A recent decision from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims delivers an important — and sobering — message to small businesses competing for federal innovation funding: Historical ties to foreign countries of concern can be sufficient, standing alone, to disqualify a company from receiving a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award, even when those ties
The U.S. Small Business Administration published a significant proposed rule on June 11, 2026, that would fundamentally reshape how individuals qualify for the Section 8(a) Business Development Program. The rule, appearing at 91 Fed. Reg. 35433, proposes to eliminate the race-based rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage that has governed 8(a) eligibility for nearly four
Government contractors operate in one of the most heavily regulated business environments in the world. Among the most significant compliance obligations facing contractors is the Federal Acquisition Regulation’s Mandatory Disclosure Rule (MDR), which requires contractors to disclose credible evidence of certain violations of federal criminal law, the False Claims Act, and significant overpayments arising in
For several years, defense contractors have been preparing for the implementation of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. In 2026, that preparation phase is rapidly giving way to implementation. Contractors that handle federal contract information (FCI) or controlled unclassified information (CUI) should expect CMMC requirements to appear with increasing frequency
Federal contractors should be paying close attention to a growing issue in government procurement: the use of shadow AI and generative artificial intelligence by agency evaluators during proposal evaluations.
As federal agencies increasingly experiment with AI tools in procurement and acquisition processes, evaluators may be using generative AI platforms to summarize proposals, identify strengths and
When the federal government awards a contract, it imposes a detailed set of legal obligations on the prime contractor through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency-specific supplements. Those obligations do not stop at the prime level. Many of them — sometimes dozens — must be passed down
Quantum computing has moved from the laboratory into the national security conversation — and the regulatory landscape is shifting fast. Government contractors and companies operating in the quantum technology space face a growing web of export controls, foreign investment scrutiny, cybersecurity mandates, and data protection obligations that demand attention now, not when a commercially viable
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued one of the most significant proposed overhauls to federal grants management in over a decade. Published in the Federal Register on May 29, 2026, the proposed rule would revise the Uniform Guidance — OMB’s governmentwide framework governing grants, cooperative agreements, and other forms of federal
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued a significant proposal that could reshape how federal agencies address confidentiality obligations across the federal workforce. In a notice seeking public comment, OPM released a draft governmentwide nondisclosure agreement (NDA) intended for use with both new and existing federal employees. Comments are due by June 26, 2026.
The Defense Acquisition Regulations System has issued a significant proposed rule that would dramatically expand disclosure and compliance obligations for defense contractors and subcontractors regarding beneficial ownership and foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI). The proposed amendments to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) implement key provisions of the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs)