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GovConDash Weekly · August 31, 2026

The week of August 24, 2026 to August 30, 2026

What changed in government contracting this week. Every item links to its source: the memo, the Federal Register, eCFR or the decision itself.

This Week in GovCon

  • Binding now: 2 class deviations issued by Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy (DARS), covering FAR parts 5 and 33.
  • Comment deadlines: 2 proposed rules open for comment. The next comment deadline is September 21, 2026 (in 21 days): Small Business Size Standards: Revised Size Standards Methodology.
  • Audit guidance: DCAA reissued 2 Contract Audit Manual chapters (11 and 14), and issued 1 new MRD.
  • GAO protests: GAO released 7 protest decisions: 2 sustained, 3 denied, 1 dismissed in part. The most common grounds were set-aside / small business (2) and technical evaluation (2).
  • Courts and boards: New decisions: Federal Circuit 1, Court of Federal Claims 19, ASBCA 4, CBCA 2.
  • Enforcement: 3 False Claims Act releases, with $80,300,000 in stated recoveries. The largest: $57,000,000, Tetra Tech EC Inc..

FAR Overhaul and class deviations(2)

Binding the day they are issued. Each links to the memo itself.

Class Deviation 2026-O0003, Revision 1 - Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul Part 5, Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS) Part 205

Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy (DARS) · Deviation 2026-O0003, revision 1 · FAR part 5

Issued August 24, 2026 · Effective August 24, 2026

Class Deviation 2026-O0026, Revision 1 - Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul Part 33, Defense FAR Supplement (DFARS) Part 233

Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy (DARS) · Deviation 2026-O0026, revision 1 · FAR part 33

Issued August 24, 2026 · Effective August 24, 2026

Proposed rules for every contractor(2)

Rules that would change the FAR, DFARS, the Cost Accounting Standards or the SBA contracting programs, soonest comment deadline first. Rules scoped to one industry are left out.

Small Business Size Standards: Revised Size Standards Methodology
Small business size standards, 13 CFR 121

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) advises the public that it has revised its white paper explaining how it establishes, reviews, and modifies small business size standards. The revised white paper provides a detailed description of SBA's size standards...

Small Business Administration · Amends 13 CFR 121 · Published August 20, 2026

Comments close September 21, 2026 (in 21 days)Submit a comment
Small Business Size Standards
Small business size standards, 13 CFR 121

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or the Agency) is proposing new size standards for 338 industry groups and industries. The new size standards are designed to better reflect the nature of the markets in which small businesses compete. SBA seeks comments on its...

Small Business Administration · Amends 13 CFR 121 · Published August 20, 2026

Comments close September 21, 2026 (in 21 days)

DCAA updates(3)

Everything DCAA changed this week: new Memoranda for Regional Directors (MRDs), and any Contract Audit Manual (CAM) chapter, audit program or Selected Areas of Cost Guidebook chapter it reissued, with the version each one replaces.

Memoranda for Regional Directors (1)

Audit Alert on the Increase to Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Threshold and TINA Lite Authority

MRD 26-CPSP-007(R) · Issued August 27, 2026

Contract Audit Manual (2)

  • Chapter 11: Performance Audits and Agreed-Upon-Procedures Engagements

    Revised August 28, 2026 · replaces the August 31, 2020 revision

  • Chapter 14: Other Contract Audit Assignments

    Revised August 28, 2026 · replaces the April 2, 2026 revision

Case law this week(33)

The most authoritative forum first: the Federal Circuit, the Court of Federal Claims, GAO, the boards of contract appeals and SBA OHA. Within each, decisions that granted relief lead.

Federal Circuit (1 new)

Court of Federal Claims (19 new)

GAO bid protests (7 new)

2 sustained3 denied1 dismissed in part
  • LJR Solutions, LLCSustained

    Decided August 14, 2026 · B-424487 · National Institutes of Health

    The protester argues that the procurement should have been set aside for small businesses.

    Set-Aside / Small Business
  • DAS Federal, LLCSustained

    Decided July 31, 2026 · B-424464,B-424464.2,B-424464.3 · Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

    The protester contends that the agency’s evaluation of quotations applied unstated evaluation criteria and was otherwise unreasonable and unequal.

    Technical Evaluation
  • Hair By Allure, LLC d/b/a Allure Rejuvenation CenterDenied

    Decided August 26, 2026 · B-424563

    The protester contends that the agency improperly excluded its proposal from the competitive range.

    Discussions / Competitive Range
  • ShorePoint, LLCDenied

    Decided August 24, 2026 · B-424200.2,B-424200.3 · National Institutes of Health

    ShorePoint alleges that the agency's evaluation of quotations and award decision were improper.

    Technical Evaluation
  • Phoenix International Holdings, Inc.Denied

    Decided August 21, 2026 · B-424348.2 · Department of the Navy

    The protester contends that the agency unreasonably found the incumbent contractor to be the only responsible source capable of meeting the agency's immediate requirements.

  • KriaaNet, Inc.--Reconsideration

    Decided August 18, 2026 · B-422717.6 · Department of the Treasury

    The requester argues that our decision contains errors of law and fact that warrant reconsideration.

    Set-Aside / Small Business
  • Integrity Management Consulting, Inc.Dismissed in part

    Decided August 13, 2026 · B-424490 · Department of Homeland Security

    The protester argues that the agency unreasonably failed to assess additional strengths to the protester's quotation, disparately evaluated quotations, and conducted a flawed best-value decision.

    Best-Value / Source Selection

ASBCA (4 new)

CBCA (2 new)

2 settled

False Claims Act enforcement(3)

Department of Justice releases that involve federal procurement, largest recovery first.

Tetra Tech EC Inc. Agrees to Pay $57M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for Falsifying Soil Test Results at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco
SettlementDepartment of WarQui tam

$57,000,000 · Tetra Tech EC Inc. · Published August 24, 2026

Deloitte Agrees to Pay $21.5M to Resolve Alleged Employment Discrimination Violations
SettlementQui tam

$21,500,000 · Deloitte · Published August 25, 2026

AiNET Corp. and Deepak Jain Agree to Pay $1.8M to Resolve Allegations of Submitting False Claims to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for Data Center Services
Settlement

$1,800,000 · AiNET Corp. and Deepak Jain · Published August 24, 2026

August 24, 2026All issuesSeptember 7, 2026