For many Veterans and Service-Disabled Veterans attempting to do business with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the hope outlined in the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 (the “Act”) has largely been elusive.  The Act called for the VA to give “priority to [] small business concern[s] owned and controlled by

On January 3, President Obama signed into law the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA” or “the Act”).   The Act seeks to change a number of acquisition provisions applicable to contractors doing business with the federal government.

One important change involves the limitation on subcontracting rules relating to small businesses.  The NDAA calls for changes

By: Edward T. DeLisle & Maria L. Panichelli

Yesterday, the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) proposed certain size standard changes, which could expand the number of contractors eligible for “small” business status in relation to construction contracts under NAICS Code 23.

Specifically, the SBA issued a proposed rule that would increase the size standard

By: Edward T. DeLisle & Maria L. Panichelli

In a recent opinion, SDVOSB Appeal of Rush-Link One Joint Venture, SBA No. VET-228 (2012), the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Office of Hearings and Appeals (“OHA”) used two 8(a) program regulations, namely 13 C.F.R. § 124.106(g) and 13 C.F.R. § 124.3, to determine

 By: Edward T. DeLisle

On January 18, 2012, Representative Bill Owens (D.-N.Y.) introduced a bill entitled, “The Small Business Growth and Federal Accountability Act” (H.R. 3779).  The Act is designed to “hold accountable Federal departments and agencies that fail to meet goals relating to the participation of small business concerns.” In order to achieve

By: Edward T. DeLisle

On Thursday, January 12, 2012, the Small Business Administration issued an interim final rule, which alters the protest procedures pertaining to its Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program. The changes serve two primary functions. First, when the SBA implemented the WOSB program by publishing a final rule in the Federal Register on

By: Edward T. DeLisle

On December 22, 2010, the VA announced that it had selected the first twenty (20) mentor-protégé teams to participate in its newly minted Mentor-Protégé Program. The program is designed to assist firms that have already been verified as veteran-owned or service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses by the VA. Eligible firms are

By: Edward T. DeLisle & Lori Wisniewski Azzara

On March 4, 2010, the Small Business Administration released a proposed rule that, if adopted, would significantly expand federal contracting opportunities for eligible women-owned small businesses (“WOSB”). The SBA conducted a study that identified 83 industries, based upon the NAICS code, in which WOSBs are either “underrepresented&rdquo