Last week, the SBA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a report, entitled “SBA’s Business Development Assistance to 8(a) Program Participants.” The report detailed the OIG’s recent audit of the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program to “determine to what extent SBA measures and monitors an 8(a) firm’s progress toward achieving individual business development goals” and “to ensure 8(a) firms receive the help needed to meet their goals and if the program adapted during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic.” Let’s take a closer look at the details and findings.
Continue reading…House Passes Senate Bill to Modernize Processes to Increase Small Business Participation in Federal Contracting
The House recently passed Senate Bill 583, titled the “Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions (PRICE) Act.” The Price Act would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report projects from its Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL) that have used innovative techniques to help modernize contracting procedures. The bill would also require the DHS to offer training to its personnel on how to use these techniques. In addition, the PRICE Act would require that these innovative best practices be made available to other federal agencies to improve procurement methods and training. The Price Act also supports the White House’s goals of providing new federal contracting opportunities to small disadvantaged businesses.
Continue reading…SmallGovCon Week in Review: February 14-18, 2022
Happy Friday, Readers! We hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day and a very productive week. Another winter storm blew in on Thursday and we received 7 inches of snow. But do you know what we say in Kansas? “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute. ” By Monday we will reach a temperature of almost 70 degrees! The weather in Kansas can change on a dime.
We put together some informative articles on federal government contracting news. Enjoy and stay warm or cool or anywhere in between in your part of the world. We’ll be doing the same here. I just wonder if I’ll need a heavy coat or a light jacket? Best to be prepared and keep both handy. Have a great weekend.
What’s on SBA’s Regulatory Plate for 2022? A Hint: Increased Size Standards
SBA publishes its semiannual Regulatory Agenda to provide an update on the various rules it has in the pipeline and an estimate for when they will be published or become final. While SBA doesn’t have to meet these timeframes, it’s always good to check in on what SBA has been working on when the final rules will come out. This agenda includes an update on increased size standards, along with some other important rules. Read on for the highlights and be sure to comment on any rules that you have an opinion on.
Continue reading…Event: Top 21 Legal Mistakes in Federal Government Contracting, Hosted by EPHCC
Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC presents a webinar hosted by EPHCC that covers important legal concepts in federal government contracting that are easy to get wrong.
Federal contracting rules and laws are complicated, and the rules aren’t always intuitive. Many contractors make legal mistakes routinely, involving everything from completing SAM profiles to calculating small business size to communicating with government contracting officers. The attorneys from Koprince McCall Pottroff will discuss the top 21 most common legal mistakes that contractors make time and time again. You will learn what these common mistakes are and how to not make the same mistakes.
On February 24, join me, Shane McCall, and Kevin Wickliffe as we go over these important topics in plain English in a single webinar.
To register, just click here.
Webinar Event: Ohio PTAC – Top 10 Legal Misconceptions in Federal Contracting and Pending Legal Changes
Hello Readers! In this webinar hosted by the Ohio PTAC, attorneys Nicole Pottroff and John Holtz will be pointing out and helping you avoid common legal mistakes in federal government contracting. Join us this Thursday (February 17) by registering here.
Can’t Pad Key Personnel Résumé, Says GAO
GAO recently sustained a protest to the evaluation of an awardee’s management approach based on a material misrepresentation in its proposed key personnel experience (that the protester found on Linkedin, no less). And GAO found the misrepresentation was material because the agency relied upon it, and it significantly impacted the agency’s evaluation. Let’s take a closer look.
Continue reading…