EP 2: RFO Goes to Court, FAR Part 16, 8(a) Changes & the Ms. X Protest

Send us Fan Mail The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul is going to court. In Episode 2 of The FAR is Lava, Ben Bunting and Will Roberts break down the latest federal procurement news, RFO changes, a new GAO protest, and what it all means for acquisition professionals and government contractors. Video Episodes: https://youtu.be/bP14z--7CxE Daily Procurement Newsletter: https://elink.io/p/dailydose-9ffda63 Earn CLPs watching our content: https://educationpro.asigovernment.com/ Schedule a Meeting: AskASI@asigovt.com Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Leave it in the comments below. This week: • RFO Goes to Court — Don Acquisition is challenging the way the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul was implemented, arguing that major changes made through model deviations should have gone through formal notice-and-comment rulemaking. • FAR Part 16 + NASA SEWP VI — NASA awarded more than 2,100 companies spots on SEWP VI. We use the massive GWAC to look at the new FAR Part 16, including streamlined fair opportunity, BPAs inside multiple-award IDIQs, and on-ramps and off-ramps. • 8(a) Show & Tell — SBA has released new guidance explaining how individually owned businesses must demonstrate social disadvantage when applying for the 8(a) Business Development Program. • Anthropic vs. the Pentagon — A federal judge struck down the Pentagon’s supply-chain-risk designation involving Anthropic, but a separate procurement-law fight is still unresolved. • GSA Starts Charging for USAi — Agencies now have to pay to use GSA’s governmentwide generative AI platform, raising new questions about cost, ROI, and centralized government AI services. • Who is “Ms. X”? — In a new GAO protest, an agency evaluator denied consulting for the awardee. The awardee then revealed that she had actually performed consulting work related to the exact requirement being competed. GAO found the agency’s initial conflict-of-interest investigation unreasonable. Plus, we go back to September 17, 2024 for This Day in Contract History and GSA’s Commercial Solutions Opening pilot, and we answer listener questions about how FAR clauses are created and the new RFO. If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe, share it with another acquisition professional, and join us again next week. The FAR is Lava is sponsored by ASI Government. #FederalAcquisition #GovernmentContracting #FAR #RFO #GovCon #FederalProcurement #FARPart16 #SEWPVI #8a #GAOProtest