Teaming and Subcontracting
Tricky Issues in the U.S. Procurement System
29 October 2013
Alan Dickson
Subcontracts
Copyright © 2013 Holland & Knight LLP All Rights Reserved
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Subcontracting Basics
• Govt needs will drive size and value of procurement, and influence
question of whether subcontractors are needed to assist prime, or to
conform to Govt’s desires or socio-economic policies.
• Primes may also independently desire sub support and participation:
– Subs may have critical experience, patent rights, tech data ownership;
may have been prior incumbents and have key personnel.
• FAR 19.201(a) recites Govt policy to provide maximum opportunities for
participation by small business concerns, veteran-owned small companies,
service-disabled vet owned small companies, HUBZone small business,
small disadvantaged companies, women-owned small companies,
including as subcontractors, consistent with efficient contract performance.
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Subcontracting Basics
• SBA monitors contractor actions to ensure fair proportion of contracts is placed with small
firms.
• Contractors receiving contracts for more than simplified acquisition threshold must agree to
provide maximum practicable opportunities for small business participation in the various
special small business categories. FAR 19.702.
• In negotiated acquisitions, each RFP for a contract or contract mod expected to exceed $650K
($1.5 Mil for construction) that has subcontracting possibilities requires the apparently
successful offeror to submit an acceptable subcontracting plan; if agreement cannot be
reached with Govt, offeror will be ineligible for the contract. Sealed bid contests: similar.
Noncompliant bidder will be ineligible. FAR 19.702.
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Definitions
• FAR 19.701: “Subcontract” means any agreement (other than
employer/employee) entered into by a Govt prime contractor
or subcontractor calling for supplies and/or services required
for performance of contract, contract modification, or
subcontract.
• Additional definitions for subcontracting (e.g., re: purchase
orders, changes and modifications, commercial items): See
FAR Subpart 2.1; FAR 44.101; FAR 12.001
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Notable Subcontract Content
• Reference to prime contract
– Base period
– Option periods
– Extension periods
– Scope of Work
– Schedule
– Price
– Payment terms
– Clauses and Flowdown Clauses
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Prime Contractor Choices – Sub or Not ?
• Try to hire away valued employees of other contractors (e.g.,
prior incumbents).
• Note: “inevitable disclosure” doctrine may require caution to
prevent incoming employees from revealing or utilizing
proprietary information gleaned from former employer.
Former company should insist on non-disclosure agreement
with departing employees. Hiring company should also insist
new employee arrive “bare”.
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Possible pre-proposal steps
• Determine need for subs
• Check possible conflicts of interest: PCI/OCI
• Structure of cooperating team:
• E.g., joint ventures versus teaming agreements.
• If JV structure is elected and receives award, the JV itself becomes
the contractor absent agreement to have one company be prime and
the other a sub within the JV structure; also each co-venturer is
responsible for acts and omissions of the other.
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Avoid confusing language
• Thus, if a teaming agreement is NOT intended to create or
operate like a joint venture or partnership, the agreement must
NOT include language such as “the parties shall jointly
propose, jointly perform”, etc. Big no-no!
• Example from actual contract performed in Germany:
misdeeds by team member’s employee.
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Government Consent
• Project may need Govt consent to prime contractor awards to
subs. See generally FAR part 44 as to various requirements in
this regard, including as to types of subcontracts that may be
awarded. Primes are also looked to (in first instance) for
determinations as to “responsibility” of their prospective
subcontractors.
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Restrictions
• Services contracts awarded to “Section 8(a)” small businesses
can be restricted to prevent the 8(a) contractor from further
subcontracting out the work to be done without the approval
of the SBA and the agency contracting officer. FAR 52.21912.
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More Restrictions
• FAR clause 52.219-14, “Limitations on Subcontracting”,
applies to contracts reserved for small businesses or 8(a)
concerns. Requires certain stated limitations on how much of
the work can be further subcontracted down by the original
contractor (and, e.g., possibly performed by large business
employees). For a non-construction services contract, at least
50 % of the cost of contract performance incurred for
personnel must be expended for employees of the small
concern.
