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Unicor Banned From Competing In Small Business Set Asides For Services

Client Alert | less than 1 min read | 02.14.05

On February 3, 2005, in response to two protests filed by small business contractors challenging the award of a contract to UNICOR (Federal Prison Industries or "FPI") under a total small business set-aside procurement, the SBA determined that UNICOR is other than small under the applicable size standard. UNICOR contended that, irrespective of its size, "it is eligible to compete for this procurement because recent changes in the law [specifically, March 26, 2004, amendments to the FAR] now define small business set asides as including FPI," but the SBA held that those requirements are not mandatory if the solicitation involves "acquiring services," as opposed to purchasing items listed on FPI's schedule.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 09.15.26

GAO Indicates Reasonable Conflict of Interest Investigation Must Include Inquiry of Involved Firm

The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recent decision in Viderity Inc.—Costs, B-424422.5, Sept. 1, 2026, offers useful insight into what constitutes a legally sufficient conflict of interest investigation. The decision arose in an unusual procedural posture: Viderity initially protested, alleging that an agency evaluator had a personal conflict of interest. After the agency took corrective action, Viderity filed a cost entitlement claim requesting that GAO direct the agency to reimburse Viderity’s protest costs. In evaluating that claim, GAO assessed whether Viderity’s underlying protest ground was “clearly meritorious.”...