.com
U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs Webinar Event: Tuesday, October 25 1:00pm EDT
Please join Jackie Lopez, President of Premier Enterprise Solutions, LLC, and me as we discuss both the operational and legal perspective of teaming strategies, the importance of teaming, limitations of subcontracting, why you should use a teaming agreement and much more in part 1 of this 2 part webinar series. We’re pleased to offer both
Event information and registration can be found at this link. I hope you will join us!