Woman-owned small business contractors should respond to sources sought notices from agencies as a way to increase the government’s use of set-aside contracts for that category, a panel of female chief executives said Friday.
Source: Women CEOs: RFI responses critical to more set-asides — Washington Technology
To qualify as a small business under some procurements, a business must either manufacture the item or qualify as a non-manufacturer.
Source: 5 Things You Should Know: The Manufacturer Rule – SmallGovCon
The doctrine of laches means you are out of time.
In 2017, Anis Avasta Construction Company filed a claim with the ASBCA (Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals) claiming that the Air Force had not paid it for work performed in Afghanistan back in 2011. Anis Avasta Construction Company claimed that the Air Force awarded the company a contract to construct a water supply and storage facility and further claimed that it had fulfilled that contract but was not paid for the work.
Source: PNWC’s Government Contracting Update: What is the “Doctrine of Laches”?
It looks like the United States government may have found an ideal solution to expedite its procurement efforts.
Source: Blockchain: A Path to Unblocking Government Procurement Processes
Despite general agreement the Modernizing Government Technology Act was a win for federal IT, just nine projects were initially submitted for money from the central IT fund the law created.
Source: Why more agencies aren’t applying for TMF funds — FCW
Are we experiencing a shift towards a higher bar for pursuing False Claims Act Cases? Department of Justice guidelines may signal a new direction from the last two decades of DOJ FCA enforcement history through policies that reign in relators and articulate some boundaries for cases pursued by DOJ. Meanwhile, Escobar progeny continues to develop and refine the materiality requirement under the FCA. Join us on May 17, 2018, at 8:30 AM Eastern, as Crowell & Moring attorneys Brian Tully McLaughlin, Mana Lombardo, Jason Crawford, and Nkechi Kanu lead a discussion highlighting recent developments impacting FCA investigation, enforcement, and litigation under the False Claims Act. Specific topics include:
Department of Defense Class Deviation 2018-O0013 raises micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds and revises the special emergency procurement authority.
Source: Micro-Purchase and Simplified Acquisition Thresholds Raised by DoD | Government Contracts Blog
The Defense Department is proposing legislation to impose new constraints on government contractors’ ability to protest federal agencies’ award decisions, including by rolling back their rights to file bid protests in federal court.
Source: Pentagon seeks to limit bid protests in federal court
State CIOs have made it clear that they are as focused on strict fiscal management this year as they are on aggressive IT modernization. One can assume that there is a direct correlation: States don’t have unlimited funds to execute these large-scope technology projects, but they don’t have the luxury of delaying their digital transformations either.
Source: State CIOs want to maintain the cost and quality of services: How procurement can help
As procurement matures, the profession is finding its voice
Source: Earning a Seat at the Table
