We reported last week that IBM was banned from seeking new federal IT work and named on the U.S. General Services Administration federal contractors’ Excluded Parties list for what was said to be an ‘indefinite’ period of time. 

IBM’s addition to the Excluded Parties list and ban was said to be linked to a federal contract bid and improper contact with an employee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, it has now been reported that the U.S. EPA has lifted the ban after only one week. The EPA’s action means that IBM is now able to seek bids on new government contracts.

However, IBM is not out of hot water with the EPA. It still faces an investigation by the EPA and a federal grand jury investigation into a contract bid with the EPA from 2006. According to its Web site, IBM indicated that it “…will continue to cooperate with the EPA's ongoing investigation of possible violations of the Procurement Integrity provisions of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act regarding a bid for business with the EPA, and with a related investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.”

IBM claimed that it was unaware of any actions that the EPA or federal prosecutors were considering against it until the GSA suspension was issued last week.