Tag Archives: SBA size protests

No Protests of SBA Mentor-Protégé Agreements, Says OHA

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The SBA’s mentor-protégé program offers powerful benefits. To help ensure that only legitimate small businesses take advantage of the program, the SBA asks applicants a series of questions about potential affiliation between the prospective mentor and protégé.

But once the SBA signs off on a mentor-protégé agreement, that’s that. As the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals recently confirmed, competitors cannot use the size protest process to challenge whether an SBA mentor-protégé agreement should have been approved in the first place.

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No Ostensible Subcontractor Rule for Manufactured Product Procurements, SBA OHA Confirms

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The SBA’s ostensible subcontractor rule can be a minefield for small prime contractors, who must be careful to avoid risk factors for affiliation with their large subcontractors.

But not every small prime need worry about ostensible subcontractor affiliation. As a recent SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals decision confirms, the ostensible subcontractor rule does not apply to procurements for manufactured products.

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Whose Jurisdiction is it Anyways? GAO Dismisses Size Challenge

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GAO recently dismissed a protest to an awardee’s eligibility under the applicable size standard. The protester argued that the agency should have known that the awardee exceeded the nonmanufacturer rule’s 500-employee maximum. After extensive briefing from both parties and from the SBA itself, GAO found that the awardee’s proposal didn’t raise any issues and that it was really up to the SBA to decide the size issues anyway.

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YouTube Tuesday: Procedures & Pitfalls of Size Protests & Appeals Handbook Now Available

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I’m proud to announce that the new GovCon Handbook, Procedures & Pitfalls of Size Protests & Appeals, is now available! This video highlights some of the main topics from the book.

You can order the book here. I’m also conducting a webinar on August 5 to explore some of the key insights. Be sure to check out the webinar or contact me if you have questions.

New GovCon Handbook Arriving July 28! Procedures and Pitfalls of Size Protests and Appeals

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I’m pleased to announce that my forthcoming  Koprince Law LLC GovCon Handbook, entitled Procedures and Pitfalls of Size Protests and Appeals, will be published through Amazon on July 28! In addition, I’ll be hosting an accompanying webinar through Koprince Law on August 5.

If you’ve had questions about size protests and appeals, and how to prepare for them, this is the book for you. It will cover the basic (and advanced) strategies and tips that will help your company put itself in the best possible position to file or respond to a size protest. It will also delve into the size appeal process and help you prepare for a size appeal or to respond to one. Be sure to mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!

OHA Remands Area Office’s Conflicting Decision in Concurrent Size and Status Protests

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What happens when an SBA area office finds a joint venture compliant with SBA rules in a size protest, but SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals says the same agreement fails to meet requirements in a status protest? Let’s find out.

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New Avenue for SBA Protests: Ostensible Subcontractor Status Protests

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SBA has issued a final rule, effective December 30, that will now provide an avenue to protest situations where the prime contractor on a SDVOSB, HUBZone, or WOSB set-aside contract is subcontracting most or all of the work to a non-similarly situated—but still small business—concern.

It will also allow SBA to review eligibility for 8(a) Program contracts on this ground as well.

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