The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), in essence Congress’ annual budget for the Department of Defense (DoD), commonly includes various riders and attachments that amend or create other federal laws. For example, the 2022 NDAA gives contracting officers a lot more discretion to help out its contractors in light of inflation. We’re guessing we […]
Author Archives: Victor Valdez
On December 6, 2022, the SBA held a virtual Q&A session to discuss the roll-out of the Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) certification program. They will be assuming responsibility as of January 2023 and the SBA will begin accepting applications for certification on January 9, 2023. Through the […]
On a daily basis, the Department of Defense (DoD) issues innumerable memorandums and orders, as one might expect when dealing with one of the largest institutions in human history. Most of these have little to no impact for most government contractors. However, a recent class deviation is an exception, as it should make things easier […]
SBA has issued its final rule for its takeover of the Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Certification program. The rule will have an effective date of January 1, 2023. We discussed the proposed rule in our post here. Below are a few key takeaways from the final version of the […]
Per an interim final rule published on November 17, 2022, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is adjusting the three economic disadvantage thresholds applicable to the 8(a) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) programs for inflation. SBA’s interim final rule will also increase its receipts-based small business size standards. These changes will be effective on […]
The US Dept. of Energy announced its plan Nov. 4 to parcel out $1.5 billion to upgrade the network of national laboratories that it manages, including funds for cutting-edge technological tools and for some facilities that house them. DOE said some new funds from the just enacted Inflation Reduction Act will go for major equipment projects in […]
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released its autumn construction update. Highlights include recent milestones, such as the completion of three high-speed rail grade separations. The video also includes new drone footage and updates across all Central Valley high-speed rail construction packages. Since the start of construction, the California high-speed rail project has created nearly […]
During the second annual Construction Inclusion Week, Oct. 17-21, contractors across the country were united in their efforts to stamp out hate and racism on jobsites. A total of 2,345 companies participated in the event, nearly double the amount of firms that took part in the inaugural CIW last year. During the week, Construction Dive ran a […]
Future riders of California’s planned high-speed rail system won’t be boarding the trains until the end of this decade. But planning is already underway for the first passenger stations for the initial operating route through the San Joaquin Valley. The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s board unanimously awarded a $35.3 million, 30-month contract for preliminary site […]
One of the common questions small business contractors ask themselves when planning performance of a contract is “how much of this work are we allowed to subcontract?” Trying to answer this question inevitably leads contractors to one of the most commonly used and frequently misunderstood rules in federal contracting, the Limitations on Subcontracting. In this […]