13 CFR Part 125 - GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING PROGRAMS

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is amending its regulations to incorporate a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 (NDAA 2018) and to update and provide several technical corrections to SBA's regulations. Specifically, the NDAA 2018 amended the Small Business Act by replacing fixed dollar amount thresholds with references to the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds. SBA is updating its regulations to conform to this new statutory language. SBA is also updating the sole source dollar amounts for the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVO) small business and the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) small business regulations. The thresholds for sole source contracting are contained in the Small Business Act, SBA's regulations, and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). These thresholds are updated in the FAR for inflation periodically, and therefore, over time, SBA's regulations and the FAR's numbers diverge. SBA is making this change to conform the thresholds contained in SBA's regulations to those in the FAR. This rule also allows indirect ownership by United States citizens in the HUBZone program to more accurately align with the underlying statutory authority. Finally, SBA is making several technical changes to address mistakes and typos made in previous rulemakings. For example, this final rule will update some cross-references that were not updated when a previous rulemaking changed numbering. Other changes made are for errors, grammar, syntax, and clarity.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) proposes to amend its regulations to implement provisions of The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (NDAA 2017). The NDAA 2017 placed the responsibility for issuing regulations relating to ownership and control for the Department of Veterans Affairs verification of Veteran-Owned (VO) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVO) Small Business Concern (SBC) with the SBA. Pursuant to NDAA 2017, there will be one definition of ownership and control for these concerns, which will apply to the Department of Veterans Affairs in its verification and Vets First Contracting Program procurements, and all other government acquisitions which require self-certification. The legislation also provides that in certain circumstances a firm can qualify as VO or SDVO when there is a surviving spouse or an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 25, 2016, amending its regulations to establish a new Government-wide mentor-protégé program for all small business concerns, consistent with SBA's mentor-protégé program for Participants in SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) program. The rule also made several additional changes to current size, 8(a), Office of Hearings and Appeals, and HUBZone regulations, concerning among other things, ownership and control, changes in primary industry, economic disadvantage of a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO), standards of review, and interested party status for some appeals. This document makes several technical corrections to that final rule, eliminating a portion of a sentence concerning joint venture profits.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to implement section 1614 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (NDAA 2014). Section 1614 amended the Small Business Act to provide that where a prime contractor has an individual subcontracting plan for a specific prime contract with an executive agency, the prime contractor shall receive credit towards its subcontracting plan goals for awards made to small business concerns at any tier under the contract. The changes authorized by this statute will allow an other than small prime contractor that has an individual subcontracting plan for a contract to receive credit towards its small business subcontracting goals for subcontract awards made to small business concerns at any tier, to the extent reported on the subcontracting plans of its lower tier subcontractors. The final rule also implements the statutory requirements related to the subcontracting plans of all subcontractors that are required to maintain such plans, including the requirement to monitor subcontractors' performance and compliance toward reaching the goals set out in those plans as well as their compliance with subcontracting reporting requirements. SBA is also clarifying that the size standard for a particular subcontract must appear in the solicitation for the subcontract.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 25, 2016, (81 FR 48557) to, among other things, implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertain to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set-aside contracts and small business subcontracting. That rule contained an instruction to amend portions of § 125.6 that do not exist. This document removes the amendatory instruction.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on May 31, 2016 (81 FR 34243). The rule described the limitations on subcontracting that apply to set aside contracts. The rule provides that the limitations on subcontracting apply to small business set asides above $150,000 and to 8(a), HUBZone, Service-Disabled and Veteran-Owned (SDVO) or Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) set asides. The $150,000 threshold appears twice in 13 CFR 125.6(a), and thus could be misinterpreted as applying the threshold to 8(a), HUBZone, SDVO or WOSB set-asides. This action deletes the second $150,000 threshold that appears in 13 CFR 125.6(a).

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is amending its regulations to implement provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Based on authorities provided in these two statutes, the rule establishes a Government-wide mentor-protégé program for all small business concerns, consistent with SBA's mentor-protégé program for Participants in SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) program. The rule also makes minor changes to the mentor-protégé provisions for the 8(a) BD program in order to make the mentor-protégé rules for each of the programs as consistent as possible. The rule also amends the current joint venture provisions to clarify the conditions for creating and operating joint venture partnerships, including the effect of such partnerships on any mentor-protégé relationships. In addition, the rule makes several additional changes to current size, 8(a) Office of Hearings and Appeals and HUBZone regulations, concerning among other things, ownership and control, changes in primary industry, standards of review and interested party status for some appeals. Finally, SBA notes that the title of this rule has been changed.

