In Percipient.ai v. United States, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit may have triggered a legal “Big Bang” moment in government procurement law. The case centered on whether the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act’s (FASA) “task order bar” could suppress claims alleging violations of 10 U.S.C. § 3453, which mandates a preference for commercial products. The Panel’s interpretation of the Tucker Act’s definition of “interested party” expanded the universe of standing, allowing prospective subcontractors to exert gravitational influence in legal challenges regardless of their role as indirect offerors. At the risk of offending real physicists, from a legal perspective, the Percipient.ai v. United States decision looks to expand a universe of legal scrutiny. Like the cosmic forces that shape galaxies, the Percipient.ai decision may shape the parameters of government contracting jurisdiction and procedural fairness in the procurement process.Continue Reading Big Bang?: The Federal Circuit, Percipient.ai, and Expanding Jurisdiction