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 and you can lose the program or face fraud exposure.
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 guidance, and it will weigh dismissing every whistleblower suit. Here is what it means for you.
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 source of False Claims Act enforcement.
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 criminal charges, treble damages, and serious safety stakes.
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 certify constantly, that risk is everywhere. Here is what the law reaches.
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 lose your status, and misrepresenting it is fraud.
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. Here is how to stay eligible and clean.
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 back wages, withheld payments, and even debarment.
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 be fraud if the violation is material. The Escobar decision explains when.
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 money. The whistleblowers collect over $3.6 million.
