Contracting with government imposes obligations that have no commercial analogue, and non-compliance is enforced through contract remedies, suspension and debarment, and false claims liability.
Certifications. Bids and invoices carry certifications about pricing, eligibility, small business status, country of origin, and compliance with labour and other requirements. A false certification can convert a contract dispute into a fraud case.
Cost accounting and allowability. For cost-reimbursement work, cost accounting standards and allowability rules determine what may be charged. Unallowable costs claimed, even in good faith, create exposure; segregating them in the accounting system is the control.
Mandatory disclosure. Contractors must disclose credible evidence of certain violations and of significant overpayments. Failure to disclose is itself a ground for suspension or debarment.
Flow-downs. Prime contract clauses must be passed to subcontractors, and the prime bears responsibility for their compliance.
Ethics programmes. Above thresholds, a written code, training, an internal control system and a hotline are contractually required.
Suspension and debarment are present-responsibility determinations, not punishments, which means the response is to demonstrate remediation and governance change rather than to litigate the underlying conduct.
Bid protests operate on very short timelines with strict standing rules.