Just last week, we looked at the importance for small business contractors to check their SAM.gov profiles to make sure they are properly certified as small. Incorrect information can lead to a variety of problems, not the least of which is potentially losing out on a small business set-aside contracting opportunity.
This point was refined by a newly published opinion from the Government Accountability Office. As part of the GAO protest, a disappointed offeror alleged that the awardee on a VA electrical services contract lacked the technical expertise required by the solicitation. Specifically, (among other things) the protest argued that the awardee's SAM profile did not specifically list the NAICS code applicable to the procurement.
The GAO disagreed and dismissed the protest – stating that it could not identify a regulation requiring an offeror to have a particular NAICS code included in its profile.
So, are SAM profiles back to the Wild West? Not so fast. Part of the reason that the GAO dismissed the protest was that the awardee was certified under other NAICS codes requiring the same (or even smaller) size standard. Also, by taking proper steps to certify under the NAICS codes where your business primarily operates, your business will be in a position to fend off challenges like these altogether.
So, the advice remains the same. Take the time to check and spruce up your SAM profile (and any other publically available databases listing information about your business).
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