What Are FAR Deviations?
Learn what FAR deviations mean, how to recognize them in solicitations and contracts, and why finding the applicable clause matters for compliance.
The Prime Contractor’s Responsibility for Subcontractor Defaults
A federal government prime contractor ordinarily can be terminated for default by the government if a subcontractor or supplier fails to perform its obligations. A…
What Is The Federal Contractor’s “Duty to Inquire”?
When a federal government contract contains conflicting, ambiguous or defective specifications, must the government pay for additional costs the contractor incurs as a result? One…
Limitations on Subcontracting for Nonmanufacturers: A Step-by-Step Compliance Guide
Updated on October 2, 2026, by Elena Bernard, Ph.D. (Govology) For small businesses, contracting with Uncle Sam can be very lucrative. But government contracts come…
Limitations on Subcontracting for Manufacturers: Compliance in Four Steps
Updated on October 2, 2026 by Elena Bernard, Ph.D. (Govology) As a government contracts attorney, I’ve counseled hundreds of clients on the FAR and SBA…
Terminations for Convenience & Federal Subcontracts
The federal government has the right to terminate almost any federal contract “for convenience,” that is, when the government deems termination to be in its…
Complying with the FAR’s Code of Ethics Requirement
All federal government prime contractors and subcontractors should strongly consider adopting formal codes of ethics. A comprehensive ethics code serves multiple important purposes, such as…
Avoiding Two Common Small Business Self-Certification Mistakes
The federal government has moved away from self-certification in programs such as the Women-Owned Small Business Program and the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program, but…
Delinquent Taxes & Federal Government Contracts: Three Rules to Know
Falling behind on federal taxes is never a good idea, but for federal government contractors, delinquent taxes can cause extra headaches. Here is a high-level…
Assigning NAICS Codes to Subcontracts
Federal prime contractors often overlook a very important detail in their subcontracts: a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. Prime contractors sometimes assume that…