Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Course is essential to understanding small business contracting rules

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The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is repeating its three-day course that delves into the intricacies of the federal government’s Small Business Programs.  The course focuses on the government agencies’ efforts to improve small business participation in both prime contracting and subcontracting.

Because of its relevance and popularity, the course is now scheduled to be held:

  • July 8 – 10, 2014
  • October 7 – 9, 2014

These classes will be held in the world-class Global Learning Center on Georgia Tech’s campus in midtown Atlanta.  Registration details may be found by clicking here.

Academy identifier - gold & black w-white bkgrndKnown as “CON 260B – Small Business Programs,” the course is a Defense Acquisition University (DAU) level 2 contracting course that goes a long way to ensure that those in the acquisition field are more aware of and responsive to small business concerns.  Historically, this class was designed for small business specialists, however The Academy has fashioned this class so that it is applicable to all interested parties – senior executives, managers, contracting officers and contracting staff, small business specialists from all agencies, small business advocates, as well as large and small business concerns.

A review of DAU’s prerequisite course, CON 260A, is included in the Contracting Academy’s course.

Small business participation in federal contracting is a high-profile issue.  For example, a recent Dept. of Defense (DoD) memo (seen here) reiterates how essential small businesses are to our nation’s economic recovery because they produce more jobs, represent a major source of innovative solutions to warfighter needs that help maintain our status as the world’s finest military, and contribute more to gross domestic output.  The Contracting Academy is committed to supporting DoD and other agency directives aimed at achieving higher levels of small business participation in federal contracting.

Uncle Sam's DollarsAll leaders who manage budgets and allocate funds for contracts and contracting officers are collectively responsible for achieving the government’s 23 percent small business goal.  To ensure that this collective responsibility is met, many federal agencies’ senior executives are evaluated and held accountable for small business participation in contracting.  A mandatory performance requirement for supporting this goal includes language that “establishes a command or program climate that is responsive to small business concerns.”

The Academy’s CON 260B is very relevant to the training needs of everyone involved in the process of seeing to it that small businesses participate in government contracting and subcontracting opportunities.  This includes, of course, small businesses themselves — as well as large businesses who are required to establish small business subcontract participation plans.

The Academy offers CON 260B, a 3-day course, as an open enrollment course which virtually ensures seating for all registrants.  Register here for the next CON 260B – Small Business Programs class at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

2.1 CEUs are granted to those successfully completing this course.

U.S. DOT announces mentor-protégé pilot program

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The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the launch of a new Mentor-Protégé Pilot Program. The 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 DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), the program is designed to 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.

By encouraging and supporting private-sector relationships, DOT is expanding its efforts to identify and respond to the developmental needs of small and minority owned businesses. Through the pilot program, large and prime contractors will establish an agreement with small businesses to provide developmental assistance in areas such as project management, financial assistance, technical support, marketing techniques, cooperation on Joint Venture projects, and rent-free use of facilities among others. Mentor-Protégé agreements can be established for a maximum of 24 months.

The mentor can be a business that has graduated from the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development program, a firm in the transitional stage of the program, or a small or large business. In addition, the mentor should be able to show that it is currently eligible for Federal contracting opportunities, is not under a suspension or debarment action, and is not in the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) database.  The program is designed to strengthen the mentor’s strategic alliances within their industry and provide them with a greater network of potential partners.

A protégé can be a Small Business (SB), HUB Zone, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), including Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB); Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), or Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). The protégé should be able to show that it is currently eligible for Federal contracting opportunities, is not under a suspension or debarment action, and is not in the EPLS database.

“As part of our commitment to small businesses, it is our goal to find ways to increase small business participation in DOT and the federal market place. We are thrilled to launch this pilot program to provide small businesses with developmental assistance, increasing their ability to compete for and perform in federal procurement opportunities. We encourage business owners to take advantage of this program, gain procurement and marketing techniques, and foster long lasting strategic alliances,” remarked DOT’s OSDBU Director Brandon Neal.

Mentor and protégé firms are responsible for selecting their counterpart. The mentor is encouraged to select from a broad base of Small Businesses including SB, SDB, WOSB, EDWOSB, VOSB, SDVOSB, and HUBZone firms whose core competencies support DOT’s missions.

More information about the U.S. Department of Transportation’s new Mentor-Protégé Pilot Program is available at; http://osdbu.dot.gov/Procurement/mentor-protege.cfm.

House passes 6 bills to promote small business contracting

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The House Small Business Committee passed six bills on Wednesday (3/7/2012) through a voice vote to promote small business contracting.

The 2012 Government Efficiency through Small Business Contracting Act imposes a quota that agencies must use small businesses for 25 percent of their contracting work.

It also aims to expand the varieties of contracts by using the Small Business Administration’s formula in comparing agency performance against small business goals and endorses increased liability for senior agency officials by withholding bonuses.

The 2012 Small Business Advocate Act gives the Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization more authority.

The act also requires officers within the offices to review and revise agency resolutions and insource work performed by a small business.

The 2012 Subcontracting Transparency and Reliability Act modifies subcontracting provisions that guarantee small businesses will be designated a majority of the work and receive succeeding income.

Restrictions in subcontracting will not be measured by the amount given to the small business or the cost of the whole project.

Decisions must also be made public to give small businesses the chance to challenge resolutions in court.

The 2012 Small Business Opportunity Act encourages small business advocates within federal government to participate in federal procurement and acquisition planning proposal request announcements.

