Government Contractors

A government contractor is a company – either for profit or non-profit – that produces goods or services under contract for the government. Some communities are largely sustained by government contracting activity; for instance, much of the economy of Northern Virginia consists of government contractors employed directly or indirectly by the federal government.

Government contracts law is comprised of all the statutes, cases, rules, regulations, and procedures with which any company must comply to do business with the government (whether municipal, state, or federal). Both small and large businesses contract with government entities — in fact, Small Business Administration (SBA) offers resources to help small businesses obtain contract work — but some contracts require large businesses in order to produce on a large scale. In any event, businesses contracting with the government face rules and regulations in virtually every aspect of making, performing, and eventually terminating a contract with an agency or department.

Since the set of laws and regulations covering government contracts is immense, complex, and constantly changing, it’s usually in your best interests to contact an attorney specializing in government contracts law early in the process. Many of these rules were put in place to avoid favoritism and to give all bidders fair access to be awarded a contract. Additionally, the competitive bidding process is intended to ensure the lowest price for certain goods.