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Flowdowns
• Types
– Mandatory (required)
– Necessary (not required, but in best interest of one or both parties)
– Unnecessary
• Best Practices
– Determine what clauses are mandatory or necessary
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Flowdowns
• Some Common Practices –NOT necessarily recommended !!
– Flow down all prime contract clauses
– Cookie cutter uniform flowdown list for all subcontracts
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Flowdowns
• Primes must flow down into subcontracts certain clauses that
the Govt deems important for policy reasons (e.g., antikickback procedures clause at FAR 52.203-7; social policy
clauses such as prohibitions against trafficking in persons;
minimum wage and other labor standards provisions) and for
general administration and pricing of work – (e.g., cost or
pricing data submission requirements)- sometimes only down
one level, sometimes all the way down the chain.
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Flowdowns
• Incorporated by full text, reference, or otherwise
• Some clauses specify HOW it is to be done
• “incorporate the substance of this clause” FAR 52.203-7(b)(5),
Anti-Kickback Procedures
• “insert this clause” FAR 52.226-6(e), Promoting Excess Food
Donation to Nonprofit Organizations
• “include the requirements of this clause” FAR 52.222-54(e),
Employment Eligibility Verification
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• Common Practices
– Flowdown all prime clauses
– Default: cookie cutter for all subcontracts
•
-- Not necessarily recommended
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Streamlining Flowdowns
• Flowdowns for Commercial Item Prime
– FAR 52.212-4, Commercial terms and conditions – commercial items
– FAR 52.212-5, Contract terms and conditions required to implement
statutes or executive orders – commercial items
• Even if prime contract is not for commercial items, the subcontract
could be written as a commercial item subcontract. FAR 52.244-6,
Subcontracts for commercial items.
– Maximize use of commercial item subcontracts
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Not required for flowdown ??
• A number of clauses required to be placed in prime contracts are not
expressly stated to be required in subcontracts awarded by the
prime. Examples: “Changes,” FAR 52.243-1; “Termination for
Convenience”, FAR 52.249 series. Prime would be stupid to not
flow those clauses down, however. Prime needs sub’s cooperation
in administration of such clauses.
• Data Rights – again, Prime should flow down
• Disputes -- Suggest parties submit their versions and discuss
• Termination for Default -- prime needs this for SURE!
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Teaming Agreements
• Such agreements (also called “Team Arrangements”, as in
FAR Subpart 9.6) can be used as a structure for prime and sub
to cooperate toward award of the prime contract, and to help
govern the relationship between prime and sub thereafter.
• IF THE AGREEMENT IS CAREFULLY DRAFTED !
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Agreement Drafting
• TA can cover expected duties of would-be prime and wouldbe sub: pre-proposal; during negotiations with Govt; postaward of prime contract; roles of key officers of the two (or
more) companies, etc.
• Prime contractor most typically holds more of the marbles;
sub(s) may need to closely monitor the drafting of the TA and
amendments to it, and be alert to ramifications of possible
changes to the agreement and other signs of potential trouble
in the relationship.
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Preserving Parties’ Rights
• Both parties, but Sub especially, should closely review the
draft subcontract offered by prime. This could be last chance
to ensure the subcontract is logical, fair and accurately tuned
to the special skills and duties of the parties.
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Important drafting flaw!
• It is common to see provisions in TAs that recite when the TA
expires – e.g., “if the Govt abandons the project and makes no
award”; or “if the Govt refuses to exercise an option to renew
the term of the contract”; or upon the award of the contract to
another competitor or the prime becoming ineligible to receive
the contract.
• These make some sense. BUT:
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WHAT ABOUT THIS?
• TAs often state that certain events will terminate the TA –
such as Govt deciding not to go through with the procurement,
or the award going to another company.
• Many teaming agreements say that they will expire “upon
execution of the subcontract contemplated by this
Agreement”. In other words, “we’re done with the TA now.
Let’s perform the subcontract.”
• This can be very dangerous ……………….
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WHY?
