On April 10, 2012 US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the launch of a DOT Mentor-Protégé Pilot Program during DOT’s Small Business Day: Moving Forward.  This pilot program was created to enhance the capability of minority and small business owners to successfully compete for and perform in federal procurement opportunities. Managed by the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), the program will provide an opportunity for small businesses to create strategic alliances with successful large or prime contractors to receive technical assistance and move their businesses to the next level.

The Small Business Administration's recent increase in size limits for small business opens the door to more firms but has evoked mixed reviews from lawmakers and small business organizations, reports Govexec.com.

The National Federation of Independent Business said in a statement that it is not clear why the definition was changed and National Small Business Association spokeswoman Molly Brogan told Govexec that she is concerned "with it lumping together businesses that have different interests and concerns."

But Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), co-author of the Small Business Protection Act with Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.), wants the government not to worry about redefining small business but instead add "complementary incentives for advanced [and] growing small businesses."

The new size increase is scheduled to take effect on March 12. Reference Article

On 14 Nov 2011, OMB and SBA issued a memorandum to Procurement officials regarding the improvement of small business data.  Quality and timely Federal procurement data are essential to increasing Federal small business contract awards and achieving the agencies small business contracting goals. Actions are being taken to improve the quality of procurement data on small business contract awards.

As a result of these changes separate processes related to small business data quality are being aligned to increase awareness and attention on small business contracting data. Integrating small business data quality reviews into routine agency processes and procedures is expected to reduce burden on the acquisition workforce, facilitate improved acquisition planning, and increase data accuracy of awards made to small businesses.

Accordingly, OMB and SBA asks all procurement officials to increase the attention given to small business data quality as part of their ongoing data validation efforts. Reference memorandum.

Last year, the federal government spent more than $40 billion through the GSA Schedules program. This year it may well spend even more. A GSA Schedule contract is, quite simply, the easiest point-of-entry into government contracting – the most effective way to get your products or services in front of the world's largest buyer of products and services.

A GSA Schedules contract gives you access to more than 260 federal, state and local government buyers who have an easier time buying from you than they do your competition.

If you know that, you've already applied, or you're planning to.

After all, it seems hard to fail once you have that contract in hand. Yet a remarkable number of companies do just that.

That's not just a one-time missed opportunity. It can mean the end of future opportunities as well. The GSA requires schedule-holders to do at least $25,000 worth of business through their contract in the first two years they hold it, and another $25,000 every year thereafter. Fall short of that number, and they may terminate your contract. Full article.

Are you ready to expand beyond America’s borders? Doing business in other countries will expand your potential customer base, but there are associated challenges you need to tackle first. SBA provides the following resources:

International Travel Resources, Tips and Advisories :  Provides must-read resources if you are planning to go overseas to conduct business. Country-specific resources include current travel advisories, tips for international travel and document requirements.

International Business FAQs :Lists answers to frequently asked questions about doing business abroad, facilitating overseas investment, trade restrictions and assisting foreign companies.

Department of State Office of Authentications: Outlines the Department of State's Authentications Office, which is responsible for signing and issuing certificates under the Seal of the U.S. Department of State. The Authentications Office also verifies business documents that will be used overseas, including company bylaws, powers of attorney, trademarks, diplomas, transcripts, distributorship agreements, articles of incorporation, good standing certificates, home studies and letters of reference. The Office also ensures that the requested information will serve in the interest of justice and is not contrary to U.S. policy.

Guidelines for Foreign Business Travel: Offers guidelines for exporters, or those thinking of selling abroad. These individuals often visit foreign countries to research market conditions and understand cultural nuances. This checklist, including information ranging from "A Basic Guide" to exporting, details the required steps you should take when traveling abroad, and some practical tips as well.

Passports: Supplies information and services to American citizens who need to obtain, replace or change a passport.

The Defense Intelligence Agency will host outreach events for small concerns interested in teaming on DIA contracts. These events will be held August 8, 11, and 12, 2011, in Conference Center Side B of the Defense Intelligence Analysis Center, Building 6000, Joint Base Bolling, Washington, DC, 20340. The events will be separated into eight 1.5 hour sessions. Each of the eight sessions will exhibit a DIA prime contractor. The purpose is to explain the primes’ processes for selecting team members, as well as describing what capabilities small firms should possess in order to be successful subcontractors. All small firms are welcome. However the focus will be HUBZone small businesses. Each session is limited to 2 representatives per firm with a maximum of 60 individuals.

