A lot has been happening in the 8(a) Business Development Program world over the past couple of weeks. SBA has been busy updating regulations applicable to the 8(a) Program to both bring SBA rules into alignment with the economic realities in a post-COVID world and to make 8(a) requirements more uniform across the board. Here, we focus on a change to ownership rules for non-disadvantaged owners of 8(a) Program participants that are also part of an SBA-approved Mentor-Protégé Agreement.
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Foreign Ties: SBA Publishes Notice of SBIR and STTR Program Policy Directives Update
The Small Business Administration recently published a notice of an amendment to the Policy Directives for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program on April 3, 2023. The intent of the amendment is to incorporate a template that federal agencies may use to request information from SBIR and STTR applicants that the applicants are statutorily required to disclose. The revisions will be effective May 3, 2023, unless the SBA receives significant adverse comments prior to the effective date. Not sure what the SBIR and STTR Programs are? I’ve provided a very brief overview below. Curious about the required disclosures? Read on to find out!
Continue readingProposed FAR Regulation Turns up the Heat on Federal Contractor Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting
In an effort to comply with Executive Orders issued by the President, and to lower greenhouse gas effects, the Department of Defense, NASA, and GSA have recently issued a proposed rule that would change the FAR to create further requirements for contractors to report and disclose greenhouse gas emissions, as well as create emission targets. This proposed rule will add various requirements to the FAR that create additional reporting for contractors based on their size. Contractors should review these potential changes carefully, provide comments, and begin preparing for compliance with the new requirements. Below is our summary of the key changes.
Continue readingSmallGovCon Week In Review: September 26-30, 2022
Happy Friday! It’s football season and we couldn’t be more excited about how our Kansas teams are starting the season. This weekend’s match-ups are set to be exciting ones and our fall weather is proving to be perfect for getting out there and cheering on our favorite teams. We hope you can get out and enjoy a game or two this weekend.
Here are some noteworthy happenings in federal government contracting to peruse, this weekend, as well, including some updates on a potential government shutdown. Enjoy!
Continue readingSmall Businesses in U.S. Territories Eligible for Preferential Treatment Under New SBA Rule
While it is understandable why people focus on the 50 states and the federal district (D.C.), the United States is not just those areas. In addition to the states, the United States has 14 territories. Five of these have a permanent population: Puerto Rico, the Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Up until recently, Puerto Rico received preferential treatment for the surplus property program and under the mentor-protégé program, but the other four territories did not. However, a new final rule by the SBA is finally extending these privileges to all the permanently populated U.S. territories. In this post, we will explore just what that entails.
Continue readingSmallGovCon 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!
Continue readingLaptops to Get Nonmanufacturer Rule Waiver?
The SBA said recently that it intends to issue a class waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for laptop and tablet computers, freeing up small businesses to resell these products in bulk to the federal government.
The SBA recently announced its intent in the Federal Register, giving the public the opportunity to comment early in the New Year.
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