No Order of Precedence on Small Business Awards

The Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration issued an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement section 1347 of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.  The purpose of this interim rule is to clearly reflect the Small Business Administration's interpretation of the Small Business Jobs Act and its regulations that no order of precedence applies when the contracting officer considers satisfying a requirement through an award to a HUBZone small business concern, a SDVOSB concern, or a small business participating in the 8(a) Program.  The clarification states that there is parity, rather than an order of precedence.  Small businesses that participate in Federal Government contracting are the entities that may be impacted by the rule.   This rule does not address the women-owned small businesses and their relationship to the other small business programs.

Interested parties should submit written comments to the Regulatory Secretariat on or before May 16, 2011 to be considered in the formulation of a final rule.

Read the supporting article at: http://get.govexec-media.com/portal/wts/cemcfOaBrE2baEfsufvfnra97TBc6b