Government contractors often focus on federal procurement opportunities, which are governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) regime. However, the state-level procurement landscape presents a distinct — and often less uniform — set of rules, risks, and opportunities. For businesses expanding into state or local markets, understanding these structural and procedural differences is essential.
The current federal government shutdown is on Day 8 as of the date of this post. The section of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that handles bid protests is included in the portion of the government that is currently shutdown. The GAO has stated on its website that because of the shutdown, certain timeliness rules
As September 30 approaches, government contractors should keep in mind that the end of the federal government’s fiscal year brings unique opportunities — and unique risks. Agencies are under pressure to obligate remaining funds, finalize contract actions, and prepare for the new fiscal year. Contractors who understand these dynamics can position themselves for success while
In a recent bid protest decision, The DaVinci Company LLC v. United States, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims reaffirmed the enduring authority of the Trade Agreements Act (TAA) in federal procurements. At the center of the case was a straightforward but critical question: When the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) waives domestic
In a recent decision, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) clarified its minimum pleading standard for bid protests. The decision was a bit unusual because, unlike the courts, the GAO rarely uses published decisions to address procedural issues. Nevertheless, the pleading standard described in the decision, which was prompted by a Congressional reporting mandate, provides
In a recent decision highlighting the critical importance of timely proposal submissions in federal procurements, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) denied a protest by challenging the Navy’s rejection of the protester’s late-submitted proposal under a SeaPort Next Generation (SeaPort-NxG) task order competition. This case, La Playa, Inc. of Virginia – d/b/a LPI Technical Services
For government contractors doing business in Missouri, understanding the state’s bid protest process is essential. When a contractor believes that a contract award was improper or unfair, the state of Missouri allows for a formal protest — but only under strict rules and deadlines.
Below is a summary of Missouri’s bid protest process, including procedural
One of the most powerful but often misunderstood tools available to government contractors is the pre-award protest. Unlike post-award protests, which generally challenge the outcome of a procurement, pre-award protests generally focus on the terms of the solicitation itself and/or the ground rules of the competition. When used strategically, a pre-award protest can help level
In New Mexico, vendors who compete for public contracts have legal recourse if they believe that a government solicitation or contract award was improper. The New Mexico Procurement Code provides a formal bid protest process that allows “aggrieved” bidders or offerors to challenge procurement decisions made by state agencies or local public bodies. This post
The state of Hawaii provides a detailed statutory framework for protesting state procurements to ensure fairness, accountability, and transparency in the government contracting process. This article outlines the essential protest procedures under Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 103D, including initial protest requirements, administrative hearings, and judicial review.
Under HRS