The SBA published guidelines for the social disadvantage narrative, so all companies that submitted their 8a application relying on the presumption of disadvantage MUST submit a Social Disadvantage Narrative and have the SBA approve it to receive an 8a award.
Read MoreAugust 14, 2023 - I posted several weeks ago about a judge’s recent ruling regarding the 8a program (blog post on that here). The SBA paused all 8a applications last week and we’ve been waiting to hear what the solution is. It seems like we finally have some movement. I had a late-night conversation with Robb Wong, former SBA Associate Administrator, Office of Government Contracting & Business Development, last night and he has been working his contacts at SBA and DOJ. Here’s where we are right now based on his conversations with SBA, DOJ, and OSDBUs:
Read MoreJuly 24, 2023 - A recent ruling from a federal judge in Tennessee looks like it may significantly change the SBA 8(a) program. The judge has ordered an injunction that prevents the SBA from presuming social disadvantage based on race for program applicants. The immediate implementation of this injunction could be incredibly disruptive to the 8(a) program, although the full implications of the decision are still unclear.
Read MoreJanuary 4, 2022 - Now that the calendar has officially turned, I want to go out on a limb and make some predictions on a few trends that I think will shape the year to come. Here’s what 8a companies should be ready for in 2023:
Read MoreDecember 2, 2022 - Back in June, we shared the exciting news that many of the NAICS codes size standards were increased. This was most notably for 541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services) going to $21.5M. In light of the unusual inflation occurring, the SBA has decided to make further adjustments to size standards and issue an interim final rule increasing size standards. Here's the high-level break down of some common professional services NAICS in the 8(a) space and the impact that takes effect as of December 19, 2022:
Read MoreNovember 18, 2022 - Before we drift off into stuffing ourselves next week, you should be aware of a proposed rule that SBA recently put out for the Mentor Protege Program (MPP) that impacts 8a companies...in a positive way! Under the SBA MPP rules, the Mentor is allowed to acquire up to a 40% stake in the protege, even if they are in the same or similar line of business. However, the 8a rules for additional owners were different (10-20%, depending on which stage of the 8a program the Protege was in) and it wasn't clear which one won out against the other. Now we know!
Read MoreNovember 7, 2022 - The M&A market in government contracting continues to be very active. For buyers - they might be looking to get into new Agencies, get on a contracting vehicle to steer/retain work, or simply diversify their revenues. And, for sellers - they might be looking to move on to their next endeavor or retire after a challenging time running a business during COVID-19. Whatever the case might be, here are three considerations for 8(a) businesses when exploring a purchase (or selling) of a government contracting firm:
Read MoreJune 27, 2022 - Recently, the Federal Register published a final rule that includes the SBA's increase of size standards across a number of NAICS codes. Here's the high-level break down of the common professional services NAICS in the 8(a) space and the impact that takes effect as of May 2022:
Read MoreMarch 1, 2022 - For the past six months, we've seen a lot of consolidation in the 8(a) community. And, we expect the trend to continue throughout 2022. What's driving the continued trend of M&A and consolidation within the industry? There are many reasons, here are a few:
Read MoreJanuary 11, 2022 - Last week, we highlighted the ongoing appropriations standoff as an issue that would shape the start of 2022. The current continuing resolution (or "CR") will keep the government funded until February 18, but agencies can’t spend money on new projects until longer-term spending measures are approved unless they get a waiver. With a lot of potential new agency initiatives frozen with the CR, where can government contractors look for new opportunities in the federal space?
Read MoreJanuary 11, 2022 - Expectations are high among government contractors as 2022 gets underway, though plenty of uncertainty lies ahead. Here’s a quick look at three of the biggest issues we’ll be tracking in Q1 (and what they mean for you).
Read MoreOctober 27, 2021 - Have a prime contract with the federal government? If so, have you recently requested CPARS lately?
Read MoreOctober 5, 2021 - Good news for 8(a) companies and small businesses, broadly! The House of Representatives has passed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which contains an amendment that would effectively expand the federal government’s small business prime contracting goal from 23% to 25%. This increase is thanks to Representative Kweisi Mfume (MD), who proposed an amendment, which would not only increase the prime contracting goals for small businesses, but would also increase the goals for for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, and women-owned small businesses.
Read MoreSeptember 21, 2021 - We're in the final weeks of FY21; we hope you've had a successful year end closeout! You may have heard the outcome of a recent proposal submission. Or, you may have a few outstanding proposals awaiting decision. Request a proposal debrief ... win or lose.
Read MoreSeptember 14, 2021 - Most of the government contractors we talk to don’t do after-action reports (AARs). Frankly, it’s not hard to understand why. Preparing a government proposal can take weeks or even months. That means countless hours spent trying to decipher an RFP, way too many meetings, endless back-and-forth conversations with contracting officers, and probably more than a few sleepless nights. Once your proposal is submitted, the last thing you want to do is think about what you and your team just went through. Here’s why that’s a mistake:
Read MoreAugust 4, 2021 - Last week, we covered three tips to stay afloat (and succeed) in the federal "busy season" with a small team. Specifically, the need to prioritize, decide on a bid / no bid decision swiftly and leveraging proposal libraries. This week, we're covering how to do proposal reviews (highly encouraged for all, if you aren't already doing these...) with a small team. In a recent proposal management training with a client's team, someone asked the question “How can we do a color team review when there’s generally just two of us working on these?”
Read MoreJuly 21, 2021 - Many of the 8(a) firms we speak with are routinely resource challenged particularly with business development and proposal support. The larger 8(a) companies are frequently underwater and both small and large 8(a)'s alike often have too few dedicated team members for business development and proposal activities...if they have anyone at all. If you have a small business development / proposal team, how do you stay focused, figure out which ones to spend time on, and turn out a good product?
Read MoreApril 8, 2021 - We’re less than 100 days into the new administration, but we’ve already seen a lot of activity that will affect agency missions and spending priorities—and we expect more to come in the near future. Many new federal appointees have assumed their positions and are now assessing their programs, personnel, and needs. As leaders begin prioritizing needs and objectives, we expect many will push to introduce new programs. Additionally, we are eight days into Q3, which means that procurement offices are deep into planning acquisitions that need to be finished by September 30th. Here’s what that means:
Read MoreA one-page capabilities statement is an asset that every 8(a) firm should have. If you’re a young or unknown 8(a) firm without an extensive record of past performance, this document is especially important. A well-written capabilities statement will tell government buyers and prime contractors everything they need to know about you when you’re not around to tell them yourself.
Read MoreThere was a 10-20% increase of Mentor Protege Program (MPP) relationships approved by the SBA in 2020 from 2019. For a year that had so much turmoil and uncertainty, it’s great to see that there was still an increase in applications to the program.
Read More