The Weekly Update for March 8, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report on high-risk areas. Mr. Dodaro’s testimony explained that the GAO’s high-risk program has focused attention on government operations with greater vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, or that are in need of transformation to address economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. The GAO’s 2019 High Risk Report, among other things, identified two . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for March 1, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING The Department of Defense (DoD) updated its list of product categories for which the Federal Prison Industries’ (FPI) share of the DoD market is greater than 5%, as required by statute. The product categories and the products within each of the identified product categories must be procured using competitive procedures in accordance with the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 208.602-70. Contracting officers must consider a timely offer from FPI for any of the product categories on the . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for February 22, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING The Government Accountability Office (GAO) sustained a protest filed by Ekagra Partners, LLC challenging the terms of a request for proposal (RFP) issued by the General Services Administration (GSA). In its protest, Ekagra Partners argued the solicitation for the OASIS Small Business on-ramp, which included terms that improperly restricted competition by limiting the ways in which a small business joint venture could form teams to submit a proposal. The GAO found that the solicitation’s limitation on the ability of . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for February 15, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING The General Services Administration (GSA) implemented a new process in SAM that allows non-federal entity registrants to submit common federal government-wide Representations and Certifications for financial assistance. The procurement Representations and Certifications have not changed. Non-federal entities creating new SAM registrations and existing non-federal entities completing their annual SAM registration renewals will be required to review and certify their financial assistance Certifications and Representations before their registration can be activated. Registration in SAM is required prior to receipt of . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for February 8, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a series of workshops geared to help Native American small business communities with technical assistance and business development. The SBA will participate in the workshops by providing information and access to products and services that are available. The workshops will focus on increased financial literacy and outreach initiatives to enhance the use of the SBA’s financing programs, counseling, and business development services. The SBA and other federal agencies, such as the U.S. . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for February 1, 2018
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING According to a Washington Technology article, just because government agencies reopened after five weeks of a shutdown does not mean things return to business as usual. In fact, the article continues, service providers and other market observers advise that patience and empathy will both be virtues in this situation. Generally speaking, the 800,000 furloughed federal civilian employees were not allowed to check email or telephone messages during the shutdown, which includes many employees responsible for processing invoices to . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for January 25, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING As reported in a Nextgov article , the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Chief Procurement Officer Soraya Correa issued a special notice extending the due dates for all unamended acquisition deadlines after December 22. The special notice also states that DHS, and most of its component parts, will not move forward with pending acquisitions until the shut down ends. The notice gives vendors up to seven days after the partial government shutdown is resolved to submit bid proposals if the deadline . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for January 18, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING According to Bloomberg Government, contract spending has grown by almost 6% per year over the past five years as federal agencies increasingly rely on government-wide contract vehicles and simplified acquisition procedures. Bloomberg Government identified five spending trends that developed from Fiscal Year 2014 through Fiscal Year 2018, listed below. Federal contract spending reached a five-year high in Fiscal Year 2018. The $560 billion in federal contract spending in Fiscal Year 2018 is the highest level since Fiscal Year . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for January 11, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING A Government Executive article discussed the impact of the shutdown on some defense contractors. As the partial government shutdown continues, some American defense firms are receiving multi-million-dollar IOUs instead of payments. For example, executives for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and Engility, two of the government’s largest service contractors, said the payroll for workers idled by the shutdown comes to $10 million every week, and, just three weeks into the freeze, they say the government is about $40 million . . . Read More
The Weekly Update for January 4, 2019
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING According to an article on Law360, American freight shipping company, YRC Worldwide (YRC), was sued in a securities class action lawsuit filed in New York federal court that claims investors paid the ultimate price when the company allegedly overcharged the federal government for carrier services and later tried to cover it up. An investor, who is looking to represent all those who bought stock in YRC from March 10, 2014, to December 14, 2018, alleges that YRC hid . . . Read More