The Contractor’s Oversight Weapon: How Bid Protests Keep Procurement Honest
A bid protest is how contractors hold the government accountable for a flawed or unfair award. But standing, strict deadlines, and the automatic stay decide…
4 min read
Government Contracting News & Insights
Contracting intelligence for small and minority-owned businesses, from the TIKC advisory team.
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Page 11 of 24 · Newest first
The Favor That Becomes a Felony: Bribery and Illegal Gratuities to Federal Officials
Giving anything of value to a federal official to influence an official act is bribery, a serious felony under 18 U.S.C. 201. Even a gratuity…
4 min read
Nine Years and One Standard: The 8(a) Program’s Ownership and Control Rules
The 8(a) program is a powerful runway for disadvantaged small businesses, but it demands genuine ownership, real control, and honest eligibility. Get the rules wrong…
4 min read
DOJ Just Rewrote the False Claims Act Playbook. Two Changes Every Contractor Should Know.
On September 18, 2026, DOJ revised its False Claims Act policy in two big ways: it can no longer build a case on non-binding agency…
5 min read
Made in America, and You Have to Prove It: The Buy American Act and Domestic Content
The Buy American Act favors domestic products in federal purchasing, and the domestic content thresholds are rising. A false Buy American certification is a growing…
4 min read
Not What You Promised to Deliver: Product Substitution and Counterfeit Parts Fraud
Delivering something other than what the contract specified, or passing off counterfeit parts as genuine, is among the most aggressively prosecuted contract frauds. It carries…
4 min read
Every Certification Is a Sworn Statement: The False Statements Act and Your Signature
A single false statement to the government, even without a false invoice, can be a federal felony under 18 U.S.C. 1001. In contracting, where you…
4 min read
Where You Sit and Who You Hire: The HUBZone Rules That Decide Your Eligibility
The HUBZone program ties your eligibility to your location and your workforce. Miss the principal office or the 35 percent residency requirement and you can…
4 min read
Own It and Run It: WOSB Certification, Real Control, and the Fraud That Ends Companies
The women-owned small business program requires real ownership and real control, backed by formal certification. Misrepresenting either is set-aside fraud with False Claims Act exposure…
4 min read
The Wage Law That Follows Every Service Contract: SCA Compliance and Its Teeth
If you hold a federal service contract, the Service Contract Act sets the minimum wages and fringe benefits you must pay. Underpay, and you face…
4 min read
The Lie You Never Said Out Loud: Implied False Certification and the Escobar Rule
You can violate the False Claims Act without ever making a false statement. Under the implied certification theory, simply billing while out of compliance can…
4 min read
$21.3 Million Set-Aside Fraud Settlement Exposes the Rent-a-Vet Playbook
Two contractors and their executives will pay $21.3 million to resolve claims they used service-disabled veteran front companies as pass-throughs while keeping control and the…
5 min read
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The Briefing
The Briefing is the TIKC weekly federal contracting newsletter covering policy changes, opportunities and practical next steps for small businesses.
- Policy changes worth knowing about
- Opportunities for small and minority-owned firms
- Practical next steps you can act on
