Subpart 51.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Contractor Use of Government Supply Sources, prescribes the policies and procedures under which federal contractors can use government supply sources, like GSA Schedule Contracts, to facilitate the completion of their contract.  Traditionally, this allowance only enabled Prime contractors to purchase certain supplies and services not requiring a statement of work if they were on a Cost Reimbursement Contract.  In 2009, GSA established a deviation to FAR 51.1 that allowed contractors to purchase from other contractors under both Cost Reimbursement and Time & Materials Contracts.

FedBid, the “reverse eBay” of federal contracting websites, is quickly growing into a powerful contracting tool.  Its goal, which it largely succeeds in fulfilling, is to provide federal buyers and contractors with a simple and responsive online marketplace.  Federal Agencies and Departments create a listing on FedBid.com for the specific products or simple services they need.  Companies then search those listings to find someone buying what they are selling.  If they find a match, they can enter a bid and potentially win the contract.  As you can see, “a reverse eBay” aptly describes the FedBid process, as the contracts are essentially auctioned off to the lowest qualified bidder in real time.

First Month of Women Owned Small Business Set-Aside Program a Success

In January the GSA/Fed Marketing Blog reported on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s approval of a government contracting set-aside for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs).  On October 7, 2010, the SBA published a final ruling to be effective on February 4, 2011.  The ruling created contracting directives in specific industries designed to channel 5% of all Federal-contracting dollars towards WOSBs.  For more information on this rule, please refer to the original post, “New Rule Sets Aside Billions for Women-Owned Small Business Contracts.” For an updated analysis of the program’s certification process, based on the first month of operations, please read on. 

Government contracting programs for small businesses have been the subject of much discussion lately, both in the news and here at the Fed Marketing Blog.  The long-awaited revision of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program, one of the most significant small business aid initiatives, has stirred this topic into focus.  As you may recall from last week’s blog entry, New SBA Final Rule Tightens 8a Contracting Restrictions, small business programs are stepping up efforts to eliminate abuse.  The SBA, who creates and monitors most of these efforts, maintains strict eligibility requirements. 

Continuing with our discussion of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program, recent rule changes have affected the program and its offerings.  The SBA recently published a final ruling, scheduled to take affect on March 14, 2011, that will strengthen the 8(a) Program by preventing waste, fraud and abuse.  In sum, the Final Ruling should better ensure the benefits of the program properly flow to the intended recipients.