A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) serves as an important reminder that forum selection under the Contract Disputes Act (“CDA”) can have consequences that extend beyond a single appeal. In Gilbane Federal v. United States, 182 Fed. Cl. 177 (2026), the Court transferred a contractor’s claim to the Armed…

On September 1, 2026, the Cost Accounting Standards (“CAS”) Board published two final rules implementing seismic changes to cost accounting requirements for federal government contractors.  The most significant change implements a requirement in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”), doubling the dollar value threshold for full coverage under CAS.  These changes take effect on…

The Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (“CBCA” or the “Board”) recently issued a stark reminder that discovery misconduct can be case-dispositive.  In Venergy Group, LLC v. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Board dismissed a contractor’s $4.2 million affirmative claim after finding that financial statements produced during discovery had been intentionally manipulated to support larger…

On August 20, 2026, the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) issued a proposed rule that would reset small-business size standards across the economy and a companion white paper proposing a new methodology for calculating them. The proposed rule—Small Business Size Standards, 91 Fed. Reg. 53,741—would establish new size standards for 338 industry groups…

On August 11, 2026, the Small Business Administration issued a final rule that fundamentally alters how individuals may qualify as “socially disadvantaged” under the 8(a) Business Development Program.  Although the final rule largely follows the proposed rule from June 2026, which we previously wrote about here, the SBA added several clarifications in response to…

Earlier this year, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (“DSCA”) issued updated policy guidance implementing a significant expansion of the universe of countries authorized to use Foreign Military Financing (“FMF”) for direct purchases of U.S. defense items.  Previously, only ten countries were eligible for use of FMF for direct commercial contracting, and under the new guidance,…

A recent Court of Federal Claims (“COFC”) decision shows that with the right facts, the government’s failure to award a follow-on Small Business Innovation Research Program (“SBIR”) contract can be challenged at COFC.

In Strategi Consulting, LLC v. United States, the protester, Strategi, alleged that the Air Force improperly failed to award Strategi a Phase…