SmallGovCon
Small business federal contracting commentary.
SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 15-19, 2023
It’s Friday, once again, and time for another week in review. We hope you had a great week. This week in federal government contracting news there were several articles on the VA electronic health records contract, the debt talks, as well as plenty of examples of why one should n
Koprince Law LLC · May 19, 2023
COFC Confirms: Mentor-Protege JVs from the Same Mentor Can’t Bid Against Each Other
Those who work within the federal government contracting world are likely to have noticed that, lately, many large indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracting vehicles are soliciting offers. However, with large contracting vehicles, which are often worth billions
Koprince Law LLC · May 18, 2023
Back to Basics: Calculating Small Business Size
Most contractors, when starting their journey into the world of federal contracting eventually run into the same question: What size is my business? In the world of federal contracting, the size of your business can determine whether you can bid on certain procurements, participa
Koprince Law LLC · May 17, 2023
Size Standards Applicable to SBA’s Socioeconomic Programs
If you are an avid SmallGovCon reader and a small business government contractor, you are probably no stranger to at least the basics of SBA’s size standards and its size and affiliation regulations (if not, check out some of our other blogs on the subject and keep an eye out for
Koprince Law LLC · May 12, 2023
SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 8-12, 2023
Happy Friday, Readers! The second week of May brought with it some rainy weather in the midwest. It’s difficult to stay ahead of getting the grass mowed when the grass is growing so quickly. Everything looks very lush and green here and the spring flowers are very colorful, as we
Koprince Law LLC · May 12, 2023
SBA New Rule: Guidelines for Compliance with Limitations on Subcontracting in 13 C.F.R. 125.6
13 C.F.R. § 125.6 sets out the limitations on subcontracting for all small business set-asides (including 8(a), SDVOSB/VOSB, HUBzone, and WOSB/EDWOSB set asides.) These limitations on subcontracting are crucial for any small business federal contractor to be familiar with, and we
Koprince Law LLC · May 9, 2023
SmallGovCon Week in Review: May 1-5, 2023
Happy Friday and happy May! I don’t know about you, but it sure seems like the pace picks up in the spring, as the weather gets warmer. The kids are getting ready for the summer break, there are graduations and weddings to attend and of course, it’s time to start mowing the lawn
Koprince Law LLC · May 5, 2023
New Defenses to the Ostensible Subcontractor Rule are Coming
You may have noticed that SBA issued a final rule last week that created sweeping changes to the SBA’s 8(a) Program regulations, but along with that, SBA made sure to slip in a change to the ostensible subcontractor rule that has been a sticking point for many contractors when fa
Koprince Law LLC · May 4, 2023
SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 24-28, 2023
It’s Friday, Readers! Hope everyone is ready for the weekend. The NFL Draft is right down the road in Kansas City this weekend and if you’re an NFL fan (as is almost required in Kansas City), I’m sure you are anxiously awaiting to see if your favorite players will be selected. Wh
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 28, 2023
GAO Upholds Low Agency Bar to Waive OCI
The FAR requires offerors, in most situations, to disclose any actual or potential organizational conflicts of interest (OCI) that exist when submitting an offer or proposal in response to a solicitation. While it is rare that an offeror will be excluded from competition solely d
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 27, 2023
SBA Final Rule Relaxes Change of 8(a) Program Ownership, Allows Limited Populated Joint Ventures
SBA has issued a final rule updating some of its rules relating to the 8(a) Program. The final rule will have an impact on some aspects of ownership and control requirements for the 8(a) Program, including providing some flexibility for change of ownership and making some 8(a) se
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 26, 2023
SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 17-21, 2023
Yet another beautiful Spring Friday for us at SmallGovCon! And you guessed it, it’s time for your week in review. As the flowers continue to blossom all around us, so do the partnerships between agencies (such as GSA and DHA). And as allergies are reaching an all-time high for ma
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 21, 2023
Back to Basics: GAO’s Protest Timeliness Rules
Here in Kansas, it is certainly starting to feel like thunderstorm season–and one of my favorite seasons, I might add. But over in D.C., some may say it is starting to feel like protest season! That said, anyone familiar with the protest process at D.C.’s Government Accountabilit
