September 14 2012 Copyright (c) 2012 Business Research Services Inc. 301-229-5561 All rights reserved.

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  • VA orders small biz-only procurements until Sept. 30
    With just weeks to go to meet its small business goals for the year, the Veterans Affairs Department recently took the unusual step of directing VA contracting officers to award contracts only to small firms until Sept. 30.

    Reverse auctions stirring complaints from vendors
    While reverse auctions have been gaining popularity in federal procurement for several years, vendor complaints about fairness, transparency and competitiveness are growing.

    HUBZone website says “no” to all: Faulty app deems applicants ineligible
    A malfunction in the Small Business Administration’s online application for Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) participation is generating erroneous data and may be turning away eligible businesses, the agency said.

    Past performance reviews to include small biz efforts
    The federal acquisition councils proposed a rule to standardize past performance evaluation factors across government, including the factors related to small business subcontracting.

    Cyber requirements for contractors
    A proposed rule from the General Services Administration, the Defense Department and NASA would bring new cybersecurity requirements for contractors.

    Zients hints at mandatory strategic sourcing
    Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Jeff Zients dropped hints that the administration’s strategic sourcing initiative soon may be mandatory

    Sequestration breakdown: Agency by Agency
    Total civilian agency spending would decline $39 billion, from $551 billion to $512 billion, under sequestration, according to a Professional Services Council analysis.

    Column: DynaLantic Decision
    Court ruling good and bad for 8(a) program

    The decision, DynaLantic Corp. v. U.S. Dept. of Defense, involved questions about the constitutionality and implementation of the SBA’s 8(a) program.

    Washington Insider:

    This year’s fourth-quarter federal buying surge is very unusual due to concerns about sequestration,

    House lawmakers have released the text of a stop-gap spending bill to keep the government running for six months after the new fiscal year starts on Oct. 1.

    Homeland Security Department spending through strategic sourcing has increased from $1.8 billion in fiscal 2008 to $3 billion in fiscal 2011...

    Randal Pinkett, season four winner of “The Apprentice” and chairman of BCT Partners consulting firm, announced that his company has won two contracts..

    A Senate committee is looking into whether a General Services Administration investigator was too aggressive...

    Federal acquisition councils are recommending extension of a requirement for federal contractor employees to notify their firms of any criminal drug convictions in the workplace.

    The Defense Contract Audit Agency issued new guidance intended to help auditors obtain access to contractors’ internal documents.

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