SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 27-31, 2024

Happy Friday! Can you believe that tomorrow is already June? We are getting some rain here in the Midwest to kick off summer, so I’m sure those lawn mowers will be out in full force this weekend. My tomato plants are growing tall and it won’t be long before we have an abundance of summer produce. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and can get out and enjoy some sunshine.

This week in federal contracting news, there are new contracts coming out in the telecom and IT sectors, and DoD is looking to update how it deals with data management.

Continue reading

Don’t Forget the Attachments: A Quick Reminder from SBA’s OHA

Did you remember to staple the cover sheet to your TPS report? And, more importantly, if you recently filed a CVE Appeal with the Small Business Administration’s Office of Hearings and Appeals, did you remember to attach a copy of your CVE denial or cancellation?

In OHA’s recent, and very short, decision, Joy Corporation, SBA No. CVE-155-A (Aug. 13, 2020), it reminded appellants that failure to do so will result in almost instant dismissal. To ensure you avoid this fate, read on.

Continue reading

AbilityOne Contractor Loses Work to SDVOSB, Has Protest Dismissed

As recently as May, the Department of Veterans Affairs told a nonprofit helping to employ blind workers that it intended to renew its contract. The organization was shocked, therefore, when on July 30, the VA issued a notice of award to a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. To make matters worse, the nonprofit’s GAO protest of the award was promptly dismissed for being untimely.

What the heck happened?

Continue reading

SCOTUS to Hear Arguments on Agency Power

Oral arguments are to be held today (March 27, 2019) on a U.S. Supreme Court case that may dramatically reduce federal agency power.

The case, Kisor v. Wilkie, asks the Supreme Court to overturn longstanding precedent which established that an agency’s interpretation of its own regulation deserves deference so long as it is reasonable. If the Supreme Court overturns this precedent, it could change the balance of power—in favor of government contractors—in certain disputes with agencies.

Continue reading

Supreme Court Could Limit Agency Power

Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to hear a case that could have far reaching implications in agency law—including for government contractors. The Court granted certiorari to a case that could greatly diminish the amount of deference given to agencies interpreting their own regulations. 

For contractors, a Supreme Court decision to curtail agency deference could lead to increased success rates in bid protests and other disputes.  

Continue reading