After a busy week of travel to Pittsburgh for the 2015 National Veterans Small Business Engagement, I have returned to the office to get you caught up on this week’s top government contracting news. In this week’s SmallGovCon Week In Review, the House of Representatives adds veterans to the list of disadvantaged companies under the DOT DBE program (but not everyone is happy about it), a look at how a decline in defense spending will impact contractors, the Government starts the process of looking for alternatives to DUNS numbers, and much more.

• Winning a contract on price alone is not always a winning strategy. Government contracts guru Mark Amtower tackles differentiation as a key component of a winning strategy. [Washington Technology]
• Will DUNS numbers vanish someday? The Government is looking for agency and vendor input on establishing a process to explore alternatives to DUNS numbers. [Federal News Radio]
• Are small contractors actually being harmed by set-aside requirements?  One commentator’s controversial take. [Federal News Radio]
• The House of Representatives has passed a bill to help veteran-owned companies qualify for DOT DBE status. [Law360]
• Although one might expect that adding veterans to the DOT DBE program would be non-controversial, not everyone is happy about it. [Courier Times]
• A test program that encourages large contractors to hire small businesses earned a recommendation from the GAO. [Government Executive]
• An anticipated decline over the next five years of defense contracting spending will present major budgeting issues going forward for contractors. [Government Executive]
• The Washington Business Journal explores the drivers behind consolidation in the government contracting industry. [Washington Business Journal]

SmallGovCon Week In Review will be taking a break next week so we can enjoy time with our families over Thanksgiving. We look forward to bringing you a fresh edition on December 4th.