SBA suspends several PPP lenders, facilitators

      After the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis reported this month on possible fraud in the Paycheck Protection Program facilitated by lenders and other parties, the SBA outlined its response.

      “The SBA has immediately suspended non-lenders Blueacorn and Womply, companies that worked with PPP lenders, from working with the SBA in any capacity. The SBA will be investigating appropriate action against their management, owners, and successor companies,” SBA said in a news release.

      SBA also said it has launched investigations of PPP lenders-- Benworth, Capital Plus, Celtic Bank, Customers Bank, Cross River Bank, Fountainhead, Harvest, and Prestamos--and related individuals and other related entities.

Read more:
SBA statement: https://bit.ly/3WaCFfy
Subcommittee report: https://bit.ly/3Wi8C5N

Final rule promotes agency-industry talk

      DOD, GSA and NASA issued a final rule--effective Dec. 30--urging more government/industry verbal interaction. “This rule clarifies that agency acquisition personnel are permitted and encouraged to engage in responsible and constructive exchanges with industry, so long as those exchanges are consistent with existing law and regulation and do not promote an unfair competitive advantage to particular firms,” the rule states.

Read more at:
FedRegister final rule: https://bit.ly/3FQENnw

DOD apprenticeships

      DOD is encouraging federal contractors to offer cybersecurity apprenticeships to build the industrial base workforce.

Read more at:
OSD memo: https://bit.ly/3FPr3t1

Polaris protests now all in court--report

      The GAO has dismissed all remaining protests against the GSA’s Polaris governmentwide IT services and solutions contract, and the remaining three protests are before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, according to a report by Washington Technology.

      The protesting companies--including VCH Partners and SH Synergy--claim that GSA is limiting competition and setting unfair self-scoring thresholds.

Read more at:
WashTech article: https://bit.ly/3HA10HA

Inside this edition:

House passes joint NDAA bill for FY23 with vendor inflation relief

CIO-SP4 back on track?

SDB, EDWOSB net worth

Top 20 Small Business Federal Contracting Stories of 2022

Funding CR expires today

SBA’s new rule for SBDCs

PTACs to be ‘APEX’ centers

Washington Insider:

Coronavirus Update