Protesting SBA Certificate of Competency COC Decisions

The SBA agency  Certificate of Competency (COC)  rules allow small business firms to challenge, generally in a bid protest, the agency’s source selection decision that is not technically responsible to perform the contract. What is a Certificate of Competency (COC)? The Government Certificate of Competency Program is in place in order for… Read more »

Civilian Board of Contract Appeals CDA Claims 41 USC 7101 – 7109

Choosing the right forum and framing your appeals case correctly can save you thousands in unnecessary litigation costs. When a contracting officer denies a claim under the Contract Disputes Act, filing an appeal to the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA) would be the next step. Not all claims appeal cases against… Read more »

Contracting Officer Authority in CDA Claims

When submitting contractor claims to the federal government, businesses should be aware of the Contracting Officer authority to issue a final decision. 48 CFR 1.603 suggests that although the CO is appointed on a Standard Form  1402. Any limitations on the Contracting Officer authority must be stated on the form… Read more »

CPAR Ratings & Past Performance of Contract Report

Avoid Costly and Painful Mistakes that Other Government Contractors Make With Performance of Contract Ratings. As a federal government contractor, your contractor past performance evaluation is recorded by having CPAR ratings under FAR Part 42. The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) might allow for valid reasons why the agency may have given… Read more »

FAR Sole Source Justification Contracts

Small businesses involved in government contracting find themselves excluded from opportunities because of FAR sole source justification contracts. Government contract law allows federal agencies the opportunity to award sole source contracts, so long as the explanation is reasonable and does not violate other regulations. Do Government Sole Source Contracting Justifications Violate… Read more »

Understanding Federal Cost Reimbursement Contract Types

Federal government contract types come in various forms. One of the most complex types is the cost-reimbursement contract. Federal courts have imposed False Claims Act liability for underbidding in cost-reimbursable contracts. United States ex rel. Loughren v. Unum Group, 613 F.3d 300, 310 (1st Cir. 2010). This kind of arrangement is somewhat… Read more »

Go Green Products and Federal Government Contract Purchasing

Green procurement policy is a government contracting initiative that goes undetected by many small businesses and large contractors. There are several federal “green procurement” programs that encourage green purchasing. There are several federal “go green procurement” programs that encourage green purchasing. They include: the Green Procurement Program (GPP)Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP),… Read more »