Acquisition

Recovery Act work strains SBA acquisition staff

SBA's IG raises concerns about the agency's contracting shop shrinking even as the work is growing.

Acquisition

Senators again attempt program parity

Contracting officers would get to choose the small-business program that best suits an agency’s need, instead of giving HUBZone program priority.

Acquisition

Federal court gives HUBZone program priority

The Small Business Act makes it mandatory, not optional, to give HUBZone companies a preference over other small businesses, a judge rules.

Acquisition

SBA proposed rule directs set-aside contracts to women-owned firms

A proposed rule is designed to help agencies award 5 percent of federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses.

Acquisition

SBA tries again to help women-owned businesses get contracts

The Small Business Administration today proposed a procurement set-aside rule that would give women business-owners more opportunities in federal contracting.

Acquisition

SBA proposes subtraction rule to contracting goals

Agencies must subtract contract awards from small-business award totals if, even after the award, SBA concludes the firm isn’t eligible to be considered small

Acquisition

Senate bill takes aim at HUBZone fraud

The bill seeks to ensure that only eligible firms participate in the HUBZone program.

Cybersecurity

Obama wants nearly $80B for IT projects

The administration has proposed only a small increase for IT spending in fiscal 2011.

Acquisition

House bill would punish users of front companies

A new bill in the House would penalize people who set up a company as a front to another business to get a government contract.

Cybersecurity

Four U.S. agencies deficient in controlling stimulus reporting errors, auditors say

Inspectors general have identified shortcomings in the monitoring of mistakes and omissions in Recovery Act reporting at four federal agencies.

Acquisition

Bill would jail crooks who wrongly get set-aside contracts

The House bill would also require establishing a database of businesses owned by service-disabled veterans and develop criteria to enter the program.

Acquisition

Fake firms rip off SBA set-aside program for $100M

Agencies that award contracts to service-disabled veterans don’t check on whether a company is eligible for the special set-aside and millions are lost, GAO official says.

Acquisition

Snowe urges SBA to start contracting program for women

Agencies have exceeded small-business contracting goals with recovery act money, although women-owned small-business category hasn't met its goal yet.

Digital Government

Government breaks small-business goals with stimulus funds

As of Oct. 2, the government overall has awarded 26 percent of the economic stimulus law's funds to contracts for small businesses, an estimated $4 billion.

Acquisition

The government's in the red

The government spent only 21.5 percent of its contracting dollars with small businesses last year, missing its 23 percent goal and slipping nearly a percentage point from the previous year.

Acquisition

GSA reaches all small-business contracting goals

As a whole, the federal government missed its goal of awarding 23 percent of its contracting dollars to small businesses by 1.5 percent, a score card says.

Acquisition

Agencies push small-biz outreach efforts

Commerce Department and Small Business Administration officials plan more than 200 events before mid-October.

Acquisition

Congress, administration move into protected territory

The government is having a debate about certain small businesses that live by special rules — from ANCs to companies in historically underutilized business zones.

Acquisition

Administration, GAO clash in turf war

The Government Accountability Office has denied the Small Business Administration’s request to reconsider recent bid protest decisions that give priority to HUBZone businesses. This might lead to a turf fight.

Acquisition

Report: Alaska Native contracting program delivers little benefit to communities

Four Alaska Native Corporations were among the top 100 recipients of contract awards in 2008 and six companies made Washington Technology’s list of the top 100 prime contractors in 2009.