This rule amends the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA or Agency) regulations to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertain to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set-aside contracts and small business subcontracting. This rule also amends SBA's regulations concerning the nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules. Further, this rule allows a joint venture to qualify as small for any government procurement as long as each partner to the joint venture qualifies individually as small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned in the solicitation.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to adjust for inflation the amount of certain civil monetary penalty that is within the jurisdiction of the agency. This adjustment is required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. This rule also makes technical amendments to the regulations governing misrepresentations in SBA contracting programs to add a cross reference to the regulation that contains the applicable penalty amounts for misrepresentations and to correct a citation in the same regulations. Finally, the rule makes a technical amendment to an existing regulation governing small business investment companies to add a cross reference to a new civil penalty provision.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement Section 1614 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The proposed amendments authorized by this statute would allow an other than small prime contractor that has an individual subcontracting plan for a contract to receive credit towards its small business subcontracting goals for subcontract awards made to small business concerns at any tier. The prime contractor shall incorporate the lower tier subcontracting performance into its subcontracting plan goals. Currently, other than small business prime contractors establish small business subcontracting goals at the first tier level, and receive credit toward their subcontracting plan goal performance at the first tier level. The rule also proposes to implement the statutory requirements related to the subcontracting plans of all subcontractors that are required to maintain such plans, including the requirement to monitor subcontractors' performance and compliance towards reaching the goals set out in those plans as well as their compliance with subcontracting reporting requirements. SBA is also proposing to clarify that the size standard for a particular subcontract must appear in the solicitation for the subcontract.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is extending the comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on February 5, 2015. The comment period is scheduled to close on April 6, 2015. SBA is extending the comment period an additional 30 days in response to the significant level of interest generated by the proposed rule and requests from multiple stakeholders for an extension. Given the scope of the proposed rule and the nature of the issues raised by the comments received to date, SBA believes that affected businesses need more time to review the proposal and prepare their comments.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reopening the comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2014 at 79 FR 77955. In that rule SBA proposed to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertain to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set aside contracts and small business subcontracting. SBA also proposed to make changes to its regulations concerning the nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules. Further, SBA proposed to allow a joint venture to qualify as small for any government procurement as long as each partner to the joint venture qualifies individually as small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned in the solicitation. Finally, SBA requested comments on the timeline and procedures for North American Industry Classification System code appeals. The comment period closed on February 27, 2015. SBA is reopening the comment period in response to the significant level of interest generated by the proposed rule and due to the request of multiple stakeholders. Given the scope of the proposed rule and the nature of the issues raised by the comments received to date, SBA believes that affected businesses need more time to review the proposal and fully prepare their comments.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Based on authorities provided in these two statutes, the proposed rule would establish a Government-wide mentor-protégé program for all small business concerns, consistent with SBA's mentor-protégé program for Participants in SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) program. The proposed rule would also make minor changes to the mentor-protégé provisions for the 8(a) Business Development program in order to make the mentor-protégé rules for each of the programs as consistent as possible. The proposed rule would amend the current joint venture provisions to clarify the conditions for creating and operating joint venture partnerships, including the effect of such partnerships on any mentor-protégé relationships. Finally, the proposed rule would make several additional changes to current size, 8(a) Office of Hearings and Appeals or HUBZone regulations, concerning among other things, ownership and control, changes in primary industry, standards of review and interested party status for some appeals.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertain to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set aside contracts and small business subcontracting. SBA is also proposing to make changes to its regulations concerning the nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules. Further, SBA is proposing to allow a joint venture to qualify as small for any government procurement as long as each partner to the joint venture qualifies individually as small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned in the solicitation. Finally, SBA is requesting comments on the timeline and procedures for North American Industry Classification System code appeals.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on October 2, 2013, which amended its regulations governing small business prime contracting by implementing provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. That rule was published with inadvertent errors in two of the regulatory sections. Those errors are corrected in this document.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations governing small business contracting procedures. Specifically, this rule amends SBA's regulations to establish policies and procedures for setting aside, partially setting aside and reserving Multiple Award Contracts for small business concerns. SBA is also is establishing policies and procedures for setting aside task and delivery orders for small business concerns under Multiple Award Contracts. In addition, SBA is addressing how it will determine size under certain Agreements and when recertification of status will be required. Finally, SBA is establishing a new definition of consolidation and reorganizing its prime contracting assistance regulations.

This document contains corrections to the final regulations [FR Doc. 2013-169671, which were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 (78 FR 42391). The document amended SBA's regulations governing small business subcontracting to implement provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. This correction amends a cross-reference contained in the regulations.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is amending its regulations governing small business subcontracting to implement provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. In particular, this rule adds a provision providing that for a “covered contract” (a contract for which a small business subcontracting plan is required), a prime contractor must notify the contracting officer in writing whenever the prime contractor does not utilize a small business subcontractor used in preparing its bid or proposal during contract performance. This rule also adds a provision requiring a prime contractor to notify a contracting officer in writing whenever the prime contractor reduces payments to a small business subcontractor or when payments to a small business subcontractor are 90 days or more past due. In addition, this rule clarifies that the contracting officer is responsible for monitoring and evaluating small business subcontracting plan performance. The rule also clarifies which subcontracts must be included in subcontracting data reporting, which subcontracts should be excluded, and the way subcontracting data is reported. The rule also makes changes to update its subcontracting regulations, including changing subcontracting plan thresholds and referencing the electronic subcontracting reporting system (eSRS). Further, the rule adds a provision to the regulations which addresses subcontracting plan requirements and credit towards subcontracting goals in connection with multiple award multi-agency, Federal Supply Schedule, Multiple Award Schedule and government-wide acquisition indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts.

This rule implements provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Jobs Act) pertaining to small business size and status integrity. This rule amends the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA or Agency) program regulations to implement statutory provisions establishing that there a presumption of loss equal to the value of the contract or other instrument when a concern willfully seeks and receives an award by misrepresentation. The rule implements statutory provisions that provide that: The submission of an offer or application for an award intended for small business concerns will be deemed a size or status certification or representation in certain circumstances; an authorized official must sign in connection with a size or status certification or representation for a contract or other instrument; and concerns that fail to update their size or status in the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) database or a successor thereto (such as the System for Award Management (SAM) database) at least annually shall no longer be identified in the database as small or some other socioeconomic status, until the representation is updated. The rule also amends SBA's regulations to clarify when size is determined for purposes of entry into the 8(a) Business Development, HUBZone and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) programs.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) proposes to amend its regulations governing small business contracting procedures. This proposed rule would amend SBA's regulations to implement the following sections of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010: section 1311 (definition of multiple award contract); section 1313 (consolidation of contracts definitions, policy, limitations on use, determination on necessary and justified); and section 1331 (reservation and set-aside of multiple award contracts and orders against multiple award contracts for small businesses). In addition, the proposed rule revises 13 CFR part 125 by reorganizing the part for clarity and creating a definition section.