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 20, 2023
GAO: Agency Can’t Combine Evaluation Factors After the Fact
Typically, agencies will provide a handful of evaluation factors, sometime more, in a solicitation. Common evaluation factors are technical, past performance, and cost. A recent protest decision looked at a solicitation that contained separate factors for 1) offeror’s technical c
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 18, 2023
Govology Webinar: Still A Game Changer: The SBA Mentor-Protégé Program (2023 Update), April 27, 2023, 1:00pm EDT
I hope you will join Nicole Pottroff and I as we discuss the benefits of the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé Program. We will be covering the program’s eligibility requirements, application process, options such as forming a special Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture and much more. Hope to see yo
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 14, 2023
SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 10-14, 2023
Happy Friday, Readers! Time for your week in review. The spring trees are in full bloom here in Lawrence, Kansas this week and they couldn’t be more beautiful! Other than allergy sufferers, we certainly are enjoying the beauty of spring and hope you are as well. The federal gover
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 14, 2023
MyGovWatch Live: The B2G Roundtable Event: April 19, 2023, 1:00pm EDT
Please consider joining me as I participate in a round table discussion with several APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC) procurement specialists, hosted by Nick Bernardo, President & Founder of mygovwatch.com. We will be discussing resources available for federal government contract
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 13, 2023
Buy American? Agencies Must Carefully Document Market Research for Domestic Preference Compliance, says GAO
A recent GAO case on protest costs looked at whether costs were reimbursable centered around whether a Buy American Act waiver was properly applied in the procurement process. As you likely know, the Buy American Act is something many contractors (especially supply and constructi
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 13, 2023
Breaking: HUBZone Appeals Coming Soon!
SBA has released its proposed rule allowing for HUBZone appeals to go to the Office of Hearings and Appeals. Below are the key items from this proposed rule, and how it will affect potential and current HUBZone companies. SBA issued the final rule on April 10 and it will become e
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 7, 2023
SmallGovCon Week in Review: April 3-7, 2023
Happy Friday, Readers. We hope you have had a great week. It’s a beautiful day in Lawrence, Kansas and it should be a great weekend for Easter egg hunting if you are so inclined. We hope you can spend time with family and friends this weekend and enjoy the spring weather. There w
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 7, 2023
Technically Unacceptable Offeror Cannot Protest Awardee’s Size, Says OHA
In a recent size determination appeal, OHA confirmed that an offeror found technically unacceptable does not have standing to protest an awardee’s size under SBA’s regulations. As such, OHA denied the appeal and affirmed the Area Office’s size determination dismissing the size pr
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 5, 2023
SBA Publishes Notice of SBIR and STTR Program Policy Directives Update
The Small Business Administration recently published a notice of an amendment to the Policy Directives for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program on April 3, 2023. The intent of the amendment is to incorpora
Koprince Law LLC · Apr 4, 2023
SmallGovCon Week in Review: March 27-31, 2023
Happy Friday, Readers! We hope you have had a productive week and are finishing out the month of March strong. There was, of course, lots of activity in the federal government contracting world this week including more buzz around federal cybersecurity issues and the SBA announce
Koprince Law LLC · Mar 31, 2023
The Dog Ate my Addendum: Don’t Neglect your Joint Venture Addendum, says OHA
Spring is upon us, and for many of us, it evokes thoughts of friendly weather, and new life. In the world of federal contracting, new life is often seen through the forming of new joint ventures. As most contractors and readers of this blog know, there are many requirements place
Koprince Law LLC · Mar 30, 2023
Nicole Pottroff Weighs in on Bias in the Procurement World in Forbes Article
Tuesday, March 29, Forbes.com published a fascinating article written by Dr. Gleb Tsipursky entitled, Prevent Costly Procurement Disasters: 6 Science-Backed Techniques For Bias-Free Decision Making. In the article, I weigh in on the subject of bias in the bid selection process fo
Koprince Law LLC · Mar 29, 2023