What Agencies Can Actually Ask For: Books, Records & Accounts

“VERIFY BEFORE YOU CERTIFY” — 3-MINUTE BRIEF, PART 4 OF 4 The final brief in this series: what to have audit ready before a request ever arrives. Recap: FAR 52.222-90 requires contractors to furnish “all information and reports, including providing access to books, records, and accounts, as required by the Contracting Officer.” No agency has…
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What This Means in Practice: A Compliance Checklist

“VERIFY BEFORE YOU CERTIFY” — 3-MINUTE BRIEF, PART 3 OF 4 Parts 1–2 covered the rules and the three certification layers. This brief: what to actually do about it. Recap: Contractors now certify nondiscrimination through SAM.gov representations, the EO 14173 certification embedded in each contract, and FAR 52.222-90. Here’s what stays in force separately, and…
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The Three Certification Layers Every Federal Contractor Must Know

“VERIFY BEFORE YOU CERTIFY” — 3-MINUTE BRIEF, PART 2 OF 4 Part 1 covered what changed. This brief: the three layers contractors certify today. Recap: Executive Orders 14173 and 14398 replaced the old EO 11246 affirmative-action framework with a certification-based model, enforceable through the False Claims Act. Here’s how that model actually works, layer by…
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The New Rules: How Federal Contractor Certification Changed Twice in 18 Months

“VERIFY BEFORE YOU CERTIFY” — 3-MINUTE BRIEF, PART 1 OF 4 A quick-read series on how federal contractors certify nondiscrimination today. This brief: what changed, and why. Federal contractors don’t certify nondiscrimination through a single document anymore. As of 2026, compliance runs through three separate layers — and this series breaks down exactly what each…
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PART 1 – EO 14398 & FAR 52.222-90: Nondiscrimination Enters the Federal Procurement Process

The federal contractor nondiscrimination landscape has evolved significantly. Following recent federal procurement changes associated with Executive Orders 14173 and 14398, Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors, the FAR Council introduced FAR 52.222-90, Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors (APR 2026). The significance for federal contractors is substantial: nondiscrimination requirements are now being incorporated directly into…
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