DE Under 3: U.S. GAO Report on Military Spouse Employment Focused on Challenges of Part-Time Work
A Discussion with GAO General Counsel Edda Emmanuelli Perez
GovCon Perspectives Podcast Episode 24: Effective Use of “Open and Frank” Discussions in Bid Protests
Award Protests: Choosing the Forum
How to Assess the Likelihood of Success in Deciding Whether to Bring a Bid Protest
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on Oct. 25, 2024, issued a proposed rule aimed at increasing small business participation in multiple award contracts (MACs) by expanding the application of the Rule of Two to...more
Beyond their immediate purpose of resolving procurement disputes, bid protest decisions of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims are valuable in two other ways. First, these rulings...more
While most contractors think of the Government Accountability Office and Court of Federal Claims (or even the agency) when considering whether to challenge a government contract award, there are additional options for small...more
This article is part of a monthly column that provides takeaways from recent bid protest cases. This installment highlights three decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Each of this month's decisions...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has released a proposed rule that would significantly alter a number of SBA small business program regulations, including those governing size recertifications. ...more
Department of Defense (DOD) Proposed Rule: Transactions Other Than Contracts, Grants, or Cooperative Agreements for Prototype Projects - On September 4, DOD published a proposed rule and request for comments regarding...more
Federal government contracts are routinely awarded to companies supplying goods and services to U.S. government agencies. According to the Government Accountability Office, in 2023, the federal government committed about $759...more
A recent Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) decision highlights the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) regulations relating to agency evaluations of a mentor-protégé joint venture’s past performance and experience,...more
Construction Industry Wage-and-Hour Issues: 6 Tips for Laying a Foundation of Compliance - The construction industry feeds a significant part of the U.S. economy, providing millions of short- and long-term jobs across the...more
The Federal Government is committed to developing its relationship with small and disadvantaged businesses through set-aside contracts that incentivize and protect these companies from competing with large, established...more
7(a) Loan Approval for Borrowers with Unresolved COVID-19 Pandemic Loan Compliance Issues: On May 21, SBA’s OIG issued an inspection report assessing SBA’s 7(a) loan approval process for borrowers with unresolved pandemic...more
In the late 1990s, the General Services Administration (GSA) created the concept of Contractor Teaming Arrangements (CTAs). Unlike the contractor teaming arrangements described under FAR 9.601, which simply describe a joint...more
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council Final Rule: Sustainable Procurement - On April 22, the Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration published a...more
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council Notice: FAR Part 40, Information Security and Supply Chain Security, Request for Information (RFI) - On April 10, the General Services Administration, Department of Defense,...more
Welcome to The On-Ramp, the newsletter published by Venable's Autonomous and Connected Mobility Team. The On-Ramp explores legal and policy developments in the world of autonomous vehicles, smart infrastructure, emerging...more
Keys to Avoiding GAO’s Timeliness Trap - GAO’s recent decision in Marathon Medical Corporation provides a cautionary tale for government contractors seeking to protest the terms by which an agency conducts a procurement....more
On January 25, 2024, the White House Office of Management and Budget issued a memo, Increasing Small Business Participation on Multiple-Award Contracts, calling for executive agencies to apply the FAR’s Rule of Two to task...more
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a policy memorandum with a goal of promoting small business participation under multiple-award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts (MACs). One of the...more
In Steiner Construction Co., Inc., the Government Accountability Office (GAO) upheld the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) award of a $1.19 billion small business set-aside shipbuilding contract to a business concern that was later...more
Small business regulations create one of the stickier wickets in bid protest litigation. Although the Small Business Administration (SBA) has exclusive authority to determine a company’s size and socioeconomic status, the...more
Any acquisition involving a small business government contractor comes with a host of questions concerning what effect, if any, the transaction may have on the small business’s size and status post-closing. ...more
H.R. 357, Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act, Passed House - On December 12, the House passed legislation requiring the vast majority of rules issued by federal agencies to be signed and issued by a...more
The U.S. Government Accountability Office decision, In the Matter of Steiner Construction Company, Inc., B-421254.9 (December 4, 2023), is a good reminder that timing counts when determining eligibility for small business...more
White House Announces New Actions to Support Small Business: ‘Shop Small Today,’ The Hill - On November 25, the Biden administration unveiled new actions intended to increase support for small businesses. In a post on X,...more
Small Business Administration (SBA) Press Release: SBA Announces Biden-Harris Administration’s Progress in Small Business Lending with End-of-Year Capital Program Numbers - On November 21, Small Business Administrator...more