A recent Court of Federal Claims decision (SH Systems, LLC & VCH Partners, LLC v. US) has stopped GSA’s Polaris program in its tracks. The court ruled that the agency exceeded its non-priced contract discretion, popularly known as Section 876 authority, when it included both labor hour and non-labor hour services in the scope of the RFP. The court specifically barred GSA from proceeding with Polaris until it remedies the situation, along with making changes in how it proposes to evaluate the past experience of mentors and proteges. Although GSA officials have yet to publicly say so, the Claims Court ruling effectively means that all current Polaris offers, which were supposed to have been awarded by now, will have to be thrown out. The agency will have to include pricing language in any new RFP, as well as make Read more
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions tracking and remediation is, apparently, just the start in terms of how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to make doing business with the federal government more expensive. The agency has either already rolled out, or plans to roll out, such items as a federal contractor climate score card, rules requiring companies to disclose potential climate-related financial risks and promoting sustainable practices, and efforts to increase oversight on how everything from solar panels to IT equipment is manufactured to reduce a company’s carbon footprint. There’s even a Sustainability Working Group that is now part of the federal CIO Council. While contractors like clean air and water as Read more
Contractors, along with others concerned about a federal debt ceiling deal, should be prepared for difficult, perhaps protracted, negotiations among House, Senate and administration officials now that the House of Representatives has passed a debt ceiling package. By a razor thin vote of 217-215 that chamber pushed through a bill that would trim $4.8 trillion in government spending over 10 years. While this position has no chance of being implemented, the fact that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was able to get a measure passed provides him with critical leverage to negotiate spending reductions, albeit with a Read more
Not many government contractors would attempt to build a house by themselves. The skills required for plumbing, electrical work, and even preparing a lot so that the house doesn’t flood all required specialized talents. Few individuals possess all of the required skills themselves. Yet, these same people will frequently enter the government market with a do-it-yourself approach that offers little chance for sustainable success. It can be difficult to succeed in the federal market even with a good strategic plan and the allocation of necessary resources. Developing a market presence, developing useful partnerships with other companies, and Read more
Not many government contractors would attempt to build a house by themselves. The skills required for plumbing, electrical work, and even preparing a lot so that the house doesn’t flood all required specialized talents. Few individuals possess all of the required skills themselves. Yet, these same people will frequently enter the government market with a do-it-yourself approach that offers little chance for sustainable success. It can be difficult to succeed in the federal market even with a good strategic plan and the allocation of necessary resources. Developing a market presence, developing useful partnerships with other companies, and Read more