In October of 2022, Congress and the President passed a law that made a small but very important addition to the rules governing the US Small Business Administration. In a bipartisan bill known as “The One-Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act” (Public Law 177-118), the US Government made life in the often confusing and hyper-competitive world of obtaining and working with US Government contracts much easier for small businesses.
The One Stop Shop for Small Business Compliance Act
The One Stop for Small Business Compliance Act amends Section 30 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. § 657) to require the creation, within 6 months of the passage of the law, of “a publicly available website that includes hyperlinks to small entity compliance guides, … [and] contact information for an individual who can offer assistance to small entities with respect to the rules that are the subject of such guides.”
The compliance guides for small business seeking or performing under contracts with federal government agencies like the Department of Defense, the Veterans Affairs Administration, The General Service Agency, The Department of Agriculture, and others, were by authorized Congress under previous law, but the guides were scattered throughout the various websites and depositories for the many separate agencies. Under the new law, the SBA will now provide a literal “one stop shop” where these guides can be accessed, making finding what rules and regulations are applicable to a given bid or contract much easier for bidders on new contracts and those companies already performing under existing contracts.
The site will also be an excellent focal point for updates and changes to the rules and procedures for doing business with various federal agencies. Business owners and managers, small and large, who are involved in US Government contracting would be wise to find and peruse this site and refer to it often as part of their regularly scheduled business development strategy.
To date, The Ombudsman for the SBA has not yet gone public with the website; but stay tuned for more from government contracting Attorney David Charitat at Widerman Malek to report on the legal, regulatory, procedural, or practical questions about the process. David brings over 25 years of experience as an Air Force Judge Advocate and Senior Civilian Attorney with legal oversight of billions of dollars in USAF contracts under his belt. We would be happy to assist you with any questions you may have regarding US Government Contracting. Please feel free to contact us directly for further assistance.
