COFC: Ostensible Subcontractor Rule for General Construction Still Looks at all Circumstances 

As frequent SmallGovCon readers know, the Small Business Administration’s ostensible subcontractor rule can be tricky to navigate. The rule requires contractors not to rely too heavily on a subcontractor in the performance of a contract set aside under an SBA socioeconomic program, but what constitutes relying too heavily can be confusing for small business contractors. Without a clear measure of how reliant is too reliant, businesses have to worry that they may be denied an award or even worse, lose one in a post-award protest. In a recent decision, Daniels Building Company, Inc. v. United States, 24-1787, 175 Fed. Cl. 767 (2025), the Court of Federal Claims (COFC) provided potentially helpful insight into what SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) and the Court of Federal Claims will consider when determining whether a prime contractor is “unusually reliant” on its subcontractor. 

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 26-30, 2025

Happy Friday! The sun is shining here in the Midwest and after several days of rain, June is upon us. Time to get the lawn mower started this weekend. We hope you have some fun plans for the summer, other than mowing the lawn, with friends and family.

This week in federal government news, catch up on a potential small business rule of two statute, additional contract-cutting, and GSA becoming a central contracting power player.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 19-23, 2025

Happy Friday, SmallGovCon readers! Hope you had a great week and have some nice plans for the long weekend. Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season. To all those that served and or on active duty, thank you for your service! Have a wonderful weekend.

This week in federal government contracting news, there are updates on an increase in government buying, cutting costs for large software vendors, and the federal budget.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 12-16, 2025

Happy Friday! You’ve made it through another week, and your reward is the Week in Review. This week saw some interesting stories: VA is getting a new top watchdog, there is a new budget proposal, and GAO is highlighting over $100M in potential savings from consolidating IT systems. You can read more about these topics in the articles below. Have a great weekend!

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 5-9, 2025

Happy Friday and Happy Mother’s Day weekend! Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the incredible strength, love, and dedication that mothers show every day. Take a moment to say thank you, share a memory, or simply let her know how much she means.

This week in federal government contracting news included stories about the upcoming federal budget and updates to the National Defense Strategy.

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 28-May 2, 2025

Happy May, SmallGovCon readers! Welcome to the Week in Review. We are entering the end of the school year for those with kiddos, a time when we all start dreaming of those summer vacations, right on the horizon. But in federal contracting, there were a number of interesting updates. These included a request from OMB for patience as it rolls out changes, and a GSA launch of its “OneGov” strategy to streamline how goods and services are procured. Have a great weekend!

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SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 21-25, 2025

Happy Friday! April is almost over and it’s time to get out there and star mowing those lawns! We have had quite a bit of rain here in the Midwest so the grass is growing pretty fast right now. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and can get outside to enjoy the Spring weather.

This week in federal government contracting news included updates on staff reorganizations, rewriting of the procurement rules, and use of commercial solutions.

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