U.S. defense budget request does not affect ratings

Posted on February 22, 2012 by GCS

Article Excerpt: The national defense budget request that President Barack Obama unveiled on Feb. 13, 2012, for fiscal 2013 (starting Oct. 1, 2012), contained few changes from the outline Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta provided on Jan. 26, 2012. Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services does not plan to take any immediate rating actions on the defense contractors it rates based on the program-by-program detail in the budget request, according to a report published earlier today on Ratings Direct, titled “The Fiscal 2013 U.S. Defense Budget Offers Few Surprises And No Likely Effects On Ratings.”

Full Article: http://goo.gl/ZrKOL
Article Source: Reuters

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The new big men on the campus of SBA U.

Posted on February 22, 2012 by GCS

Article Excerpt: Pressures have shifted in the small-business contracting world.

The smallest mid-tier IT companies will be strutting around as the big guys on campus now that federal officials increased size standards on a number industries, including the IT industry. And today’s mid-tier small businesses will basically be the smallest small businesses. They might be skinny freshmen at SBA U.

The Small Business Administration recently increased the size standard for technology companies as well as for 33 other industries. The move means about 8,350 additional companies are now eligible to compete for federal contracts as a small business. The changes take effect in March.

Full Article: http://goo.gl/SiQqM
Article Source: Federal Computer Week

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Withholding contractors payments?

Posted on February 21, 2012 by GCS

George Bulpitt – Gov-Con Solutions’ Senior Government Compliance Specialist, George Bulpitt gives clarification on this reoccurring question.

During the various Gov-Con Solutions seminars that I present, we tend to focus on the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR).  This question by a participant might serve us all as a wake-up call that the Department of Defense (DOD) has a very extensive supplement to the FAR.

The question was posed, “What have you heard about the Contracting Officer being able to withhold payments from a contractor in situations where major business systems are deficient or not approved?” Continue reading →

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Advantage for Alaska Native Corporations Leads to Unbalanced Distribution of Small Business Set-Asides

Posted on February 21, 2012 by GCS

Article Excerpt: Federal government data indicates that at least one third of all federal contracts awarded through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) business development program have been awarded to large Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs). The American Small Business League (ASBL) reviewed the top 100 8(a) contractors for FY 2011 and found that 33 were ANCs that exceeded normal small business size standards. These 33 large corporations won $2.6 billion (37 percent) of the $6.9 billion awarded to the top 100 8(a) firms.

Full Article: http://goo.gl/mAOp5
Article Source: Business Wire

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Vets voice objections to VA small business certification process

Posted on February 20, 2012 by GCS

Article Excerpt: Preliminary results of a survey of more than 200 veteran-owned small businesses show widespread frustration about a program at the Department of Veterans Affairs that requires such contractors to be verified as legitimate before they can win contracts set-aside by the agency.

The survey, which is being conducted by the Veterans Entrepreneurship Task Force, or VET-Force, attempts to quantify some of the concerns the veteran community has voiced in recent months about the verification process.

Full Article: http://goo.gl/MfniD
Article Source: The Washington Business Journal

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