Small businesses won a record $97.95 billion in federal contracts in fiscal year 2010 or 22.7 percent of all eligible contracting dollars, a 1.2 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.
It was the largest single year increase in more than five years, but fell slightly short (.3 percent) of reaching the administration’s goal of awarding 23 percent of contracts to small businesses.
“We are proud of the achievement the government has made,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said, “but are determined that the government will meet and exceed the goal. SBA is focused on a number of key initiatives to help increase small business contracting opportunities, as well as combat fraud, waste or abuse. These efforts will ensure the benefits of our programs continue to go to the intended recipients.”
Additionally, the SBA released the FY10 Small Business Procurement Scorecards, which provides an assessment of each agency’s yearly small business contracting achievement against its goal with a grade A through F. Ten agencies’ grades increased from FY 2009, 10 agencies’ grades stayed the same and four agencies’ grades decreased. The agency breakdown is as follows, according to SBA:
- 13 agencies received an “A”
- 5 agencies received a “B”
- 4 agencies received a “C”
- 2 agencies received a “D”
The government has a whole scored a “B,” just one point shy of an A.
Over the past year, SBA has been focused on a number of initiatives to help the government meet the 23 percent goal, ensure the accuracy of data and prevent waste, fraud or abuse, including. The initiatives, according to SBA:
- Implementation of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 – The Act included 19 provisions related to increasing opportunities for small business contracting and minimizing fraud, waste or abuse in the programs. One of the key provisions is related to work force training to ensure that the procurement work force receives adequate training on small business programs.
- Interagency Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses – The President established a Task Force to identify recommendations to increase opportunities for small businesses to compete for and win federal contracts. The Task Force developed 13 recommendations, which SBA is in the process of implementing.
- Collaboration with White House and Senior Agency officials – SBA is collaborating with the White House to ensure senior officials at each agency are aware of their role in meeting the government-wide small business contracting goal and holding them accountable to the goals.
- Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program – This new program will allow contracting officers to set-aside contracts for women-owned small businesses for the first time in fiscal year 2011.
- Revised 8(a) Business Development Regulations – SBA recently published new regulations for this program for the first time in over a decade. These revisions will help ensure the benefits of the 8(a) program go to the intended recipients. SBA is in the process of implementing these revisions.
