Section 820 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, Pub. L. No. 114-238, 130 Stat. 2000 (NDAA), makes three significant changes to the federal government’s future use of cost accounting standards (CAS).  First, it empowers contractors to …

Federal contractors frequently find themselves in the position of needing to establish their past performance credentials to secure future contracts – the government’s form of a reference check. The government often performs these reference checks by requesting completed past performance …

The wait for formal certifications for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) in federal contracting has become longer.  Congress, as part of the fiscal 2015 national defense authorization, approved sole-source authority for WOSBs, but also ordered the establishment of a formal certification …

The attached infographic walks through the allowability of costs for certain in-house legal services.  It provides a quick guide to when a contractor’s legal costs may, and may not, be charged to the government.  The infographic is produced by Morrison & Foerster …

With major data breaches and system hacks dominating the headlines over the past few years, cybersecurity has become a top consideration for anyone operating a business. Although these breaches affect companies from all industries, the government remains a top target …

For Federal Supply Schedule procurements, agencies are not required to evaluate past performance references of subcontractors, unless the solicitation provides otherwise.  As one offeror recently discovered in Atlantic Systems Group, Inc., B-413901 (Jan. 9, 2017), unlike negotiated procurements, where agencies …

The departments of Education, State and the Army are among those with the most documented bids for contracts expiring in 2017, providing industry with actionable insight on just how competitive the procurement process will be. This and other facets of …

The government’s policy encouraging prompt payment to small business subcontractors has been extended to December 31, 2017. In a Memorandum issued on January 11, 2017 by the Office of Management and Budget, OMB Director Shaun Donovan ordered that the popular policy be …

House Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot hailed House passage of H.R. 288, the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act. This legislation exempts small businesses from burdensome new Internet regulations imposed by President Obama’s Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) for five years. …

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement regulatory changes made by the Small Business Administration, which provide Government-wide policy for partial set-asides and reserves, and setting aside orders for small business concerns …

Ever have doubts about the pricing you submit on a contract opportunity?  Here are a few items to consider when you’re building your price. The more you know the mindset of who you’re dealing with on the other end, the …

The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental thinks it’s learned a thing or two about rapid acquisition over the year since its initial standup, and sees no good reason why the rest of the Defense Department can’t use the same techniques it’s …

As of November 1st, SBA’s certify.sba.gov portal is operational and accepting applications for the new Small Business Mentor-Protégé program. If you are considering its potential value for your business, there are a few key things you should consider before submitting your …

The vast majority of Alaska is certifiable–as HUBZone eligible. So why aren’t more Alaska businesses doing business with the federal government HUBZone certified? It’s a good question, one the US Forest Service, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies …

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) Council (the Department of Defense (“DoD”), General Services Administration (“GSA”), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”)), recently finalized a rule that imposes significant restrictions on federal agencies in contracting with corporations that have federal …

Did you miss the historical releasing of the first ever iBook version of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)? While a tome about the complex rules governing the federal government’s purchasing process may not sound like a bestseller, the FAR is essential reading not …

GSA has alerted us that, following their quarterly release on October 28th, they will block users from accessing SAM from an Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) or Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) browser. Users will either need to upgrade to a version …

On Friday, September 9, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (“D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals”) held that the statute creating the Small Business Administration’s “8(a) Program” is not unconstitutional.  Nevertheless, in addition to being appealed, the …

Politicians have talked about diversifying Alaska’s economy since long before we became a state. But progress on that front has been only modest. Is a stable and vibrant Alaska economy possible? It will take some changes in the way we …

On September 20, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor published a notice of the minimum wage rate to be paid, beginning January 1, 2017, to workers performing on or in connection with federal contracts covered by Executive Order (E.O.) 13658, …