How to Walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death: Strategies for Mid-Tier Federal Contractors
It is a well-known fear of many small business federal contractors that, if you are too successful, it may be the death knell for the business. Every small business set aside is restricted to only those companies whose revenues or employees fall below the applicable size standard, some of which are quite small (only a few million dollars a year in some cases). As a result, small businesses that continue to win work soon find themselves classified as a large . . . Read More
Current Trends in Federal Procurement
For government contractors, staying ahead of the curve is critical for success. Knowing about a new law, policy, or program can provide you with a competitive advantage. There are three current trends in federal procurement that are significantly affecting the means agencies use to purchase goods and services as well as the ways contractors compete for those opportunities: category management, the 809 Panel, and other transaction authority (“OTA”). Staying abreast of these trends and determining how you can effectively maneuver . . . Read More
GAO Considers Impact of Department of Defense Enhanced Debriefing Rights on Protest Timeliness Requirements
In a recent GAO decision, State Women Corporation, B-416510 (July 12, 2018) , GAO denied a protest as untimely after considering the impact of the Department of Defense’s (“DoD”) new enhanced post-award debriefing procedures (“Enhanced Debriefing Rights”) on GAO’s protest timeliness requirements. As explained in a prior blog , since March 22, 2018, the DoD has required that, for post-award debriefings conducted in accordance with FAR 15.506(d), offerors be allowed to submit questions within two business days of receiving the debriefing. The debriefing is not considered to be . . . Read More
Acetris Health Case Demonstrates the Value of Strategy in Pre-Award Bid Protests
We recently wrote about the decision in Acetris Health, LLC v. United States, Case No. 18-433C (July 16, 2018), in which the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (“Court”) issued a decision about a challenge to the terms of a solicitation issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”). Although that decision has interesting implications for procurements involving the Trade Agreements Act, the decision also illustrates how pre-award protests can be utilized to maximize the competitive process. Additionally, the decision also raises . . . Read More
Court of Federal Claims Issues Wide-Reaching Decision on Trade Agreements Act
On July 16, 2018, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (“Court”) issued a decision in the bid protest of Acetris Health, LLC v. United States, Case No. 18-433C, that will likely have far-reaching implications on other procurements involving the Trade Agreements Act (“TAA”). In that case, Acetris Health, LLC (“Acetris”) challenged the terms of a solicitation issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) to purchase Entecavir Tablets, a medicine designed to treat hepatitis B. In the solicitation for . . . Read More
GAO Weighs in on Facility Clearance Requirement for Unpopulated Joint Ventures
A recent GAO decision upholds a facility clearance in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) solicitation even if burdensome to unpopulated joint ventures. The protester in the case made a common mistake among unpopulated joint ventures: assuming the clearances of the venturers may be attributed to the joint venture, without going through the process of clearing the joint venture. GAO found the cleared status of the venturers was irrelevant under applicable classified information policies. In Management and Technical Services Alliance Joint Venture , B-416239 (June 25, . . . Read More
New and Proposed Certified Cost or Pricing Data Requirements Will Shift Burdens upon DoD Contractors
Compliance with the requirements of the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data statute (“TCPD”), which is still commonly known as the Truth in Negotiations Act, has been a significant burden to many small business contractors. Under TCPD, federal contractors are required to submit “certified cost or pricing data” to the contracting officer prior to the award of negotiated contracts where (i) the price exceeds a specific threshold and (ii) an exception to the requirement is not applicable. If there is a . . . Read More
No-Poaching Agreements: You Could Be Criminally Liable
Earlier this year, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division (DOJ) issued the Antitrust Guidance for Human Resource Professionals (DOJ Guidelines), which signaled for the first time that DOJ would “proceed criminally against naked wage-fixing or no-poaching agreements.” “No-poaching” or wage fixing agreements are a defense against employees leaving their companies to work for competitors in tight markets. However, companies that are not careful and enter into these agreements could face substantial liability, even criminal liability. By way of example, in . . . Read More
GAO Denies Protest Based on Cybersecurity Compliance
Last month, I blogged about DoD’s draft guidance on how it will evaluate cybersecurity compliance in the award of contracts. The blog is available here . Based on this draft guidance indicating DoD may use cybersecurity compliance as pass/fail or best value criteria in evaluations, I concluded that bid protests would not be too far behind once DoD finalizes and implements the guidance. The public comment period on DoD’s draft guidance recently closed, so we may still be a little way . . . Read More
False Claims Act Cases Involving Set-Aside Contracts Held to More Stringent Requirements Following Escobar
Two years have passed since the U.S. Supreme Court issued Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States ex rel. Escobar, a key False Claims Act (“FCA”) case that resolved a circuit court split regarding the scope and validity of the implied false certification theory and established that the materiality standard for FCA cases is “demanding.” Since that time, lower courts have been implementing those standards to varying effects. The trend has been favorable for companies facing FCA cases that allege . . . Read More