The FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) Councils are proposing to amend the FAR to bring it into conformity with certain SBA (Small Business Administration) regulations regarding limitations on subcontracting.
Source: PNWC’s Government Contracting Update: Limitation on Subcontracting – Simplifying the Calculations
Earlier this week, the FAR Council issued a proposed rule to conform the FAR to the SBA’s regulation governing limitations on subcontracting. But the DoD isn’t waiting around while the FAR Council finishes the process.
The DoD has issued a comprehensive FAR deviation, effective immediately. The DoD’s FAR deviation will, effectively, temporarily conform the DoD’s use of the FAR to the SBA’s regulation while the FAR Council works on a final rule.
FAR 52.204-23 is a relatively new contract clause that is appearing in a lot of contracts. It prohibits the Government from contracting for hardware, software, and services developed or provided by Kaspersky Labs and other covered entities. Covered entities includes successor entities to Kaspersky Lab, entities that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with Kaspersky Lab or another entity of which Kaspersky Lab has a majority ownership.
The report, released Thursday, breaks down where state IT leaders will be focusing their attention in the coming year.
The federal acquisition system might be complicated and slow, but it’s not immune to change. In fact, Congress and its own practitioners are constantly tinkering with it. The coming year will bring a number of crucial changes. Eric Crucius, partner at Holland and Knight, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin in studio to discuss some of the most important changes.
A growing number of agencies are dusting off old procurement rules that lie outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation. These so-called other transaction authorities are perfectly legal. For more detail, Ben McMartin, chief of the acquisition management office at the Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Source: More agencies using OTAs to get past federal acquisition regulation
There’s an old adage: Saying it is one thing, but proving it is another. In the world of GSA OASIS On-Ramps, this adage is very fitting.
Source: Beware the OASIS On-Ramps. Its not as easy as it looks. | Lohfeld
The FBI announced an early 2019 timeline for the solicitation of its $5 billion, enterprisewide IT products and services contract.
Source: FBI Issues Timeline for $5 Billion IT Contract Solicitation – Nextgov
Every DCAA (Defense Contract Audit Agency) audit, whether requested or self-initiated, begins with a risk assessment. A risk assessment is a set of tools auditors – all auditors – use to help decide where and what to focus on in an audit. So, for example, if only $100 of material costs have been charged against a $1 million contract, the auditor would probably conclude that his/her limited resources can be better spent on other than material costs.
Source: PNWC’s Government Contracting Update: What is a Profit Margin Test?
Earlier this year, GAO unveiled its new Electronic Protest Docketing System (“EPDS”) for bid protests. EPDS serves as the central filing system for all bid protests pursued before GAO. As a courtesy, EPDS will automatically generate a courtesy email notice anytime a new document is filed with GAO.