SmallGovCon Week in Review: March 9-13, 2026

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday the 13th…again! This time of year, that Friday feeling hits even better because March Madness is right around the corner. Around these parts, with the original rules of basketball down the road (!), we are looking forward to the onset of March Madness. Even if you don’t have a favorite team, you can always root for your favorite mascot. Enjoy the weekend and here’s hoping your favorite team makes a run for the championship title.

And now, this week in federal government contracting, updates including increased use of AI and getting more technology experts into the government.

OHA: NAICS Code Should be Diagnostic Imaging, Not Physicians Office

Posted on March 11, 2026 by Shane McCall

In the world of government contracting, most contractors consider protests in the context of bid, size, or status protests. As we’ve discussed before, however, there is another highly useful tool in the toolbox for contractors: the NAICS code appeal. When leveraged correctly, the NAICS code appeal can be quite effective for small businesses in securing a favorable outcome. That said, a recent SBA OHA decision shows that the burden of proof on a NAICS code protester requires some potentially heavy lifting. Today we’re diving into that decision to help clarify what it takes to successfully appeal the NAICS code designation in a federal solicitation, and thereby help determine whether this particular approach is the right one for your business.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: March 2-6, 2026

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Shane McCall

Happy March! The weather is turning warmer, but also stormier in our parts. We hope everyone is thawing out from winter and enjoying some nicer weather. Please enjoy the articles from the Week in Review, with updates on the FAR overhaul, AI in government, and adoption of CMMC. And note that key US historical documents will making a journey across the US soon, and may come to site near you. The first stop is Kansas City, Missouri, right down the road from us, where the documents will be transferred to the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

GAO Sustain: Failure to Acknowledge Solicitation Amendment was a Material Defect

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Annie Birney

Preparing and submitting a bid for a federal procurement requires strict compliance with the solicitation’s instructions. When a bidder fails to comply with these instructions (such as failing to acknowledge an amendment to the solicitation), the bidder may be surprised by the agency’s seemingly harsh decision to eliminate the bidder from award. But if the agency ignores the error and proceeds to award the contract to the bidder, the agency’s decision risks protest of the award from other bidders.

In Morrish-Wallace Constr. d/b/a Ryba Marine Constr. Co., B-423796.2 (Feb. 5, 2026), GAO examined whether an awardee’s failure to acknowledge an amendment to the RFQ constituted a minor informality that could be waived.

Skin of its Teeth: Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture Survives SDVOSB Status Protest Despite Missing Required Provisions in Joint Venture

Posted on February 27, 2026 by John Holtz

For the most part, the rules on joint ventures under SBA are very similar. the various regulations for small business, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, and HUBzone joint ventures are so similar in fact that they are almost identical. But they are not perfectly identical. There are a few quirks that distinguish the regulations from the others, and one such quirk can cost contractors dearly if they are not careful. In today’s post, we will review an SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) case in which one SDVOSB nearly fell victim to this quirk to show what this quirk is, and how you can avoid the same.

SmallGovCon Week in Review: February 23-27, 2026

Posted on February 27, 2026 by Shane McCall

Happy Friday! It seems like only last week that the winter Olympics ended (probably because it was last week). That means it is time to look forward to spring. With the buds and grass starting to shoot up, warmer weather is right around the corner. We just have to hold out for a few more weeks.

As we wrap up the week in the world of federal government contracting, we hope you can find the time to take a breath and reset this weekend. Key stories this week include awards on large IT contracts and a bill to change how contractor employees can be evaluated. Have a great weekend.

FAR 2.0 Update: Deviations and FAR Companion Guide

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Shane McCall

SmallGovCon readers may have read up on recent posts regarding the the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, or simply RFO. For background, our earlier posts regarding various aspects of the RFO can be found here: Executive Order, Overview of FAR 2.0, FAR Part 6, FAR Part 19, FAR Part 12, FAR Part 15, FAR Part 33.

While the drumbeat of new FAR part revisions ended in October 2025, the RFO has not gone away. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. The RFO revisions have now been adopted by many federal agencies as deviations, including the Department of Defense/War (DoW). Here is an update on the deviations and the FAR Companion guide.