The 2012 Small Business Procurement Act extends an agency’s small business contracting goals to commission orders against multiple contract awards, including those with the General Services Administration’s Federal Supply Schedule Program.

Finally, the 2012 Early Stage Small Business Contracting Act launches an independent project to stimulate contract awards given to early-stage small businesses.

Early-stage small businesses have a maximum of 15 employees and report annual revenue of less than $1 million.

In February the Small Business Administration issued a ruling outlining revenue guidelines for small business consideration.

The ruling increased 37 small businesses standards for 34 industries and three sub-industries.

— by Gino Troiani, published ExecutiveGov on Mar. 8, 2012 at http://www.executivegov.com/2012/03/house-passes-6-bills-to-promote-small-business-contracting-2/.

 

National OSDBU conference scheduled in DC on Apr. 19th

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The OSDBU (Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization) Procurement Conference is a national conference fostering business partnerships between the Federal Government, its prime contractors, and small, minority, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, HUBZone, and women-owned businesses. Now in its 22nd year, the OSDBU Directors Conference has become the premier event for small business throughout the United States.

This year the event is scheduled on Apr. 19, 2012, and the location is the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

This unique one-day event annually attracts more than 3,000 people including:

  • Over 500 government attendees representing 50 Federal, State and local agencies
  • Prime Contractors with teaming and mentor-protégé opportunities
  • Hundreds of small businesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses, 8a businesses and HUB-Zone businesses

Participating firms will have the benefit of marketing their products and services to procurement representatives and small business specialists from federal agencies.   Companies may choose to set up an exhibit table to showcase their capabilities or simply come as an attendee.  The conference also includes educational conference sessions, procurement matchmaking, and a dynamic exhibitor showcase.

For more information or to register see; http://www.fbcinc.com/e/osdbu/default.aspx.

Small Business Specialists and how they can help you

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For many years, each federal agency has designated certain personnel as Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Specialists, or SADBUS for short.  In the past couple of years, many government agencies have changed the titles of these officials to simply Small Business Specialists.

Based on feedback from clients of the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), there are a lot of misconceptions about what SADBUS and Small Business Specialists do …  and don’t do.  We hope to clear up things here.

What, specifically, do Small Business Specialists do?   Small Business Specialists should act as small business advocates and interface on behalf of small businesses with government contracting officers (COs), contract specialists, and end-users.   Small Business Specialists should support small businesses in preparing to successfully integrate themselves into the contracting process and obtain awards with their respective organizations.  Small Business Specialists also should guide marketing efforts such as Industry Days to assist in locating additional small businesses as well as help the CO bridge the gap and find small businesses that can successfully perform the task.  Typically, Small Business Specialists are a part of each agency’s small business office (or Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization — OSDBU).    They are present at the agency’s headquarters location and often at the regional level as well as any location with significant contracting activity.   While our discussion here primarily focuses on federal contracting, it is important to note that state and local governments often designate personnel as small business advocates, too, and they have similar responsibilities.

Are Small Business Specialist positions full-time jobs or are they filled by personnel who have other duties?    Just like in industry, downsizing has occurred in the government sector as well.  In some agencies job duties have been combined, thus the Small Business Specialist may wear more than one hat.   The responsibilities of a Small Business Specialist really do constitute a full-time job.

Before I meet with a Small Business Specialist how should I prepare?   Great Question!  Before trying to schedule a meeting, do as much research as you can about the particular agency or unit of government.  Most government websites offer a good deal of information about how to do business with them and list upcoming contracting opportunities.  You don’t want to waste valuable time asking the Small Business Specialist questions, the answers to which are on the agency’s website.   Once you schedule a meeting with the Small Business Specialist in the agency with which you wish to do business, make sure you prepare yourself by having a succinct, written capability statement and by being prepared to explain your capabilities as well as your capacity.  Be prepared to expound on your past performance — and make sure it’s relevant to what the agency purchases.  Think about how you are going to take the initial steps in establishing a good relationship with the Small Business Specialist.  Put yourself in the shoes of the Small Business Specialist, and you’ll realize that he or she can afford to advocate on behalf of only those vendors who prove themselves to be credible and trustworthy.  When you do meet, be sure to ask to be considered for future contracts.  No matter how bad you may need the business, don’t show signs of desperation.  Demonstrate that you have done your homework, by being familiar with the agency’s annual forecast and envisioning how you can mesh with their requirements.  Inquire of the Small Business Specialist about his/her needs and what problems he/she is facing in meeting any particular small business goals contractually.  Position yourself as a resource for technical input or solutions.

How can Small Business Specialists assist me?   These are very powerful individuals, who can pass your information — and impressions about you — on to the Contracting Officer and internal customers.  Remember, government agencies are looking for best value, and if the Small Business Specialist can represent you as credible solutions provider, that will eliminate the CO’s anxiety about “taking a chance” by using your business on an upcoming contract or project.

How can I identify Small Business Specialists within federal agencies?  We’ve made that simple for you.  Just click here and scroll down to the section entitled “Knowing the Right People.”  There, you’ll find links to Small Business Specialists and the OSDBU offices they work within.

Remember, some government agencies really support their Small Business Specialists while others may not.  However, it can pay big dividends if you can establish a trusting relationship with them.   Attend GTPAC classes for more ideas about how to develop good relationships with government officials, and be sure to ask your GTPAC Procurement Counselor for more insights and advice.

© 2010-2016 by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center – All Rights Reserved.

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