Procurement rules that travel with the contract
Government services agreements usually incorporate procurement rules, standard clauses, and policies that cannot be negotiated the way private contract terms can. In New York State, many contracts must be approved by the Office of the State Comptroller before they take effect, and the state's procurement lobbying rules limit who may contact the agency about a pending procurement. New York City contracts generally must be registered by the City Comptroller before they are enforceable, and work done before registration can be difficult to get paid for. Federal contracts follow the Federal Acquisition Regulation and agency supplements. Participation goals for minority- and women-owned businesses often appear in state and city agreements.
Keeping performance documented
Payment from government agencies depends on paperwork matching the contract precisely. Keep the signed agreement, all amendments, approved budgets, and any written direction from the agency about the scope of work. Invoices should follow the required format and include the required backup, because errors are a common reason payments stall. Changes to scope should be approved in writing by someone with authority before the work is done. Many agreements require records to be kept for audit after the contract ends, and knowingly false billing can lead to claims under state or federal false claims laws.
Reviewing before and during the contract
Before signing, we review the terms that most affect your business, such as termination for convenience, indemnification, insurance, ownership of deliverables, and how payment is triggered. During performance, we help with late payments, scope disputes, audits, and notices of default. Government contracts often require disputes to go through a defined administrative process before any lawsuit, with deadlines inside it. Subcontractors working under a prime contractor face their own issues, since their rights usually run against the prime rather than the agency. The first meeting focuses on which agreement you have, which level of government is involved, and what is happening now.
