Reality check: Sole-source contract awards are tough to overturn

A lot of contractors don’t like it. But the reality is, in instances where there is only one company capable of performing the work required, the agency is allowed to forgo competition and hand over a contract award.

Protesting contractor: Piedmont Propulsion Systems LLC

Contracting agency: Department of the Navy

Protest issue: Whether the Navy’s decision to issue a sole-source contract was justified.

Decision: Protest denied by the Government Accountability Office March 17, 2015.

Post-mortem:…

What’s the best option for a new Marine barracks in D.C.?

Five years in the making, the Navy is finally providing government and industry alike the chance to offer input on a new Marine barracks in D.C.

The public has until May 26 to comment on the draft Environmental Impact Statement, released April 10, which among other things considers various options for replacing the existing quarters that house Marines in Southeast Washington.

We reported in September 2013 about the Marine’s options for replacing the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters Complex, including…

D.C. kids earn 'startup' funding as part of GW's Lemonade Day

You can learn a lot about business from running a lemonade stand, and dozens of D.C. kids did just that.

The George Washington University School of Business was among sponsors for Lemonade Day D.C. on April 11, and provided a lot of kid-friendly business training leading up to the Saturday event.

About 900 children went through a business mentoring program with GW students, and many of them got to pitch their lemonade stand business plan to judges from sponsor PNC Bank, just like the TV show “Shark…

Earth Day bash: You'll want to join in on this event, No Doubt

You’ve got Wednesday, April 22, circled on your calendar as Earth Day. But rather than planting a tree or some other hippie thing, you’d rather plant yourself at a free daylong concert.

Oh…. You have questions now? Fire away.

Earth Day? Seriously? Nutshell it for me.

It started in 1970 when pollution and other Earth-unfriendly practices were not held in check. There’s a whole organization for this if you wish a deeper dive.

Thanks. Maybe later. Is there some way to celebrate Earth Day, like…