Set-aside program for women on the way, SBA says

Small Business Administration officials have proposed amending the agency's rules, and federal regulators are considering changes to governmentwide rules.

New contracting threshold could harm small businesses

Regulatory councils increased the minimum amount at which a company must draw up a subcontracting plan, but small businesses may lose out on contracts.

ATSC hires senior VP to manage federal programs

John Hassoun has joined ATS Corp. as senior vice president of federal programs. He comes from Global Strategies Group, an international risk management services company in Dubai.

Acquisition Solutions formally adopts new name

Acquisition Solutions Inc., a public-sector consulting company, has formally changed its name today to ASI Government to reflect its intention to specialize in performance management solutions for the government.

FAR Council considers justifying sole-source awards

Congress demands a good reason for awarding a contract worth $20 million or more without hosting a competition for the work.

Small businesses rack up record fed contracts in 2009

Small businesses won a record $96.8 billion in federal prime contracts in fiscal 2009, an increase of more than $3 billion from 2008, according to the Small Business Administration.

SBA names its minority small business person of the year

Patrick Hughes of Hughes Group LLC wins the Minority Small Business Person of the Year award from the Small Business Administration.

Judge upholds HUBZone priority

A claims court judge has upheld HUBZone priority in statute, saying the law couldn't be clearer.

6 ways to stand out in a crowded government field

You don’t want to be lost in the crowd. Mark Amtower writes that the point of becoming a government contractor is to stand out, and win some business as a result.

DOD, Army Corps of Engineers falter on subcontracting metrics

The two agencies fail to find a number of reports on whether prime contractors met their goals for awarding subcontracts.

Attain wants Army to attain better supply chain

Attain LLC will support the Army’s Logistics Modernization Program in Anniston, Ala., under a fifteen-month prime contract valued at $3 million.

SBA, CompTIA join forces to help small IT firms

Agreement focuses on education, training and awareness of government small-business programs.

Los Angeles tech firm buys McNeil Technologies

Aecom Technology Corp., a Los Angeles-based provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients, is acquiring McNeil Technologies Inc. from private equity firm Veritas Capital.

Spinoff takes on business intelligence market

Qlarion comes out of divestiture with a focus on the federal business intelligence and analytics market.

GSA loophole costs small businesses billions

Small businesses and the government would benefit from applying small-business set-aside requirements to the GSA schedules, former OMB official says.

Fake companies still win SBA approval

GAO tests SBA's set-aside program with fake companies that used the Alamo's address as their headquarters and still won certification.

Existing procurements got bulk of Recovery Act contract dollars

Pressure to act quickly on high-priority projects drove agency officials toward existing contracts, GAO reported.

DRC sells components unit to concentrate on fed sector

Dynamics Research Corp. has sold its Metrigraphics Division to private equity firms Clarkston Merchant Partners LLC and New England Capital Partners. Financial terms of the transaction, which took effect July 19, were not reported.

Officials put temptation in front of small businesses

When a company can certify itself as a particular type of business entitled to preferential treatment, it is a temptation that is hard to resist, according to one member of Congress.

Acquisition Solutions changes name to highlight services

Acquisition Solutions Inc., a provider of performance management solutions to the federal sector, is changing its name to ASI Government effective Sept. 1.