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23% Solution


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Statutorily, the Federal Government has a goal of awarding 23% of its prime contracts to small business concerns.

Having reviewed the scorecards that were just released http://www.sba.gov/content/small-business-procurement-goaling-scorecards

and reading the various commentaries about how the goal has not been met for 10 or more years, makes me wonder if 23% is an unrealistic goal?

There are enough laws, regulations, policies and procedures to choke an elephant that apply to procuring the goods and services needed by the government, and giving preference to small businesses, and those in the sub-parity programs such as women-owned, hubzone, vet and disabled vet, disadvantaged and 8(a) firms, etc.

Theres the Adarand decision that made waves and changes, the Competitive Demonstration Program that was implemented and ended, the non-manufacturing waiver that came into play, and probably other programs I'm not even aware of that have come and gone or come and stayed all to improve awards to small businesses. But apparently not to success.

Maybe instead of one overall goal, individual small business goals could be established based on a NAICS Subsector.

My thought is that very few small businesses are manufacturing Aerospace Product and Parts (NAICS subsector 3364) so the goal could be 10% (based on past historical contract awards) however many small firms manufacture Medical Equipment and Supplies (NAICS Subsector 3391) so the goal would be 50% (based on past historical contract awards). I am just using these two NAICS as examples, but maybe using historical data and establishing goals we would realize more success.

Maybe my idea is all cockamamy (had to look that up). But it doesn't seem to be working as it is...or is it and we are just plain unsuccessful?

a trend analysis should be done on the individual NAICS Sectors, and small business goals be based on

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But it's a goal. A goal should be something you strive to achieve, not something you can easily make. If you can easily make it every year, then it's a quota. I would hope that if/when the Fed Govt meets its small business goal (on average, not at each agency), the goal gets raised

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I agree that the goal give something to work towards. I just looked at the overall Gov't achievements, and if you subtract DOD and DOE from the equation, the rest of the government obligations come to 30% (if I did my math correctly). I think DOD does pretty good with their achievements based on the programs they support. It looks like DOE has the most work to do.

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I think DOD does pretty good with their achievements based on the programs they support. It looks like DOE has the most work to do.

It's interesting to see how many small businesses want to sign up for (cost prohibitive equipment and labor) environmental remediation or sign up for an ESPC that has the reward of being paid back by savings over 20 some odd years while ponying up for the equipment and labor investment! Nature of the beast, like DOD I suppose with building aircraft and weapons.

I might nod and say that DOE is somewhat trying. Our contract has a 50% small business subcontract goal/plan. So while the award was not necessarily given to a small business, they're still trying to get some of the dollars out there by holding us as the prime to fire.

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