The House on June 8 approved five bills aimed at assisting small businesses and two bills that would strengthen rules to identify small business fraud.  The bills, which go before the Senate next, include: –HR 7670: Establishes reporting for the …

The Veterans Affairs Department launched its new Pathfinder website on June 7 to help new and existing vendors find a path into VA procurements. The website is located at https://www.pathfinder.va.gov/. Upon entering the website, users are asked whether they want …

On June 8, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, referred to as H.R. 7694, “Strengthening Subcontracting for Small Businesses Act of 2022” (the Bill). The Bill seeks to amend the Small Business Act by requiring federal agencies to …

Let’s review a few basics about the new entity validation process in SAM.gov:  If you want to register in SAM.gov or even just get a Unique Entity ID, you must validate your  entity information with our new Entity Validation Service …

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced progress in its ongoing efforts to strengthen the federal supply chain and reduce supply chain risk by using its Verified Products Portal (VPP) to monitor and remove products from unauthorized suppliers. Launched in 2020, …

The Department of Defense has created a new framework of cybersecurity requirements and certifications contractors must achieve under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). But what about the DOD contractors that mostly outsource their IT and cybersecurity to managed service providers? The Pentagon’s CMMC …

The Labor Dept.’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs launched a new online Contractor Portal in February allowing certain federal contractors to certify compliance with Affirmative Action Program (AAP) requirements. The deadline is June 30. Federal supply and service contractors …

If you’re a small business owner interested in government contracts, you’ve probably heard about the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. The 8(a) Program itself is complex, and its eligibility rules are some of stricter rules out there; but its potential …

Transportation departments in all 50 states and Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico used engineering consultants to assist them on federal-aid highway construction projects, a survey by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorized an …

The update comes after a recent study analyzing industry gaps for women-owned businesses revealed that women-owned businesses are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented in the federal marketplace. The updated list will now support agencies in allocating set-asides for WOSB and economically …

While change over the last couple of years has been focused on COVID issues, agencies continue to assess new ways to manage their core responsibilities. As one such change, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) officially launched the Contractor …

The Small Business Administration’s HUBZone office will soon end the principal office flexibility it introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting April 1, 2022, firms will no longer be able to count employees who spend most of their time working at …

On April 4, the General Services Administration (GSA) will start using the new nonproprietary unique entity identifier (UEI) system for federal contracting purposes. This 12-digit alphanumeric identifier will replace the proprietary DUNS number in federal contracting systems. Read more here.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking updating the regulations that implement the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBA) to better reflect today’s construction industry. This proposed rulemaking, which DOL called the most …

SBA publishes its semiannual Regulatory Agenda to provide an update on the various rules it has in the pipeline and an estimate for when they will be published or become final. While SBA doesn’t have to meet these timeframes, it’s always good …

Contractors are a mainstay of the federal government. While private sector contractors played critical and highly visible support roles for the Department of Defense and the Department of State in Iraq and Afghanistan, they also play quieter but still important …

Nextgov reported that bipartisan legislation aimed at improving government contracting opportunities for small businesses awaits President Biden’s signature following its passage in the House on February 7, 2022. Called the Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and …

As most folks know, the federal government mandates that tribal consultations are held when Alaska Native Corporations and Federally Recognized Tribes participate in a federal program in an effort to be inclusive and fulfill the government’s fiduciary duty to indigenous …

On January 13, 2022, the Supreme Court granted applicants’ emergency motion to stay enforcement of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (“OSHA”) COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”). In its decision, the Court explained that the plaintiffs were likely …