vpowell

I am seeing an abundance of bid advertisements given to me for document follow up with various "set-aside" notations and I have to determine our eligibility to bid these projects. I am a little apprehensive how I should define these terms in my mind. SO my question is: Do I literally interpret set aside notations? For example: "HUBZone Set-Aside": Does that mean ONLY HUBZone business are allowed to bid or are they given a preference? It doesn't say 100% HUBZone Set Aside but that may mean nothing. I guess it would really be helpful if there was someone who could give me a link or something that would definitively define all the terms used to denote set-asides so I can properly determine our eligibility to bid a project when I am given it.

We are a General Contractor bidding a small business set aside (size standard $33 million). The soliciation manual includes "clauses included by text" such as 52.219-4001 (Subcontracting Plan for Small Business Concerns) which says "...large businesses must submit a subcontracting plan..."; 52.219-8 (Utilization of Small Business Concerns May 2004) which says "...Contractor further agrees to cooperate in any studies or surveys as may be conducted by the US SBA...to determine Contractors compliance..."; 52.219-9 (Small Business Subcontracting Plan April 2008-Alternate Oct 2001-Deviation) which says "This clause does not apply to small business concerns."; 52.219-16 (Liquidated Damages-Subcontracting Plan-Jan 1999). We do lots of bid work for different agencies requiring DBE (of differing kinds) participation. These agencies thus far (State DOT, FAA funded jobs) require reporting with the bid submission regarding DBE participation, good faith efforts, etc. The USACE bid package I am working now differs in that I do not see any requirement for reporting at bid time of DBE participation/good faith efforts. What I see in the way of verifying compliance is the "Subcontracting Plan", which appears to be required after bid but prior to award. Is that correct? It also appears that the wording in the applicable clauses state that Subcontracting Plans do not have to be submitted by Small Business Concerns. Is that correct? If so, why would they be present in a bid solication package that is 100% small business set-aside? What requirements are there for small business concerns bidding and being awarded prime contracts on small business set-aside projects with regard to reporting DBE (of all kinds) participation, good faith efforts, compliance with requirements to provide maximum opportunity for DBEs (of all kinds) to perform subcontract work? I cannot find anything on the Form 1442 that says anything about submitting a Subcontracting Plan nor can I find any bid forms that require reporting of this type of data at bid time or any time thereafter.