2013 Federal Small Business Contracting Scores an A!
By Barbara Connell with Aronson LLC On August 1, 2014, the Small Business Administration (SBA) released the Small Business Procurement Scorecard for fiscal year 2013. The annual scorecard is an assessment tool that measures how well federal agencies reach their small business and socio-economic prime contracting and subcontracting goals and reports agency-specific progress. Federal agencies scored an A for fiscal year 2013, achieving 100.6% of their 2013 small business contracting goals. For the first time in over 7 years, the . . . Read More
Protests: Timing Is of the Essence
Another federal government fiscal year end is quickly approaching and with it comes the usual uptick in spending, awards…and inevitable protests. If you are considering a protest, it is critical to understand the deadlines for filing. When to file varies depending on a number of factors including: the type of solicitation; whether or not a debriefing is required; the protest grounds; and whether the solicitation was a set-aside that may trigger a size or status protest. Different forums are available . . . Read More
It’s Not Just About Being Disadvantaged: An Overview of the SBA’s Potential for Success Requirement for 8(a) Program Entry
Gaining entry to the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) 8(a) Business Development Program (the “8(a) Program”) is not just about proving a social and economic disadvantage. If you are a small business owner thinking about applying to the 8(a) Program, there is another eligibility requirement you need to understand: potential for success. A business applying for 8(a) status must possess reasonable prospects for success competing in the private sector before it can be admitted to the 8(a) Program. What does that . . . Read More
Inflation Adjustments Coming to Small Business Size Standards
On June 12, 2014, the Small Business Administration (SBA) issued an interim rule, which goes into effect on July 14. This new rule increases the size standards applicable to nearly every NAICS code used in Federal Contracting (some were not adjusted, especially cases where the size is set by statue). This was the first time that the SBA adjusted any of the size standards to account for inflation since 2008. Given that many sectors of the economy are starting to . . . Read More
Victory in House of Representatives for Improvements to WOSB Federal Contract Program
By Barbara Kasoff, President of WIPP Dear WIPP Members & Friends: It is with great pleasure I write today, celebrating an enormous victory for women business owners. As many of you already know, earlier today the House of Representatives passed their annual defense bill, which included two changes that strengthen the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) procurement program. First, the bill allows sole-source contracts to be awarded through the program. Currently, contracting officers are unable to award sole-source contracts through the . . . Read More
HUBZone Map Changes – New Information Released for Over 100 Non-Metropolitan Counties
By Katie Flood Good news for many HUBZone (or HUBZone-interested) firms: The SBA has just announced that 104 non-metropolitan counties have been designated as newly qualified HUBZones or have had their redesignation periods extended, based on 2013 unemployment data recently released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the SBA has provided the new information on the counties in the form of PDF and Excel documents, the HUBZone maps have not yet been updated. However, simply because the map has not been updated would . . . Read More
Strategic Tips for Approaching Lenders and How to Choose the Right One
For those small businesses that are looking to obtain debt financing or to refinance existing debt, there are some strategic planning tips to consider in approaching and selecting a potential lender. As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. With lenders, this first impression is all-important. Failing to make a good one can be the difference between a lender making or not making a loan. And, this first impression will also significantly influence the . . . Read More
Presumed Loss Rule: They Are Who We Thought They Were
After a gut-wrenching loss on Monday Night Football several years ago, former Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green, speaking about the victorious Chicago Bears, famously ranted: “They are who we thought they were. And we let them off the hook!” Since the implementation of the SBA’s presumed loss rule last year, you should be applying the same sentiment to your subcontracts with small businesses. Make sure your subcontractor is who you thought they were, and do not let them off . . . Read More
It’s Not Just Michael Jordan’s Number Anymore: Previewing the SBA 2013 Small Business Procurement Scorecards
By Megan Connor Although the SBA is not ready to make its formal announcement yet, government-wide spending for fiscal year 2013 exceeded the 23% spending goal for small businesses for the first time in seven years. Based on data released via the Small Business Dashboard, of the $356 billion eligible dollars spent by the government in fiscal year 2013, small businesses received $83.4 billion or 23.43%. Meeting the 23% government-wide goal for 2013 is even more notable considering Bloomberg’s recent study , which showed that overall federal contract spending fell . . . Read More
Simplified Renewal: Not So Simple After All for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
Nothing in life is as simple as it seems, so it should come as no surprise to Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (“VOSBs”) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (“SDVOSBs”) that the Center for Verification and Evaluation (“CVE”) simplified renewal (“SR”) application process is not necessarily a walk in the park. The SR process is available to VOSBs and SDVOSBs that have been previously verified with a full document examination. Through this supposedly streamlined process, instituted by CVE to reduce the time and . . . Read More