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Supreme Court rules on VA's "rule of two"
Lenora Leasure
PTAC Program Manager
A battle over the Department of Veterans Affairs's "rule of two", waged since Congress passed the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 (the "VA Act"), has finally come to conclusion on June 16th with the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Kingdomware Technologies, Inc. vs. United States, No. 14-916 (2016). The "rule of two" provision requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to restrict competition to veteran-owned firms so long as there is a reasonable expectation that two or more veteran-owned small business will submit fair and reasonable offers that offer the best value. The VA, despite several Government Accountability Office (GAO) decisions and recommendations, has continued to order off the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule without first applying the "rule of two". The Supreme Court, in its 16 page decision, has ruled the "rule of two" is mandatory and applies to all contracts. This is a big win for both Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned businesses contracting with the VA.
Are you thinking of starting a business? Are you contemplating an expansion? Do you need to purchase new equipment? Do you need financing assistance to get your plans underway? JARI's financing team can identify possible programs to help. We will take you through the process from application to closing. Some of the most popular programs include:
SBA Microloan,
PIDA, and
SBA 504. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Michele Clapper at
[email protected] or at 814.262.8368.
LUNCH & LEARN:
Creating the Perfect Elevator Pitch
President of Prime Design Solutions, Brian Law, will share his expertise in developing a sales pitch that's short enough to be delivered during an elevator ride. During this interactive session, attendees will learn to create a good overview of what their company has to offer, and how to concisely convey that information to potential clients.
