SmallGovCon Week in Review: January 26-30, 2026

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Shane McCall

It’s Friday and time for another SmallGovCon Week in Review. As we finish out January we hope everyone is staying warm with all the snow and cold weather across the country. I was in Washington DC this week for a court hearing, and it’s clear the cold and snow has really done a number on half the country. There was snow on the ground when I left Kansas City and snow on the ground in DC, and every place in between.

Grab a hot cup of cocoa (as sung by the The Von Trapp children) and warm up with the latest in federal government contracting news, including the suspension of many 8(a) companies and a close review of 8(a) contracts by DoD, along with news on a potential shutdown.

Year in Review: Top SmallGovCon Posts of 2025

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Shane McCall

Hello, SmallGovCon readers! As we do each year, this post revisits the most popular SmallGovCon articles that were posted in 2025, as well as the most popular all-time posts in 2025. As we move deeper into 2026, I look to to reflect on these important and well-liked posts from 2025.

Below, we summarize the blogs written in 2025 that were the most visited as well as the perennial favorites from years past that were the most read in 2025. It’s a good chance to look back on the important articles from 2025, and those topics of continuing interest to federal contractors. While there are exceptions, chances are that those topics that were of high interest in 2025 will carry on into 2026.

Why File: An Appeal of an 8(a) Program Termination

Posted on January 28, 2026 by Annie Birney

In a previous blog post, Why File: An Appeal of SBA’s 8(a) Program Denial, we covered the process for appealing SBA’s denial of admission into the 8(a) Business Development Program (AKA 8(a) Program). We discussed what happens when a business is stopped at the door – denied entry altogether in the program. But what happens when a concern already admitted into the 8(a) Program is terminated by SBA? Here, we will touch on the arguably more consequential scenario of an 8(a) Program participant’s termination from the program. Specifically, the termination process, timing considerations, and OHA’s scope of review.

BREAKING: SBA’s Newly-Released 8(a) Program Mandate with “Clarifying Guidance” Regarding Social Disadvantage Criteria Brings Far More Confusion Than “Clarity”

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Nicole Pottroff

On January 22, 2026, SBA issued brand new “SBA Guidance” to its Office of Government Contracting and Business Development and its Office of Field Operations via a highly confusing 8(a) Program Mandate. On its Website, SBA labels it “Clarifying Guidance That Race-Based Discrimination is Not Tolerated in the 8(a) Program[,]” and further labels it the “Latest Action” in our Federal Government’s “Year-Long Effort to Dismantle DEI Discrimination, Expose Fraud, and Restore Fairness in Federal Contracting[.]” But no matter SBA’s intent behind it, this guidance does everything but clarify even a single aspect of SBA’s 8(a) Program eligibility rules and social disadvantage requirement.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: January 19-23, 2026

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday! We are preparing for the snow that’s impacting much of the nation. But amidst the frenzy of dealing with the transitory, we also wanted to remember Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy this week and all that he has taught us about the “the arc of the moral universe.” We would do well to reflect on Dr. King’s enduring legacy of service and justice.

And now for the updates in federal contracting. This week in federal government contracting there has been a lot of buzz about the SBA’s 8(a) Program audit, spending bills, and restructuring government.

Back to Basics: SDVOSB Program Eligibility

Posted on January 22, 2026 by John Holtz

Recently, SBA’s VetCert Program announced that it had gotten through its backlog, meaning that the system has returned to normal, so to speak. With this in mind, many new service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) no doubt are looking at getting into the SDVOSB program. Indeed, some of you reading this may be the owners of some of those businesses. Considering that we just looked at an SDVOSB appeal regarding the control requirements for an SDVOSB, today, we’re going to go further and provide a general rundown of the SDVOSB Program to update our past post on this topic.

OHA SDVOSB Appeal: Voting Provisions Scuttle Veteran Control

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Gregory Weber

In a recent decision, SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) emphasized the importance of a careful reading and complete understanding of the control and ownership requirements for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). This decision provides contractors with an excellent opportunity to brush up on SBA’s control rules regarding qualifying and non-qualifying owners. As the appellant found out in this case, while it may seem to some at first glance that simple majority ownership by the service-disabled veteran is enough to meet SDVOSB requirements, voting provisions matter as well. Failure to keep in mind all aspects of SDVOSB requirements could lead to a denial of SDVOSB status. Let’s take a look at the language of the regulation in question, and how this case illustrates the potential consequences of overlooking a critical item in an otherwise-compliant application for SDVOSB certification.