In case you spent last week (this morning) dealing with winter weather instead of reading the latest and greatest in the realm on federal contracting, here is a rundown of last week’s top developments related to government contracts, to get you back on track and ready for Monday.
1. Senate Passes “Clean” Spending Bill To Avoid DHS Shutdown
On February 27, the U.S. Senate passed a $39.7 billion bill funding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through 2015 after resolving an immigration-related impasse. The House voted Friday to approve a one-week stopgap spending bill for the agency. If a DHS shutdown occurs, contractors could face stop-work orders and late payments.
2. Shipping Containers Did Not Comply with Trade Agreements Act
The Government Accountability Office denied a protest over a Defense Logistics Agency contract for shipping containers, finding that the protester did not offer a U.S.-made end-product in compliance with the Trade Agreements Act of 1979.
3. New Executive Order To Encourage Cybersecurity Information Sharing
On February 13, President Barack Obama signed an executive order encouraging more sharing of cybersecurity threat information between the private and public sectors. The order would promote the development of central clearinghouses for companies and the government to share data, and creation of centers where data can be shared across specific geographic regions.
4. Small Business Loses 8(a) Qualification Based on Company Ties
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Hearings and Appeals affirmed SBA’s disqualification of contractor from the agency’s 8(a) business development program, finding that the agency had reasonable evidence that the company was too closely connected to another business to qualify.
5. DOD Should Streamline Its Decision-Making Process for Weapon Systems
The Government Accountability Office published a new report on Department of Defense acquisition reform, finding that DOD’s information and documentation requirements often add significant time to the acquisition process, sometimes for little additional value.
6. SAIC Wins $62M Task Order for Navy Engineering Services
The U.S. Navy awarded a $62 million task order for architecture and systems engineering support to McLean, Virginia-based Science Applications International Corp. SAIC will provide mission engineering analysis, software and network engineering, reliability and systems safety assurances, and other tasks for the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.