If you’re a small business owner interested in government contracts, you’ve probably heard about the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. The 8(a) Program itself is complex, and its eligibility rules are some of stricter rules out there; but its potential benefits are tremendous. In this Back to Basics post, I’ll break down some of the very basics about the 8(a) Program. But don’t worry, not only will I follow this post up with another to unpack more of the complexities, I have also included links throughout this post to other posts doing the same.
Continue reading…Event: Government Contracts Update with UTSA PTAC
Our attorneys will be presenting a Government Contracts Legal Update 2022 in cooperation with The University of Texas at San Antonio Institute for Economic Development PTAC. We will provide a comprehensive update on the most important government contracting legal changes of late 2021 and the first months of 2022.
This free event will take place on April 14 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM (CDT). Be sure to check out the registration link if you are interested!
SmallGovCon Week in Review: March 28-April 1, 2022
Happy April 1st, everyone! In honor of April Fools’ Day, here are some noteworthy pranks over the years. In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees. In 1985, Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton tricked many readers when he ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour. And in 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell.
So be careful out there, readers, and don’t be fooled! But it’s no joke that there have been some important federal contracting updates this week, including a bipartisan bill introduced in Congress that would tighten contractor oversight related to conflicts of interest and increasing use of large sole-source 8(a) awards. Have a great weekend!
Continue reading…SBA Issues Final Rule Increasing Some Size Standards
SBA has issued final rules updating some of its size standards. Below are highlights from the recent size changes. Be sure to review the particular NAICS code on any upcoming solicitations to see if one of these increased size standards applies.
Continue reading…Introducing: SmallGovCon’s “Back to Basics” Series
We at SmallGovCon try to stay cognizant of the fact that there are new federal contractors every day, as well as seasoned companies venturing into the federal government contracting realm every day. As such, we are proudly introducing our new Back to Basics series of posts that will (yes, you guessed it) take you back through some of the basics of various federal government contracting programs, regulations, and procedures. If you are new to federal government contracting, new to specific programs (i.e. 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, etc.), a first time protester, or simply looking for a refresher on some of the basics, this series is for you! You can use the category bar on our blog website to find all posts in the Back to Basics series, but also, keep an eye out for new ones!
Back to Basics: Joint Ventures
Many of our readers are familiar with a number of the nuances of joint ventures. In fact, in the past few years, many of you have utilized this nifty little concept! That said, for those of you newer to the government contracting business (and as a refresher for those who have been in this for a while), here is a short rundown of the basics of joint ventures in government contracting.
Continue reading…SmallGovCon Week in Review: March 21-25, 2022
Happy Friday, Readers. It’s been an exciting March Madness so far and we are looking forward to our hometown Kansas Jayhawks basketball game later today. There have been some major upsets and we are hoping the Jayhawks can hang in there on the road to the championship. Fingers and toes are crossed.
This week in federal contracting there were several announcements such as the Senate passing a 2022 Federal spending bill and the Department of Labor Announcing a Proposed Rule for Modifying Procedures to Identify, Remedy Discrimination in Federal Contracting. You can read more about these announcements and a few other noteworthy articles below. Have a great weekend!
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