Whay Law Firm in D.C. Assists Government Contractors in complying with CICA

Learn More About Government Contracts and Awards

Whay Law Firm, located in Washington, D.C., has extensive experience representing small- and medium-sized government contractors in competitive government bids and related matters. Most businesses require expert legal counsel to help them understand the unique administrative rules governing federal government contracts. Whay Law Firm can expertly assist you understand the Competition in Contracting Act, so that you can fully comply and protect your business when bidding on government contracts.

Must My Firm Comply with the Competition in Contracting Act?

The Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) was established in 1984 to encourage competition for government contracts. Its purpose is to increase competition among responsible, qualified bidders to improve savings to the government through more competitive pricing. With exceptions spelled out in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 6.3 (“Other Than Full and Open Competition), CICA applies to all government requests for contract bids issued after April 1, 1985. Minimally, CICA requires the following:

• Any qualified contractor may participate in bidding for a government contract.
• Minimum response times of 30 to 45 days are required for receipt of bids or proposals from the date of issuance of a solicitation.
• Any contract valued at greater than $25,000 must be advertised at least 15 days prior to the bid solicitation date, with the intent that more bidders will compete for the contract, and competition for the contract will be full and open.
• If a protest before contract award is made to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the award will be suspended until GAO rules on the protest. Ruling must occur within 90 working days, or 45 calendar days if so requested by either party involved, as defined in FAR Part 33.

CICA does not apply to simplified acquisitions (FAR Part 13), or where statutes specifically authorize different contracting procedures. This may include the competitive procedures that apply to GSA Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) Program orders, or multiple award, task order and delivery order contracts, such as Government-wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) or Multiple Agency (or Award) Contracts (MACs).
If you are considering entering a bid on a government contract, or have concerns about an agency’s violation of CICA in an award, contact Whay Law firm today for expert consultation and assistance in understand this complex policy.