If you’re interested in learning more about the domestic preference rules, I’d love to see you at the 2026 National APEX Accelerator Alliance (NAPEX) Conference in Orlando! I’ll be presenting “Domestic Sourcing: Buy American Act & Trade Agreements Act” on Tuesday, August 18. This event is open to contractors, unlike some other NAPEX events.
Continue readingTag Archives: Federal government contracting
Event Announcement: GovCon Roundup Live, July 15, 1:00pm EDT, Expanding VOSB and SDVOSB Opportunities & Navigating the SBA Certification Minefield
Please join me on the GovCon Roundup Live, with Carroll Bernard and Steven Koprince to discuss several important developments affecting veteran-owned small businesses in federal contracting, including
- The bipartisan Contract Our Veterans Act of 2026.
- Critical compliance issue for veteran-owned businesses pursuing VA set-asides: the frequently overlooked limitations on subcontracting certification requirement under VAAR 852.219-75.
- Why SBA’s strict “unconditional control” rules make certification extremely difficult for franchises
- Why a veteran must be listed as the company’s highest officer, such as CEO, in the governing documents
- What “fatal flaws” can undermine an appeal after a certification denial
Here are the details:
- Wednesday, July 15, 2026
- 1:00 – 2:30 PM Eastern
- Free to attend
Here is the link for registration.
Govology Webinar Announcement: Limitations on Subcontracting: A Step-by-Step Compliance Guide, May 19, 2026
Limitations on Subcontracting (LoS) is one of the most confusing—and most enforced—rules in government contracting.
For small businesses and their teaming partners, getting it wrong can lead to serious consequences. And the challenge? You may be asked to prove compliance at any point—before, during, or after contract performance.
Our very own SmallGovCon author John Holtz will break down the LoS in clear, practical terms so you can understand what’s required and how to stay compliant.
Continue readingFAR Updates Trade Agreement Act Thresholds
The The Trade Agreements Act (TAA) and its companion, the Buy American Act (BAA), both set policies for a preference for increased domestic purchases by the federal government and its contractors. However, the TAA is designed as kind of a counterweight to the BAA. The BAA (passed in 1933), “the first of the major domestic content restriction laws, requires federal agencies to apply a price preference for ‘domestic end products’ and use ‘domestic construction materials’ for covered contracts performed in the United States.” So, the BAA encourages use of US-produced goods.
The TAA, on the other hand, waives some of those requirements in favor of certain countries. The TAA permits waiver of BAA “domestic content restrictions” with respect to certain “countries that have trade agreements with the United States.” So, for “covered end products or construction materials imported from a designated country” where they are manufactured or transformed “are treated as domestic end products or materials for purposes of the BAA.”
A recent change to the FAR updates the thresholds at which the TAA becomes applicable to federal procurements. Because these thresholds can change, it can have an impact on which contracts are applicable to the TAA versus the BAA.
Continue readingWebinar Announcement: Joint Ventures & Teaming, April 23, 2026 hosted by El Paso Texas APEX Accelerators
Please join, government contracts attorneys, Nicole Pottroff and John Holtz from Koprince McCall Pottroff, as they explain how to develop, negotiate and administer agreements that are both compliant and effective. The presentations will cover both the key rules (such as flow-downs and ostensible subcontractor affiliation) and best practices for agreements that go beyond the bare minimum legal requirements.
Hope you can join us! Registration link here.
Event Announcement: GovCon Roundup Live, Teaming Agreements, April 15, 2026
We’d like to invite you to a great interactive virtual event coming up — and it’s completely free.
On April 15th, Carroll Bernard and Steven Koprince are hosting Episode 9 of GovCon Roundup Live, and the topic is one that trips up contractors at every stage: teaming. Our very own, federal government contracts attorney, Nicole Pottroff, will be contributing her thoughts to the discussion.
Whether you’ve never heard the term or you’ve been navigating teaming agreements for years, this session will give you something useful.
Here’s what they will cover:
- What teaming really means in the federal marketplace and why agencies love it
- The most common teaming structures — prime/sub arrangements and joint ventures — and when each one makes sense
- Why contractors are willing to take on the complexity of joint ventures (and what they get in return)
- How teaming opens the door to larger contracts, stronger proposals, and new markets
- The SBA Mentor-Protégé Program — including a little-known rule exemption that gives small businesses a real competitive edge
Bring your questions to the live Q&A at the end of the show. Register here.
GovCon Roundup Live Recordings: Streaming here.
Webinar Announcement: Teaming Agreements & Joint Ventures, April 14, 2026 hosted by UT San Antonio APEX Accelerators
For large and small contractors alike, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements can be essential to winning and successfully performing federal government contracts. In this presentation, government contracts attorneys, Shane McCall and Annie Birney from Koprince McCall Pottroff, will explain how to develop, negotiate and administer agreements that are both compliant and effective. The presentations will cover both the key rules (such as flow-downs and ostensible subcontractor affiliation) and best practices for agreements that go beyond the bare minimum legal requirements.
Hope you can join us! Registration link here.