Happy New Year, SmallGovCon readers! As we look forward to the new updates, decisions, and commentary in 2025, it’s also a good time to reflect on the important and well-read posts from 2024.

This post revisits our most popular blog posts from 2024. Below, we summarize the blogs written in 2024 that were the most visited as well as the perennial favorites from years past that were the most viewed in 2024. It’s a good chance to look back on the important articles from 2024, and those topics of continuing interest to federal contractors.

Here are the top 10 blog posts that were posted in 2024. As usual, our readers were interested in changes to SBA’s rules, including changes to the HUBZone Program, WOSB Program, and related small business changes, as well as our Common Misconceptions and Back to Basics series focusing on issues such as the SBA mentor-protege program and similarly situated entities.

Top Posts Published in 2024

1. News Flash: SBA Issues Proposed Rule with HUBZone and Small Business Changes. This post looked at an SBA rule that is going into effect on January 16, 2025, and included changes to both the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program and other small business updates including certification rules after an acquisition.
2. SBA Issues Final Rule to Streamline WOSB Program Rules. This post looked at rules intended to take the WOSB regulations and make them more consistent with the other types of set-aside programs offered by the SBA. The SBA published its Final Rule, effective January 3, 2025.
3. SBA Confirms GSA Schedule-Holders Who Outgrow Size Standard Can Still Get Awarded Set-Aside TOs and Options. This decision confirmed that, even if a business changes size after being awarded a GSA schedule contract, it can still compete for small business task orders from a Blanket Purchase Agreement awarded under its GSA schedule contract. This outcome has been altered in some cases under the rule discussed in number 1 of this list.
4. Common Misconceptions: SBA’s Mentor-Protégé Program (Part II – Participation Rules & Limits). The MPA program is a very popular topic for our readers and this post explains many aspects of it. It included this common misconception: “An SBA-approved protégé may not have an additional SBA mentor-protégé agreement in place at the same time.”
5. SBA Proposed Rule: Joint Venture Past Performance. This proposed rule discussed how SBA thinks agencies should review past performance for joint ventures.
6. GAO Says: SBA’s Rules for Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture Experience Evaluations May Limit Solicitation Terms. This decision provided further guidance on the interplay of solicitation terms for experience evaluations and SBA’s rules for evaluating mentor-protégé joint ventures’ experience.
7. GAO: Don’t Slip Up on SAM Registration, Even for One Day. This decision looked at the trap of having your SAM registration lapse during a procurement. The rule this decision discusses has been updated in a FAR rule change discussed here. The new rule said that “the offeror must be registered at time of offer submission and at time of contract award, but would not be required to be registered at every moment in between those two points.”
8. 8(a) Program’s Two Years in Business Rule: Requirement or Suggestion? This post took a closer look at the potential for success requirement’s two year business revenue rule, and any alternatives.
9. Back to Basics: Similarly Situated Entities. Contractors are wise to know what a similarly situated entity is, and this blog walks them through the definition.
10. Apparent Conflict: Appearance of Impropriety Enough to Exclude a Contractor from Federal Contract.  If the federal agency finds an appearance of impropriety, that is enough, and no actual impact to the procurement need be found. A recent case discussed this important conflict rule for federal contractors.

Top Posts Viewed in 2024 from All Time

1. “In Scope” vs. “Out of Scope” Modifications: GAO Explains The Difference. This is the famous inflatable craft decision from 2017. In it, GAO explained with some detail on how far an agency can modify a contract before it becomes, essentially, a new contract that can be protested at GAO.
2. FedBizOpps is Almost Gone. There must be a lot of folks nostalgic for FedBizOpps and not so happy with sam.gov, based on the popularity of our post saying goodbye to FBO.
3. Back to Basics: Teaming Agreements. Teaming agreements are not well-defined in the FAR. This post walks you through the key basics for putting a teaming agreement together, and when you need one.
4. Back to Basics: Limitations on Subcontracting. A post from 2022 that is becoming very popular. With the renewed focus on limitations on subcontracting, it’s always good to know how to stay compliant.
5. SAM Registration: What The Heck Is An “Immediate Owner?”. The SAM definition of “immediate owner” still creates questions for a lot of federal contractors.
6. FAR Final Rule: Increased Micro-Purchase and Simplified Acquisition Thresholds. The FAR was  updated to increase the micro-purchase threshold and the simplified acquisition threshold, effective August 31, 2020. Based on recent inflation trends, these numbers are going up, as discussed in our post here.
7. News Flash: SBA Issues Proposed Rule with HUBZone and Small Business Changes. This is the most popular post from 2024 and made it into this top 10 list as well.
8. SBA Issues Final Rule to Streamline WOSB Program Rules. This post is also from 2024.
9. Back to Basics: Veteran-Owned Businesses and SDVOSB Eligibility. This post from 2022 has plenty of good information on the basics of the SBA’s programs for veteran-owned businesses. Stay tuned to our blog for many more updates on SDVOSBs and VOSBs.
10. SBA Confirms GSA Schedule-Holders Who Outgrow Size Standard Can Still Get Awarded Set-Aside TOs and Options. Also a popular post from 2024.

All of our attorney-authors at SmallGovCon are excited about bringing you the best commentary and news in federal contracting for 2024. I’m sure there will be much to talk about. Make sure to keep up to date on SmallGovCon for all the latest.

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