In the world of government contracting, most contractors consider protests in the context of bid, size, or status protests. As we’ve discussed before, however, there is another highly useful tool in the toolbox for contractors: the NAICS code appeal. When leveraged correctly, the NAICS code appeal can be quite effective for small businesses in securing a favorable outcome. That said, a recent SBA OHA decision shows that the burden of proof on a NAICS code protester requires some potentially heavy lifting. Today we’re diving into that decision to help clarify what it takes to successfully appeal the NAICS code designation in a federal solicitation, and thereby help determine whether this particular approach is the right one for your business.
Continue readingTag Archives: federal contractor
SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 15-19, 2024

Happy Friday everyone! Here in the Midwest we are enjoying some nice spring weather. But along with the beautiful flowers comes the allergies for some folks. In contracting news this week legislators in Washington have been working on bills in an attempt to make it easier for small businesses to work with the government and there is continued movement on cybersecurity for federal contractors. You can read more about that in the articles below as well as other contracting news.
Have a great weekend.
Continue readingGovology Webinar: Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) Rules for Federal Contractors, Sept. 14, 2023, 1:00pm EDT
Steven Koprince, Govology Legal Analyst and retired founder of Koprince McCall Pottroff will be presenting this webinar which covers the Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) Rules for Federal Contractors, including which contracts are subject to FOCI rules, how does the government evaluate whether a contractor is operating under foreign ownership, influence, or control, what responsibilities does a contractor or potential contractor have to identify and report FOCI concerns, and more. Don’t miss your chance to learn all about FOCI, in plain English! Register here today!
Who You Gonna Call? Your Contracting Officer (Part 3)
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.
Continue readingComing Soon: The SmallsCast Podcast
We invite you to tune into this informative podcast series hosted by The Smalls with discussions on federal government contracting. I just taped an episode with Nate Moser and it was a blast! In it, I discussed what we do at the firm to assist our federal government contracting clients, including things like drafting joint venture and mentor-protégé agreements. The podcast comes out in June and I hope you will give it a listen.
The Smalls is nonprofit consortium of Government Contractors, Service Providers, and Manufacturers in Colorado. This weekly podcast is designed for Small Government Contractors, Service Providers, and Manufacturers, as part of the Government Contractor Ecosystem, connecting people, organizations, and resources. Here is the podcast link. I encourage you to check them out.
We’ll let you know when the podcast and video is released!
SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 9-13, 2022

Happy Friday blog readers! Hope you are having a nice week. Kick back and relax with the latest federal contracting updates.
This week saw some interesting federal contracting news. GAO has issued a new report on ways the federal government can potentially save billions of dollars in spending and improve efficiency of its programs. Additional stories include an article I’m quoted in from Bloomberg Law discussing U.S. agencies requests for brand name items in contract proposals. Read on for the details and have a great weekend!
Continue readingSmallGovCon Week In Review: January 31-February 4, 2022
Happy February, Readers! We had some excitement this week when a winter snowstorm moved into our neck of the woods. I’m happy to report that all is well and the streets have been cleared by our vigilant city road crews whom we are very grateful for. It sure was a beautiful, snowy site.

