Federal Procurement Policy & SBA Reinforce Small Business Participation in Contracting

📌 Core Announcement:
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OMB), the FAR Council, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) released streamlined regulatory coverage on small business contracting as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) — the largest reform of procurement rules in 41 years.

🏗️ Key Reforms for Small Businesses:

• Simplified Regulations: Reduces burdens for small businesses seeking federal contracts, rewritten in plain, accessible language.
• Mandatory Set-Asides: Agencies must continue reserving contracts when at least two competitive small businesses can perform the work.
• 8(a) Program Competitiveness: Encourages more competition so disadvantaged businesses are stronger after graduating.
• 1,600+ Requirements Cut: Phase one removed over 1,600 burdensome provisions, making it easier for new entrants.

🛠️ New Tools & Practices:

• Streamlined contracting: Fewer boilerplate, non-statutory clauses for commercial work.
• Faster awards: Expanded use of simplified acquisition procedures to cut delays and costs.
• On-Ramps & Set-Asides: Easier entry into government-wide task orders like OASIS+, which strengthens HUBZone, veteran-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged small business access.
• Better Debriefs: Post-award feedback to help small businesses improve future bids.
• Simpler SAM Registration: Reduced complexity in registration and maintenance.
• Technical Demos: Encourages showcasing capabilities with demonstrations instead of long written proposals.

🗣️ Quote:
Dr. Kevin Rhodes (OMB advisor): “The RFO is a once-in-a-generation win-win — easing access for small businesses and giving agencies greater ability to leverage their talents.”

👉 Bottom Line:
This overhaul is designed to make federal contracting more accessible, competitive, and efficient for America’s 34 million small businesses, while strengthening the government’s contractor base for critical missions.