Following COFC Decision, GSA Rescinds Alliant 2 Small Business Awards
On March 26, 2019, the General Services Administration (“GSA”) posted a notice on FedBizOpps that it was taking corrective action in response to the recent Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) decision in the bid protest of Citizant, Inc. v. United States, No. 18-856C (Mar. 25, 2019). As part of that corrective action, GSA rescinded all 81 of the Alliant 2 Small Business (“A2SB”) contracts it awarded in February 2018. A2SB, issued under Solicitation No. QTA0016GBA0002 in June 2016, is a governmentwide . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for April 5, 2019
HEARING ON THE SMALL BUSINESS RUNWAY EXTENSION ACT PilieroMazza’s Megan Connor testified at the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure’s hearing on March 26, 2019, concerning the implementation of the Small Business Runway Extension Act (H.R. 6330) (the “Act”). The Act was signed into law in December 2018 and was designed to help small businesses successfully bridge the gap between competing in the small business space and the open marketplace against larger companies by changing the time period . . . Read More
Cybersecurity’s Increasing Impact on Prime Contract and Subcontract Awards
Since last year, I have been writing about the increasing impact of cybersecurity on contract awards. DoD has issued guidance on how it will evaluate system security plans, and it has indicated that, along with cost, schedule, and performance, cybersecurity is the “ fourth pillar ” of its acquisitions. As a result, contractors need to shift their view of cybersecurity compliance as a cost center to a business driver and an increasingly important factor in gaining a competitive advantage. The momentum has continued . . . Read More
DoD Proposes to Apply Non-Manufacturer Rule to All 8(a) Contracts
Nearly three years ago, the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) issued a final rule that standardized the limitations on subcontracting and the non-manufacturer rule (“NMR”) that apply to small business concerns, including participants in SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. In a step toward regulatory conformity, the Department of Defense (“DoD”) is now proposing to implement the revised NMR for 8(a) participants that contract with DoD. These entities should familiarize themselves with the proposed rule (“Rule”), which is summarized below. As a brief background, the . . . Read More
PilieroMazza Named Top Government Contracting Firm in JD Supra 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards
For the second year in a row, PilieroMazza was named the “top firm” in the government contracting category of the JD Supra 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards. The fourth annual awards acknowledge JD Supra contributors for achieving the highest visibility and engagement for their thought leadership during the year. Only 26 firms were named as winners of the Readers’ Choice Awards in selected categories. Readers in the government contracting category came from the defense & space, aviation & aerospace, insurance, and . . . Read More
PilieroMazza Submits Comments in Response to VA Acquisition Regulation on Competition Requirements
On April 2, 2019, PilieroMazza submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ proposed rule issued on February 1, 2019, RIN 2900-AQ21—VA Acquisition Regulation: Competition Requirements. Our firm represents small businesses operating across the government contracting spectrum, and many of these companies are SDVOSBs verified to participate in VA’s “Veterans First Contracting Program.” In representing these firms and working with VA, we have received numerous comments from our clients and have become familiar with how VA and the VA . . . Read More
Comments Submitted in Response to RIN 2900-AQ21 – VA Acquisition Regulation: Competition Requirements
On April 2, 2019, PilieroMazza submitted comments on RIN 2900-AQ21—VA Acquisition Regulation: Competition Requirements. Includes our comments on: The amendments to VAAR 806.501 will be beneficial, but must be implemented correctly and should include other amendments. In our experiences, small businesses often are unsure of who to contact with small business-related concerns regarding a solicitation. Knowing exactly who to contact at VA and SBA will save time and allow small businesses access to resolve concerns with a solicitation, and may . . . Read More
Does SBA’s New Recertification Rule Apply to My Contract?
The Weekly Update for March 29, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense released a class deviation , effective immediately, that implements section 1006 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. The class deviation prescribes that all contracting officers shall use the clause prescribed in the attachment to the class deviation when contracting with accounting firms providing financial statement auditing or audit remediation services to the Department of Defense in support of the audits required under 31 U.S.C. § 3521. The Office . . . Read More
PilieroMazza is at the NCMA SubCon Training Workshops today
Cy Alba and Tim Valley are presenting “Federal Subcontracts: Managing Data Rights and Protecting IP” at 1:00 and again at 3:00 this afternoon. Intellectual property (IP) rights under federal procurements are often misunderstood. This session will unpack important IP issues, including what the regulations require, the impacts on prime contractors, and what subcontractors must know to ensure their hard work is protected.