• A common problem: the subcontract drawn up by the TA
parties, when examined closely, does not contain all the
recitations and promises made by the prime during TA
negotiations and drafting. E.g., as to add-on work; as to parts
of the work reserved for the sub; as to roles of company
officers; as to sub’s ability to participate in decisions
impacting the sub’s scope of work, etc.
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Remedy?
• Ideally, go back and draft or revise TA better!
• That failing, sub should request amendment of subcontract to
expressly include the “missing” duties and promises of the
prime toward the sub that were included in the TA. Can be a
difficult argument to make ex post facto. Caveat
subcontractor!
• Situation may not have been caused by fraud.
• If it WAS, prime might be liable in a variety of ways.
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Can Govt Direct Dissolution of Team
Arrangements?
• FAR 9.603: Govt will recognize integrity and validity of TAs
if arrangements are identified and company relationships are
fully disclosed.
• Govt will not “normally” require or encourage the dissolution
of contractor team arrangements.
• Have there been exceptions to this?
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Dickson remembers one
• 23 March 1983 (I think): Reagan’s speech regarding setting
up the Strategic Defense Initiative. Shortly thereafter, SDI
Director Jim Abrahamson told interested companies in the
space and missile business to break up their teaming
agreements and compete independently to suggest ideas and
technical approaches to enhance chances of tech
breakthroughs.
• By and large, the aerospace companies cooperated with
General Abrahamson’s wishes. [Short digression story
illustrating hectic first months of the SDI]
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Other Issues
• Judicial enforcement: Some courts say TAs are “mere
agreements to agree” and are thus not true contracts. Other
courts have upheld teaming agreements as viable ways to gear
up to performing Govt contracts. Other legal issues: choice
of law views of prime and sub; choice of venue for suits
between teaming partners. Get your lawyers on board before
executing the agreement!
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Subs’ claims against Govt
• Ordinarily, no direct privity with Govt – can’t sue it.
– The Government does not deal directly with subs. FAR 44.203(b)(3)
• “Severin Doctrine”, if carefully invoked, allows subs in proper
circumstances to show that prime owes them on the project,
especially as result of Govt action affecting both prime
contract and subcontract. [In actual Severin case in 1943, Ct
of Claims noted that the subcontract expressly NEGATED
prime liability to sub for losses caused by the U.S.] Thus,
subs should avoid clauses that exculpate prime from liability.
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Claims
• Contract Disputes Act applies to disputes between
Government and prime
– Does not apply to subs because no privity with govt.
• Subject to False Claims Act
– Sub may be liable under FCA for causing a false claim or reverse false
claim
– Privity not required for FCA liability
• Sub or Prime could be a relator against the other
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Claims
• “Pass through” claim sponsored by prime to government
– Or by lower tier sub to higher tier sub, etc.
– Sponsored claim only allowed if prime is liable to sub and cost can be
charged to the Government in turn (Severin)
– No pass through claim where prime has not been harmed and there is
no resulting Government liability
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Claims
• The prime must certify the sub’s claim
– Sub may be asked to certify that there is good ground for the claim
• Absent an exculpatory clause in the subcontract, Sub has the
right to pursue a good faith claim against the Government in
the name of the prime even if the prime did not acknowledge
the sub’s claim, or pay it or even recognize that the prime
itself could claim against the Government.
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Claims
– Subcontract Clause: Right of Indirect Subcontractor Appeal -- Means
assertion by the sub of the prime’s right to appeal or to prosecute an
appeal on the sub’s behalf (FAR 44.203(c))
– Clause may state that prime and sub are equally bound by CO or
Board decision
– Sub might use this where it is affected by a dispute between the prime
and the govt. (e.g., assignment of delay fault, defective work, etc.)
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Termination
• A subcontractor has no direct contractual rights against the
Government upon the termination of a prime contract. A
subcontractor may have rights against the prime contractor or
intermediate subcontractor with whom it has contracted. Upon
termination of a prime contract, the prime contractor and each
subcontractor are responsible for the prompt settlement of the
settlement proposals of their immediate subcontractors. FAR
49.108-1.
• FAR Part 49 contains extensive guidance.
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Thank You, South Bay !!
Alan Dickson, Partner, Holland & Knight LLP
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