Recently, in Cosette Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. United States, the Court of Federal Claims sustained a bid protest, finding that the agency misapplied the Trade Agreements Act (“TAA”) during proposal evaluation. That decision is a helpful reminder that the Court
Inside Government Contracts
Procurement Law and Policy Insights
Inside Government Contracts, published by Covington & Burling LLP, focuses on legal and regulatory developments affecting government contractors. The blog covers topics such as bid protest trends and outcomes, changes in procurement regulations including Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) and Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Act (TINA) thresholds, legislative updates impacting government contracting like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and compliance issues related to domestic sourcing and trade agreements. It also addresses emerging concerns in government procurement such as biotechnology supply chain restrictions and agency enforcement actions. The blog serves as a resource for understanding the intersection of federal acquisition policies, contract disputes, and regulatory compliance.
Latest from Inside Government Contracts - Page 7
Top Five Trends and Takeaways from the FY 2025 ASBCA and CBCA Annual Reports
As fiscal year (“FY”) 2025 closes, both the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (“ASBCA”) and Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (“CBCA”) released their annual reports. Together, the two reports provide a useful snapshot of case volumes, outcomes, agency trends,…
From DAS to WAS: Secretary Hegseth’s Acquisition Overhaul and What It Means for Industry
On November 7, 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used a speech at the National War College to unveil a Department of War (“DoW”) memorandum titled “Transforming the Defense Acquisition System into the Warfighting Acquisition System to Accelerate Fielding of…
“Show Don’t Tell” — GAO Stresses the Importance of Adequately Documenting OCI Investigations
As previously noted, although agency organizational conflict of interest (OCI) investigations are highly discretionary, that discretion is not boundless. GAO’s recent sustain of an impaired objectivity OCI claim in Castro & Company, LLC, B-423689, Nov. 13, 2025, underscores…
Contractors Should Not Overlook the Administration’s Call to Action on Commerciality
Last week, Secretary Hegseth delivered a speech at the National War College introducing transformations to the defense procurement process. Among them, the Secretary discussed awarding companies bigger and longer contracts for proven systems; removing “excessive and burdensome” requirements (for example,…
Massachusetts Seeks to Expand Defense Footprint with Nearly $47 Million in New Projects
Massachusetts aims to be the “cornerstone of the defense industry,” with Governor Maura Healey announcing nearly $47 million in government funding for defense-related projects. Last year, the Department of Defense ranked Massachusetts ninth out of the top ten states in…
August, September, and October 2025 Cybersecurity Developments Under the Trump Administration
How Will DoW Determine Which Level of CMMC Applies to My Agreement?
Now that the final Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program and Procurement Rules have been issued by the Department of War (DoW) (see our CMMC Toolkit for in-depth analysis of these Rules) and the CMMC Program is set to begin…
U.S. Department of Commerce Opens New Funding Opportunity for Semiconductor R&D
The Department of Commerce recently released a new funding opportunity to support semiconductor-related research and development using funds appropriated under the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Pub. L. No. 117-167, 136 Stat. 1366 (Aug. 9, 2022)). Set forth below are a…