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A new bill would let companies challenge the agency through an administrative process that promises to be simpler and cheaper than litigation. Witnesses at a congressional hearing said they feared new size standards would alter competition for $200 billion in small-business set asides.
The Small Business Administration is reopening the comment period for a rule proposed late last year. The SBA is trying to bring small business contracting rules in line with what was mandated by the 2013 Defense Authorization Act. But critics say the SBA's approach is unfair to small businesses. Many of them would qualify as large businesses, while several large businesses could qualify as small. Tim Sullivan is a partner at the law firm Thompson Coburn and a long-time procurement attorney. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with his take.
The Small Business Administration is proposing two new rule changes that the small business contracting community doesn't like at all. The first proposal changes the standards for small business set asides and subcontracts. Charles Tiefer is a law professor at the University of Baltimore, and former commissioner of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he explained what's going on.
Small businesses could soon compete for contracts in more industries, according to a new bill from House Small Business Committee Chairman Steve Chabot (R-Ohio). He introduces the Small Contractors Improve Competition Act. It's looking at industries that don't do much government business and ways to attract those small businesses to compete. It also sets an annual small business goal for each agency. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller tells In Depth with Francis Rose about the bill and how it could impact your agency.
A new bill from the House Small Business Committee chairman would require SBA to develop a new methodology to measure how effective agencies are in ensuring small firms receive prime and subcontracts awards.
The Small Business Administration has a problem with its Historically Underutilized Business Zones designation. According to a new GAO report, SBA has no way to inform businesses when they might no longer qualify as a HUBZone. Or when the zone they operate in might not longer be considered a HUBZone. For more on the report, and what SBA can do to improve, Bill Shear, director of Financial Markets and Community Investment Issues at the GAO, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive.
He's been the voice for the farmer when EPA regulations call for spilled milk to be treated like an oil spill. Advocacy is about relieving unnecessary burden for small businesses without losing sight of the goal of the regulation. Dr. Winslow Sargeant is chief counsel for advocacy at the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy. Today is his last day on the job. Before leaving, he joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to review his time at the agency,
A new rule proposed by the Small Business Administration could help small companies team up to go after larger government contracts, says John Shoraka, associate administrator of government contracting and business at SBA.
The Small Business Administration is proposing a new rule that it says will help small companies get government contracts. Among the changes is that two or more small firms could bid as a joint venture, while not losing their small-business status. To discuss that and more, John Shoraka, SBA's Associate Administrator of Government Contracting and Business Development, joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive.
Gridlock in Washington in recent years has stalled tax bills and other legislation aimed at helping small companies, but such proposals are expected to be on the agenda in the Republican-led Congress.
Government contracting can be a very useful tool for enhancing social and economic changes that Congress deems worthy. Contracting veteran Tim Sullivan has authored the blog, "10 Myths of Government Contracting." Sullivan has been exploring these myths on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Today Sullivan tackles the penultimate myth - number 9: Only the big guys succeed. That myth seems easy to debunk given the amount of small business contracting the federal government does ... but not everyone reads past the headline of the big awards.
Congress ranks small business right up there with motherhood and apple pie. Small businesses should take advantage of this fact, says contracting expert Tim Sullivan.
Jenny Mattingley hosts a roundtable discussion with federal CIOs and CTOs, about how their jobs have changed over the years, and the future opportunities and challenges they see on the horizon. December 5, 2014
The Small Business Administration received more than 200 comments about a proposed rule to eliminate the exception to how IT value-added resellers are classified as small contractors. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the Small Business Committee, wrote a letter to SBA asking for the rule to be retracted and improved.