The sessions are scheduled as follows:

Monday, August 8:

* Session M1: SAIC, 10:00 – 11:30 am

* Session M2: BAE, 12:30 – 2:00 pm

* Session M3: L-3, 2:30 – 4:00 pm

Thursday, August 11:

* Session T1: BAH, 10:00 – 11:30 am

* Session T2: CACI, 12:30 – 2:00 pm

* Session T3: SRA, 2:30 – 4:00 pm

Friday, August 12:

* Session F1: Northrop Grumman, 10:00 – 11:30 am

* Session F2: CTC, 12:30 – 2:00 pm

Please respond to this announcement by COB Monday, August 1, 2011, via email to primary POC. State which session you would like to attend in your response. You are welcome to attend as many sessions as you like, provided they are still open.

For individuals who do not possess a community badge or TS/SCI clearance, please provide your full name, company name, date of birth, social security number, and country of citizenship in your response.
Contracting Office Address:
Bolling AFB, Bldg. 6000
AE-2
Washington, District of Columbia 20340-5100
Place of Performance:
Washington, District of Columbia 20340
United States
Primary Point of Contact.:
Kenneth Hartwell
kenneth.hartwell@dia.mil
Phone: 2022312166
 www.fbo.gov/index

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) released the Small Business Procurement Scorecard for all agencies reflecting each agency’s contracting accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. The Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is pleased to announce DOT received an “A” rating for its FY 2010 small business efforts. This is the second consecutive year DOT has received an “A” rating for its small business contracting achievements.

“We’re extremely proud to earn an “A” rating from SBA for small business contracting. It takes a dedicated team, led by Secretary LaHood, the modal administrators, small business specialists, and our regional staff to achieve this level of success,” remarked Brandon Neal, OSDBU Director.

The annual Scorecard is an assessment tool to (1) measure how well federal agencies reach their small business and socio-economic prime contracting and subcontracting goals, (2) provide accurate and transparent contracting data and (3) report agency-specific progress. The prime and subcontracting component goals include goals for small businesses, small businesses owned by women, small and disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones).  Reference article

The “A” rating reflects the Department’s ongoing commitment to providing the small business community the greatest access to federal contracting opportunities and to ensure that DOT’s procurement officers have the information and tools needed to connect with these innovative small businesses.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently made changes to the 8(a) certification program for socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses with hopes to increase the amount of opportunities awarded to small qualified and certified companies.

To qualify, a company can not exceed a certain size limit according to its industry, has to be able to meet certain economic criteria, and must be able to prove that is is socially disadvantaged, such as minority owned.

If you qualify, get your financial statements prepared.  The SBA requires many supporting documents on every qualifying aspect of an 8(a) business and its owners. 

Getting Back to Business Small Business Procurement Industry Fair, Thursday, June 23, 2011 @ African American Heritage Hall, 1701 Muhammed Ali Blvd., Louisville, KY 40203. For additional information, email: r4smallbiz@sba.gov.
Contracting Office Address:
USACE District, Louisville, 600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Place, Room 821, Louisville, KY 40202-2230
Point of Contact(s):
Jacque Gee, 502-315-6111

The SBA will award $5 million in grant funding to assist undersized firms compete for large contracts. The grant recipients will be asked to find teaming partners to bid on large contracts with them. This will include identifying the team, preparing proposals and submitting the bids.

“The Small Business Jobs Act provides critical resources to help small businesses continue to drive economic recovery and create jobs,“ SBA Administrator Karen Mills said.  “The teaming pilot program will help put contract dollars into the hands of small businesses, create job opportunities through the teaming arrangements, help drive innovation and promote economic growth for our nation’s economy.”

The SBA is projecting to make 10 – 20 grant award of $250,000 - $500,000 for FY 2011. The awards will have a base project period of one (1) year, with four (4) option 12-month extensions. Applicants must:

• Private entity – profit or nonprofit
•  At least 3 years old
• Must have experience working with small business issues on a national level

The organizations that are awarded the grants will be required to coordinator their own assistance with the agency’s district offices and other federal, state, local and tribal government small business development programs.

All grants proposals must be submitted through the federal website www.grants.gov by Friday, February 25, 2011.

The government has a contracting goal of 5% with women-owned companies and to date the federal government has never met this goal. Starting in early 2011, the Small Business Administration (SBA) will have procedures in place to help women-owned companies gain access to more federal contracts. 

The program will allow contracting officers to restrict competition in 83 industry categories to women-owned small businesses. When the program was being defined 45 industries were deemed “underrepresented” and 38 industries were deemed “substantially underrepresented” by women-owned companies.

"Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of our nation's economy, and even during the economic downturn of the last few years, have been one of the key job creation engines in communites across the country," SBA Administrator Karen Mills said.

It is believed with this new program with federal government will achieve the 5% contracting goal with women-owned companies.

For more information click here.

The government has a contracting goal of 5% with women-owned companies and to date the federal government has never met this goal. Starting in 2011, the Small Business Administration (SBA) will have procedures in place to help women-owned companies gain access to more federal contracts.

The program will allow contracting officers to restrict competition in 83 industry categories to women-owned small businesses. When the program was being defined 45 industries were deemed “underrepresented” and 38 industries were deemed “substantially underrepresented” by women-owned companies.

It is believed with this new program with federal government will achieve the 5% contracting goal with women-owned companies.

For more information click here.

Small Business Administration (SBA) released its fourth annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, with ratings for 24 federal agencies in prime and subprime contracting to small businesses.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) has earned an "A" rating for the fourth consecutive year. DOT was also tallied the second highest overall score for accomplishments in supporting small business contracting in 2009. This year's scorecard demonstrates that DOT is supporting the small business community with a consistent commitment.

As Director Neal said, "It takes a dedicated team, led by Secretary LaHood, the modal administrators, procurement officers, small business specialists, and our regional offices to achieve this level of success over the past four years."

The annual Scorecard rates federal agencies in meeting the overall small business goal and the component contracting goals for small and disadvantaged businesses, small businesses in HUBZones, and small businesses owned by women and service-disabled veterans.

The DOT was one of the ten agencies that met or surpassed their goals for four of the five small business categories. These accomplishments reflect the Department’s ongoing commitment to providing the small business community the greatest access to federal contracting opportunities and to ensure that DOT’s procurement officers have the information and tools needed to connect with these innovative small businesses.

DOT's prime contracting achievement for 2009

SBA Administrator Karen Mills said, "Federal contracts awarded to small businesses are a ‘win-win,’ providing small businesses with the opportunity to grow and create jobs, and offering innovative services and essential goods to the government at great value to the taxpayers.”

The US DOT/OSDBU ihas issued the Spring 2010 edition of the DOT Biz Journal and it is available for download. In this issue the DOT/OSDBU highlights the recent OSDBU Small Business Summit attended by over 700 individuals from across the nation who came together to learn strategies from industry and government leaders to meet the demands of the competitive small business environment in the transportation industry. Also included in this Spring edition is a summary of DOT's proposed funding under President Obama's 2011 budget.

You will also find information on the Small Business Administration's proposed rule to expand access to federal contracting opportunities for women -owned small businesses and will learn about a Short Term Lending Program success story on HydroTech, Inc, a Nevada based woman-owned 8(a), HUBZone certified company. In addition, the DOT includes their regular features including Follow the Recovery Money and the upcoming Calendar of Events.

Click the following link to download the DOT Biz Journal (PDF)

Every year since 1963, the President of the United States has proclaimed National Small Business Week to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the economic well-being of America. As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration recognizes this special impact made by outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners. In 2010, National Small Business Week will honor the estimated 27.2 million small businesses in America. Small businesses are major contributors to the strength of the American economy. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business. They also create 60-80 percent of new jobs in the country. Small businesses drive innovation, create 21st century jobs and increase U.S. competitiveness. More Info

Proposed rule is designed to help agencies award 5 percent of federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses.
The Small Business Administration proposed a procurement set-aside rule that would give women business-owners more opportunities in federal contracting.

The intent of the rule is provide more opportunities for women-owned small businesses to compete for federal contracts, while helping agencies reach the existing statutory goal of awarding 5 percent of federal contracting dollars to WOSBs, SBA said. According to figures, the government exceeded its 5 percent goal in 2002, but otherwise hasn't reached it. The level has usually hovered around 3 percent since 1999, when SBA first started tracking the numbers.

A set-aside rule would reserve some contracts for the businesses, ensuring that those contracts will count toward the goal no matter which competitor wins. SBA’s proposal finds that women are underrepresented in 83 industries in the federal marketplace, according to the agency. Officials used the analysis in a 2007 study commissioned by SBA from the Kauffman-Rand Foundation to determine where women are underrepresented.

“Women-owned small businesses are one of the fastest growing segments of our economy, yet they continue to be underrepresented when it comes to federal contracting,” said SBA Administrator Karen Mills. Reference article.