On February 18, I will join Priscilla Sweeney (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), for a valuable networking and informational session hosted by the Tennessee APEX Accelerator. This event offers a unique opportunity to enhance your experience at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division Regional Industry Day. Don’t miss this chance to connect and gain insights before the conference.
For registration details, please visit the TN APEX Accelerator event page.
On December 17, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published its final rule detailing new recertification requirements following mergers and acquisitions (M&A), new language around negative control for affiliation purposes, and changes to 8(a) ownership percentages, among other changes. We discussed the new recertification requirements and their potential impact on GovCon M&A in a previous blog post that can be found here. Below we discuss the new negative control rule and the 8(a) ownership changes.
Continue Reading SBA Final Rule Updates Negative Control Requirements and 8(a) Ownership RuleAfter an immediate, severe backlash against OMB’s January 27 memo ordering a freeze on almost all federal financial assistance, as well as legal action that led to a January 28 temporary restraining order issued by the D.C. District Court minutes before the freeze was to go into effect, the Trump administration has now rescinded that memo.
Continue Reading Trump Administration Rescinds Freeze on Federal Financial Assistance (Or Does It)?UPDATE (January 29, 2026): On January 28, Law360 reported that the D.C. District Court issued a temporary restraining order enjoining OMB’s directive to freeze federal financial assistance. We will closely monitor and report on further developments.
The first seven days of the Trump administration have brought new meaning to the saying that the only constant in government contracting is change. Multiple executive actions promise to be just the start of what is expected to be a period of significant change to the rules governing federal contracts and grants. This summary provides government contractors, grant recipients, and compliance professionals with an overview of significant changes to federal contract and grant rules, with more to come over the coming weeks.
Continue Reading Key Changes to Federal Contract and Grant Rules: What Government Contractors and Grant Recipients Need to Know About Trump’s First WeekOn December 17, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published its final rule in response to its August 2024 proposed rule and the ensuing comments from the industry. The rule will have a substantial impact on the obligations of government contractors and the small business M&A landscape.
Continue Reading New SBA Rule Overhauls Small Business M&A Landscape“Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” (Order) is one of President Trump’s most recent executive orders. The Order was signed on January 21, 2025. The Order revoked Executive Order EO11246 (EO11246), along with several other previously enacted executive orders aimed at promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. EO11246 has been in effect since 1965. The White House stated in a fact sheet that the Order will streamline the federal contracting process to “enhance speed and efficiency, reduce costs, and require Federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with [] civil rights laws.”
Join me on January 29 for a webinar where I’ll break down the new SBA final rule that’s set to reshape the GovCon M&A landscape starting in 2025. If you’re a small business owner planning a sale, merger, or acquisition or even maintaining your small business status, this is information you can’t afford to miss.
On January 8, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) sustained a pre-award bid protest filed by Bass, Berry & Sims PLC (Bass Berry), which challenged the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers’ (FLETC or the Agency) determination to exclude the protester, UNICA-BPA JV, LLC (UNICA), from a competition when UNICA had an active SAM registration at the time of final proposal revision (FPR), but not at the time of its initial proposal submission. The decision clarifies that FAR 52.204-7, System for Award Management applies to the proposal that would bind the offeror to perform the resultant contract.
Continue Reading Bid Protest Minute: GAO Decision Clarifies SAM Registration RuleOn January 6, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Athira Pharma Inc., a Washington-based biopharmaceutical company, agreed to pay over $4 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act (FCA). The DOJ alleges Athira failed to report allegations of research misconduct in its grant applications, award progress reports, and assurances. The settlement serves as a reminder to companies performing on grants that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) takes allegations of research misconduct seriously and grantees must closely adhere to regulatory requirements related to disclosing such allegations.
Continue Reading Athira Pharma Inc. Agrees to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
You are reading the December 2024 Update of the Bass, Berry & Sims Enforcement Roundup, where we bring notable enforcement actions, policy changes, interesting news articles, and a bit of our insight to your inbox.
Continue Reading International Trade Enforcement Roundup – December 2024