Every few years, SBA updates its size standards for small businesses. In most years, these updates, while notable, are not groundshaking, and usually just account for inflation. That cannot be said of the most recent proposed changes.
SmallGovCon, published by Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC, focuses on federal government contracting law with an emphasis on small business participation and compliance. The blog covers topics such as bid protest trends and analysis, regulatory updates including FAR provisions, and program audits like those affecting the SBA's 8(a) business development program. It also addresses issues related to contract management, government acquisition reforms, and legal challenges faced by small contractors. The content includes summaries of government reports, legislative developments, and practical guidance on navigating federal procurement rules and policies.
Every few years, SBA updates its size standards for small businesses. In most years, these updates, while notable, are not groundshaking, and usually just account for inflation. That cannot be said of the most recent proposed changes.…
Forming a small business joint venture and utilizing it for federal contracts can at times be quite tedious. Often businesses can feel intimidated by the various required joint venture agreement terms in the SBA’s joint venture regulations and the reporting…
In June 2026, the FAR Council released its first batch of proposed rules in the Federal Register to implement the changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). We recently covered the first of those proposed rules, which amended language in…
Happy Friday! I recently returned from the 2026 National APEX Accelerator Alliance – NAPEX conference in Orlando. It’s always a great event and this year was no exception. The venue was wonderful and a great space for interacting with many…
A catch-22 is an impossible, no-win situation where you are caught between two conflicting requirements, and complying with one makes it impossible to comply with the other. When a bid protest turns on whether an agency’s instructions were clear or whether a contractor was put in a catch-22,…
Affiliation is a notorious term in the world of federal procurement, especially when it comes to SBA size determinations. And affiliation analyses can be even more confusing when it comes to joint ventures. A recent SBA OHA decision, however, answered…
Not every participant in the 8(a) Business Development Program is owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. There are also a sizable number of entities that are owned by Native American tribes, Native Alaskan entities, Native Hawaiian organizations, either directly…
SBA has issued a final rule to revamp the social disadvantage rule for the 8(a) Program. We wrote about SBA’s proposed rule from June 11, 2026 that would “remove the rebuttable presumption that individuals belonging to certain designated groups are…
On this episode of GovCon Roundup Live, hosts Carroll Bernard and Steven Koprince welcome special guest Nicole Pottroff, federal contracting attorney and equity partner at Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC, to break down some recent developments that could reshape both programs:…