As noted in our prior The State of Aid blog post, there are many bellwethers on the future of foreign aid and potential opportunities for contractors in the international development space. One key development that has seemingly slipped through the cracks of the media, but not Bradley’s Government Contracts team, is the cancellation of

As of July 1, 2025, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) officially ceased to implement foreign assistance. As of September 2, 2025, news reports indicated that USAID completed its “final mission” by winding down its operations. Prior to its closing, USAID managed more than $35 billion in combined appropriations. The

Debriefings can be one of the most valuable opportunities for government contractors in the procurement process. Whether you win or lose a competition, a well-conducted debriefing provides insight into the agency’s evaluation, helps strengthen future proposals, and preserves certain protest rights. To maximize these benefits, contractors should approach debriefings strategically.

1. Know Your Rights

    Federal

    Introduction

    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

    As the federal government continues to modernize procurement processes and embrace emerging technologies, contractors are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) tools to streamline their responses to solicitations. From drafting technical proposals to analyzing past performance data, AI offers considerable potential to improve efficiency, accuracy, and competitiveness. However, as with any transformative tool, the use

    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

    Organizational conflicts of interest (OCIs) continue to be a critical compliance risk in the federal contracting landscape. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) mandates that contracting officers “avoid, neutralize, or mitigate” OCIs to ensure that government decisions are made objectively and without improper influence. For contractors — especially those engaged in professional services, systems engineering, or