Government Contracting
Small Biz Contracting Strategy May Not Encourage New Firms
Miles & Stockbridge government contracts lawyer Stephen Ramaley weighs in for Law360 on a recently announced plan to advance the Biden administration's goal to award 15% of federal contracting dollars to small disadvantaged businesses is unlikely to significantly broaden the contracting base. Critics say it lacks concrete steps to attract new contractors. “There is a potential synergy there, enabling agencies to fulfill their SDB contracting goals while giving those companies a way to try out federal contracting in a relatively low-stakes environment, but agencies often have an "inherent trepidation" to take on new contractors instead of those with an existing record of performance, “ said Ramaley, whose practice frequently involves the U.S. Small Business Administration's SDB programs.
