GovConDash Weekly · November 2, 2026

The week of October 26, 2026 to November 1, 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

  • DPCAP policy: 1 DPCAP policy memo from Pricing, Cost, and Finance.
  • Executive orders: 1 executive order published in the Federal Register.
  • Comment deadlines: 2 proposed rules open for comment. The next comment deadline is November 4, 2026 (in 2 days): General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation; GSAR Implementation of Executive Order 14275....
  • GAO protests: GAO released 9 protest decisions: 2 sustained in part, 2 denied, 3 dismissed, 1 dismissed in part. The most common grounds were technical evaluation (3) and best-value / source selection (2).
  • Courts and boards: New decisions: Court of Federal Claims 1, ASBCA 12, CBCA 3.
  • Codified: 21 agency supplement sections changed on eCFR; the FAR, DFARS and CAS did not.

DPCAP policy memos(1)

Memoranda from the DoW Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy office, signed this week or newly posted to its Policy Vault. Each links to the memo itself.

Efficiency Assurance for Fixed-Price Contracts and Other Transactions
Pricing, Cost, and Finance

This joint DPCAP-DCAA efficiency assurance for fixed-price contracts and other transactions provides a posture statement on efficiency retention on risk-based awards, prospective capture of efficiencies, enforcement priorities, and profit policy modernization. It addresses a...

USA003070-26-DPCAP-DCAA · Signed October 27, 2026

Executive orders(1)

Orders the Federal Register published this week. Each links to the order on federalregister.gov, and orders that reach federal procurement lead.

Decreasing Housing Costs for the American People
Grants and cooperative agreements

Executive Order 14438 · 91 FR 68007 · Signed October 22, 2026 · Published October 28, 2026

Federal Register PDF

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.

General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation; GSAR Implementation of Executive Order 14275, Acquisition of Utility Services
GSAR (GSA), 48 CFR chapter 5

GSA is proposing to amend the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) part 541 which outlines procedures and guidance for the procurement of utility services. GSA guidance does not apply to agencies using their special authorities listed in Federal...

General Services Administration · Amends 48 CFR 541, 552 · Published October 5, 2026

Comments close November 4, 2026 (in 2 days)Submit a comment
Small Business Size Standards
Small business size standards, 13 CFR 121

On August 20, 2026, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or the Agency) published a notice of proposed rulemaking and a notice of availability of Revised Size Standards Methodology in the Federal Register to solicit public comments on the revised methodology and proposed...

Small Business Administration · Amends 13 CFR 121 · Published September 24, 2026

Comments close November 20, 2026 (in 18 days)Submit a comment

Case law this week(25)

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.

Court of Federal Claims (1 new)

GAO bid protests (9 new)

2 sustained in part2 denied3 dismissed1 dismissed in part
  • Fluor Federal Solutions, LLCSustained in part

    Decided October 13, 2026 · B-424203.2 · Department of the Air Force

    Primarily, Fluor argues that the agency violated the Procurement Integrity Act (PIA) and unreasonably determined that the disclosure of the offerors' pricing information did not impair the integrity of the procurement.

    Technical EvaluationPrice / Cost Evaluation
  • Reliance Test & TechnologySustained in part

    Decided October 13, 2026 · B-424203.3,B-424203.4 · Department of the Air Force

    Technical EvaluationBest-Value / Source Selection
  • SAVE THE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES LLC--Reconsideration

    Decided October 27, 2026 · B-424642.3 · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

    The requester argues that our decision contains a legal error that warrants reconsideration.

  • Symons Emergency Specialties, Inc. d/b/a SymbiosisDismissed

    Decided October 27, 2026 · B-424759 · Department of Veterans Affairs

    In its protest, Symbiosis asserts that the agency impermissibly terminated an option the agency previously exercised under its purchase order.

    Set-Aside / Small BusinessCorrective Action
  • Veteran Design and Construction Inc.Dismissed

    Decided October 23, 2026 · B-419224.2 · Department of Veterans Affairs

    Set-Aside / Small BusinessStanding / Jurisdiction
  • Kenall-Geo Engineering JV LLCDenied

    Decided October 20, 2026 · B-424680,B-424680.3 · Department of the Army

    Discussions / Competitive Range
  • Encon Desbuild JV4, LLCDismissed

    Decided October 19, 2026 · B-423574.2 · Department of the Navy

    The protester challenges the Navy's evaluation of its phase one proposal and contends that the agency improperly excluded EDJV4 from the second phase of the competition.

    Timeliness
  • The MIL CorporationDismissed in part

    Decided October 19, 2026 · B-424664,B-424664.2 · Department of the Navy

    Best-Value / Source Selection
  • Octo Metric, LLCDenied

    Decided October 8, 2026 · B-424623 · Department of Homeland Security

    Octo, the incumbent contractor, asserts that the agency's evaluation of its quotation was unreasonable.

    Technical Evaluation

ASBCA (12 new)

CBCA (3 new)

2 ruled on a motion1 settled

Regulation text changes(21)

FAR, DFARS and Cost Accounting Standards sections whose text changed on eCFR this week. Changes to agency supplements are summarized in one line.

Agency supplements: 21 sections across EPAAR (EPA) (12), NFS (NASA) (6), HUDAR (HUD) (3)

  • 1552.211-70Reports of work.Amended
  • 1552.211-72Monthly progress report.Amended
  • 1552.211-77Final reports.Amended
  • 1552.215-73General financial and organizational information.Amended
  • 1552.216-73Fixed rates for services - indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract.Amended
  • 1552.216-78Award term incentive plan.Amended
  • 1552.217-71Option to extend the term of the contract - cost-type contract.Amended
  • 1552.217-72Option to extend the term of the contract - cost-plus-award-fee contract.Amended
  • 1552.217-73Option for increased quantity - cost-type contract.Amended
  • 1552.217-74Option for increased quantity - cost-plus-award-fee contract.Amended
  • 1552.217-77Option to extend the term of the contract fixed price.Amended
  • 1552.242-70Indirect costs.Amended
  • 1852.213-70Offeror Representations and Certifications - Other Than Commercial Products and Commercial Services.Amended
  • 1852.215-79Price adjustment for “Make- or-Buy” changes.Amended
  • 1852.215-81Proposal page limitations.Amended
  • 1852.215-85Proposal Adequacy Checklist.Amended
  • 1852.243-72Equitable adjustments.Amended
  • 1852.246-71Government contract quality assurance functions.Amended
  • 2452.216-82Labor categories, requirements, and estimated level of effort.Amended
  • 2452.232-70Payment schedule and invoice submission (Fixed-Price).Amended
  • 2452.232-72Limitation of Government's obligation.Amended
October 26, 2026All issues