Category Archives: Federal Governement Contracting

“Extremely Difficult” for Franchises to Obtain VOSB & SDVOSB Certifications, Says SBA OHA

Franchising is a very popular way to own a business: a Census Bureau report indicates that nearly half a million American businesses are franchises. But when it comes to obtaining veteran-owned small business and service-disabled veteran-owned small business certifications, the SBA’s message to franchises is the same one Mr. McGee delivered to Prince: “we don’t like your kind.” […]

Lapse in SAM Registration Disqualifies Government Contractor from Contract Award

The Court of Federal Claims (COFC) recently interpreted FAR Clause 52.204-7, which requires offerors to register in the System for Award Management (SAM), to indicate that even a slight lapse in a contractor’s SAM registration status could disqualify them from potential award.   The Case Before the Court  COFC recently granted a preliminary injunction in Myriddian, LLC v. […]

Get Ready! Enhanced Cybersecurity Standards for Federal Contractors Coming Soon

For years, the federal contracting community has closely monitored the oft-delayed Department of Defense’s (DOD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program—now on iteration 2.0—as the forefront of cybersecurity obligations. That focus may soon be expanding. Contractors outside of DOD’s orbit may soon be subject to similar requirements. Civilian agency contractors should start preparing now for an enhanced […]

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for California

WASHINGTON — FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of California to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe winter storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides beginning on Feb. 21, 2023, and continuing.  More

IIJA money starting to flow to projects

Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is finally making it to projects, according to the CEOs of several major public construction companies. Additional federal money from the Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act is also boosting the civil construction outlook, they said.  More

Have You Updated the Minimum Wage? Government Contractors Struggle with Minimum Wage Confusion

On January 1, 2023, the minimum wage for government contractors under Executive Order 14026 increased from $15.00 per hour to $16.20 per hour. We wrote about Executive Order 14026 and its requirements previously here. There continues to be confusion as to when and how Executive Order 14026 applies, so here are a few key components […]

Increased contract spending a boon for small businesses

Last year’s big spending at the Pentagon will continue this year, with small business getting more opportunities to share in the wealth. Defense contract spending rose 6.7% in 2022, hitting its second highest annual total at $436 billion, according to a report from Bloomberg Government. The spike in unclassified procurement resulted from numerous factors including […]

DOD instructs acquisition teams to prioritize small business engagement over best-in-class contracts

The Department of Defense is tweaking its contracting strategy to place more of an emphasis on meeting small business acquisition goals, even it if means supplanting its use of Best in Class vehicles. The Office of the Under Secretary for Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment released a memorandum on Jan. 27 that described small businesses […]

Help on the Way? Proposed National Defense Authorization Act for 2023 Grants DoD Discretion to Allow Inflation Relief for DoD Contractors

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 […]

SBA Provides Answers on Vets Certification Program Roll-Out in Q&A Session

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 […]