Welcome to the Government Contracts Insights Blog

Morrison Foerster’s Government Contracts Insights blog provides an in-depth analysis of news, developments, and trends impacting government contracting and procurement. Through Insights, attorneys from our nationally recognized Government Contracts and Public Procurement practice will offer a real-time assessment of the statutory, regulatory, legal, and business-related developments that are shaping the industry. This blog will also examine a full array of U.S. and non-U.S. public procurement issues, mindful that our clients compete in a global marketplace.

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February 03, 2021 - Small Business
8(a): The Small Business Administration’s Program for Socially & Economically Disadvantaged Businesses (Guide 3 of 4)
By: J. Alex Ward, Damien C. Specht, Alissandra Young McCann and Roke Iko
SBA’s 8(A) BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM What is the 8(a) program and what is it intended to do? The 8(a) program, officially designated the 8(a) Business Development program, is designed to assist small minority-owned businesses compete in the wider American economy. See 13 C.F.R. Part
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February 03, 2021 - Protests & Litigation, Small Business
Small Business Administration (SBA) Programs (Guide 2 of 4)
By: J. Alex Ward, Damien C. Specht, Alissandra Young McCann and Roke Iko
Many government programs exist to help small businesses—especially minority-owned small businesses—secure a foothold in government contracting. Read on to learn more about some common programs, the basic eligibility requirements, and how to register for them. These programs are quite complicated and you should consult
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February 03, 2021 - Small Business
Access to Capital-Funding Opportunities for Minority-Owned Businesses in Government Procurement (Guide 4 of 4)
By: J. Alex Ward, Damien C. Specht, Alissandra Young McCann and Roke Iko
Capital is the lifeblood of small businesses and fundamental to their formation and growth. However, obtaining capital can be difficult for minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs), as a lack of access to capital is one of the primary barriers for MBEs hoping to enter the
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February 01, 2021 - Small Business
Roadblocks Inherent to the Public Procurement Process for Minority-Owned Businesses (Guide 1 of 4)
By: J. Alex Ward, Damien C. Specht, Alissandra Young McCann and Roke Iko
In the next four posts, we will share guides specific to federal contracting as a minority-owned small business. Minority-owned businesses often face unique challenges in the public procurement process due to systemic barriers embedded in the process. These barriers affect minority-owned business at all
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January 27, 2021 - Protests & Litigation
Companies Pay Criminal Penalties and Compensation for Undermining Competition
By: Tina D. Reynolds and Markus Gerhard Speidel
On Tuesday, January 19, 2021, the Department of Justice announced charges against two providers of foreign language services for conspiracy to defraud the government on a multimillion dollar contract by impeding, impairing, obstructing, and defeating competitive bidding. The two companies, Comprehensive Language Center Inc.
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January 21, 2021 - Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Top 10 International Anti-Corruption Developments for December 2020
By: James M. Koukios and Charles E. Duross
In order to provide an overview for busy in-house counsel and compliance professionals, we summarize below some of the most important international anti-corruption developments from the past month, with links to primary resources. This month we ask: Which U.S. agency brought its first foreign
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January 19, 2021 - Defense, Intellectual Property
The Federal Circuit, in Boeing, Backs Contractors’ Proprietary Markings, but Leaves Open an Important Question on Scope
By: Locke Bell
Federal contractors received some good news from the Federal Circuit this holiday season. The court held, in Boeing Co. v. Secretary of Air Force , that the Department of Defense (DoD) Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) data rights clauses do not prohibit a contractor
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January 19, 2021 - Small Business
The Economic Aid Act and a Second Round of PPP Loans
By: Tina D. Reynolds and Damien C. Specht
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which became law on December 27, 2020, includes a second round of stimulus funding in the form of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act(the “Economic Aid Act”). Among many other measures, the Economic
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January 11, 2021 - Cybersecurity & Data Privacy
Top Cybersecurity Considerations for Government Contractors in 2021
By: Tina D. Reynolds
Although it was already apparent, recent events have made it even clearer that cybersecurity is an essential concern for government contractors. The coming year is poised to include many cybersecurity-related changes and developments. Below we highlight just a few: Continued Rollout of Department of
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January 06, 2021 - Protests & Litigation
December 2020/Annual Bid Protest Roundup (Law360 Spotlight)
By: Victoria Dalcourt Angle
This installment of our monthly Law360 bid protest spotlight examines four recent protest decisions from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”), discusses a few key takeaways from the GAO’s annual report, and provides a year-end review of key bid protest decisions from 2020. This
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