A Reversal in Course? SBA Rescinds Several 8(a) Suspension Notices
In December 2025 the SBA launched a sweeping audit of its 8(a) Business Development Program, demanding extensive financial documentation from participants. By January 2026 the agency had suspended more than 1,000 firms and announced plans to terminate 628 for non‑compliance. Since then the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals has rescinded suspension notices for several companies, including X3M Systems and Connexus Hub, after they appealed. The reversals suggest that the agency may be tempering its hard‑line stance and that appeals can still succeed.
FAR Updates Trade Agreement Act Thresholds
The Federal Acquisition Regulation was revised effective March 13, 2026, altering the dollar thresholds that trigger the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) for federal procurements. The supply‑contract threshold stays at $174,000, while the construction‑contract threshold drops to $6.683 million, slightly below the previous $6.708 million...
Back to Basics: The Two-Year Rule
The SBA’s two-year rule for joint ventures (JVs) begins when the JV receives its first contract, not when the JV is formed. The JV has a two‑year window to submit offers; after that, it can only win awards if the...
Event Announcement: GovCon Roundup Live, Teaming Agreements, April 15, 2026
GovCon Roundup Live’s Episode 9, hosted by Carroll Bernard and Steven Koprince on April 15, 2026, will dive into the intricacies of teaming agreements in the federal marketplace. Federal contracts attorney Nicole Pottroff joins the discussion to clarify what “team‑ing” means for agencies and contractors alike....
Webinar Announcement: Teaming Agreements & Joint Ventures, April 14, 2026 Hosted by UT San Antonio APEX Accelerators
The University of Texas at San Antonio’s APEX Accelerators will host a webinar on April 14, 2026 focused on teaming agreements and joint ventures for federal contractors. Government‑contracts attorneys Shane McCall and Annie Birney of Koprince McCall Pottroff will walk...
Back to Basics: Requests for Equitable Adjustment
The article clarifies what a Request for Equitable Adjustment (REA) is and how it differs from a formal claim under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. It cites case law defining REAs as remedies for unforeseen conditions that increase contract costs or...
“In Scope” Vs. “Out of Scope” Modifications: How GAO Explains The Difference
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) clarified the line between “in‑scope” and “out‑of‑scope” contract modifications in its 2017 Zodiac of North America decision. GAO held that a modification is out‑of‑scope only when it creates a material difference—substantially altering work, cost, or...
GAO Evaluation of CMMC Program and Important Information for Defense Contractors
The Government Accountability Office released a report reviewing the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, calling it fundamentally sound but in need of adjustments. GAO highlighted gaps in external factor analysis, such as the limited pool of...
GovCon FAQs: My Contract Was Terminated For Convenience, What Do I Do?
A termination for convenience allows the government to end a contract without contractor fault, often due to funding or policy changes. Contractors must halt work, notify subcontractors, and begin compiling cost documentation for a settlement. The FAR outlines specific clauses...
Back to Basics: GSA CTAs
The Government Services Administration (GSA) Contractor‑Teaming Arrangement (CTA) is a hybrid teaming model reserved for Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract holders, sitting between traditional subcontracting and joint‑venture structures. It lets two or more MAS contractors combine capabilities to pursue larger,...
OHA: NAICS Code Should Be Diagnostic Imaging, Not Physicians Office
The SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals upheld the VA’s use of NAICS code 621512 – Diagnostic Imaging Centers – for a teleradiology contract, rejecting Tribal Providers’ push to reclassify it as 621111 – Offices of Physicians. The appellant failed to meet the pre‑ponderance‑of‑evidence burden...
GAO Sustain: Failure to Acknowledge Solicitation Amendment Was a Material Defect
The GAO sustained a protest by Moorish‑Wallace Construction, finding that E.C. Korneffel Co.'s failure to acknowledge a third amendment to an Army IFB was a material defect. The amendment increased the steel pile cap size and weight, changing performance requirements...
Skin of Its Teeth: Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture Survives SDVOSB Status Protest Despite Missing Required Provisions in Joint Venture
The SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals upheld Sugarloaf Technologies, an SDVOSB mentor‑protégé joint venture, after GSA protested its award for missing the specific reporting language required by 13 C.F.R. § 128.402(c)(11)‑(12). Sugarloaf’s agreement instead contained a clause stating reports would be submitted...
FAR 2.0 Update: Deviations and FAR Companion Guide
The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) is now being implemented through agency deviations, with the Department of Defense (DoD) issuing class deviations covering most FAR parts from 1 to 52. Twenty‑four agencies have already adopted RFO Part 12, and the DoD’s...
Federal Court: Temp Workers Count As Employees Under SBA Rules
A federal district court in Bloomfield v. Engineered Structures ruled that temporary workers from staffing agencies must be counted as employees under SBA regulations. The decision relied on 13 C.F.R. §121.106 and the SBA Size Policy Statement, confirming that the...