Federal News Network Quotes PilieroMazza’s Cy Alba on Re-Release of Polaris RFP
Cy Alba , a partner in PilieroMazza ’s Government Contracts Group , recently discussed the re-release of the Polaris request for proposals (RFP) with Federal News Network. Potentially worth tens of billions of dollars, the small business governmentwide acquisition contract for IT services has drawn close attention from government contractors, with seemingly endless updates to the RFP. After a nearly two-month pause on bid submissions, the General Services Administration (GSA) re-released the solicitation on June 30, 2022, with updated relevant experience requirements. Among other changes, GSA now is requiring . . . Read More
Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses– June 30, 2022
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . GovCon Live! Podcast: Listen to PilieroMazza’s latest episodes and follow us to hear more here . GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS House Passes Bill Increasing Importance of Subcontracting Plan Performance as an Evaluation Factor, Sam Finnerty , 06.22.22 On June 8, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, referred to as H.R. . . . Read More
House Passes Bill Increasing Importance of Subcontracting Plan Performance as an Evaluation Factor
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 more broadly consider the content of subcontracting plans and subcontracting plan performance when evaluating large businesses for federal contracts. If enacted, the Bill should encourage large businesses to subcontract more work to small businesses and to achieve their small . . . Read More
SBA Extends Bona Fide Place of Business Moratorium
Last August, PilieroMazza reported that Bibi Hidalgo, the Associate Administrator for SBA’s Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, announced that SBA will be suspending the bona fide place of business requirement for 8(a) construction contracts, effective immediately. While the Small Business Act requires that, to the “maximum extent practicable, construction subcontracts awarded by the Administration pursuant to this subsection shall be awarded within the county or state where the work is to be performed,” in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it . . . Read More
PilieroMazza’s Litigation Group Welcomes Lucian Grove to Its Expanding Team
PilieroMazza is pleased to announce the addition of Lucian Grove to the Firm’s expanding Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group . Matt Feinberg , Chair of the Group, said: “Lucian brings to the team a wealth of knowledge and experience advocating for the rights of clients. We are delighted to welcome him to our expanding team and look forward to his contributions.” Lucian is also a member of the Firm’s False Claims Act and Audits & Investigations practice groups. Lucian assists government contractors and other businesses in navigating complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters as well . . . Read More
5 Key Ways a Contractor Can Be Subject to a Government Claim
The performance of any government contract by a contractor has the potential to bring certain monetary risks of a government claim against the contractor. Below, we discuss 5 key ways a government contractor can be subject to a government claim and best practices to reduce your risks. 1. Overpayment A common type of government claim is based upon what the government considers to be an overpayment on its part. For example, an agency might have paid an invoice where the . . . Read More
Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses– June 15, 2022
If you have questions concerning the content below, please visit this link . Upcoming Events: Register to attend PilieroMazza’s upcoming events here . Recent Thought Leadership: Check out PilieroMazza’s recent client alerts and blogs here . GovCon Live! Podcast: Listen to PilieroMazza’s latest episodes and follow us to hear more here . GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS PilieroMazza’s Cy Alba Testifies Before House Committee: Are Governmentwide Contracts Helping or Hurting Small Contractors? Cy Alba , 06.15.22 On June 14, 2022, PilieroMazza ’s Isaias “Cy” Alba , a partner in the Firm’s Government Contracts Group , testified before . . . Read More
PilieroMazza’s Cy Alba Testifies Before House Committee: Are Governmentwide Contracts Helping or Hurting Small Contractors?
On June 14, 2022, PilieroMazza ’s Isaias “Cy” Alba , a partner in the Firm’s Government Contracts Group , testified before the House Committee on Small Business to advocate for the rights of small business government contractors in procurement contracts. Specifically, the hearing examined governmentwide contracts, including the Best-In-Class (BICs) contracts that originate from the Category Management initiative, and assessed their impact on the federal small business base. In his testimony, Cy discussed potential solutions to reduce the barriers to entry for small businesses as it pertains . . . Read More
Small Business Set Asides Now Allowed Outside the U.S.: What You Need to Know
Effective May 26, 2022, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) gives contracting officers the discretion to apply the Small Business Act (Act)—implemented by FAR Part 19—outside the United States and its outlying areas. This final rule (Rule) could create significant business opportunities for small business government contractors capable of competing for overseas procurements. By way of background, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has consistently taken the position that the Act is not geographically limited and, as a result, FAR Part 19, should . . . Read More
New Virginia Law Prohibits “Pay-When-Paid” and “Pay-If-Paid” Provisions in Construction Contracts
Construction contracts routinely set payment terms as “pay-when-paid” or “pay-if-paid.” These terms protect the prime contractor from bearing all the risk of nonpayment by the owner. In Virginia, however, that will not be true for much longer. Last month, Virginia lawmakers passed Senate Bill 550, which makes “pay-when-paid” and “pay-if-paid” clauses unenforceable in most circumstances. Specifically, the new law applies to both public construction contracts and certain private construction contracts that involve at least one general contractor and one subcontractor. . . . Read More