The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently issued a proposed rule that covers a variety of topics that will be of interest to small- and large-business government contractors, touching on requirements for the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program, joint ventures, the mentor-protégé program, and recertification requirements under multiple-award contracts. We covered the sweeping scope of the proposed rule in a recent client alert, and HUBZone program participants in particular should closely review the proposed program updates.
Of broader interest to the government contracting community, however, are proposed changes to the small business recertification requirements for multiple award contracts, which may affect both small businesses that grow organically and those that are acquired by other large businesses. SBA proposed these changes in response to several recent protest decisions that SBA believes “adopted incorrect interpretations” of its regulations.