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Small Business

The SBA is serving our entrepreneurial veterans

Last Friday, the Small Business Association (SBA) announced that it would invest $3.5 million in grant funding to create veterans business outreach centers (VBOCs) in seven new locations, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Carolina. The purpose of this investment is to expand entrepreneurial training and counseling services for veterans and military spouses who own and operate small businesses. (ExecutiveGov April 24, 2023)

The VBOCs will assist veteran-owned small business in various aspects such as business planning, loan application, marketing and outreach efforts. Additionally, grants will be set up to support Boots to Business classes to help active duty service members transition and determine whether entrepreneurship is a practical transition strategy.(ibid)

Isabella Casillas Guzman, administrator of the SBA, stated that “with this expansion of our veteran-focused network of small business centers, we can help more transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses start and grow their businesses and advance our economy.” (ibid)

Interested in grant funding for your veteran owned small business? Give us a call.

Is being good enough, good enough?

With fierce competition for government contracts, one must ponder if meeting the minimum standards, is enough to win some of the most coveted contracts with the Federal Government. Vendors are finding they must set themselves apart from the competition. Compliance excellence is one way to do this.

According to a GOVCON Expert, the Defense Contract Audit Agency connected with approximately 5,800 contractors in fiscal 2021. They learned that not all contractors maintained accounting compliance. Using compliance gives contractors an edge. (GOVCONWire March 2, 2023)

The Gauge Report from 2022 gives an indication of how compliance gives contractors an edge:

  1. Nearly 66% of all solicitations call for adequate accounting systems.
  2. Government contracting firms put adequate accounting systems second on their list of top auditing challenges.
  3. Labor floor checks have increased. (ibid)

The six business systems relevant to the audit process are accounting, estimating, material management and accounting systems, purchasing, government property, and earned value. Contractors that show they have adequate business systems in these areas may have an advantage over the competition. According to the Gauge Report, accounting systems are one of the most frequent requirements in new solicitations. (ibid)

How does a contractor get an “adequate” rating? When a solicitation requires documentation, bidders must provide some form of evidence, such as a letter from the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCAA) stating that the system has been approved for use on government contracts. Many contractors do not have assessed systems, which excludes them from solicitations. (ibid)

There are three possible ways a firm can turn compliance into a competitive edge:

  1. Your company has been examined by an agency and it is determined to be “adequate.” Keep a copy of the report/determination and provide the documentation as part of the bid. (If however, deficiencies are found, fix them and obtain a follow-up audit), once an adequate determination is made, use the determination when bidding.
  2. Request a system review. Since DCAA or DCMA do reviews based on contractor requests, a strong relationship with a PCO is necessary to work on your behalf to “push” a request through. To note, the examination process can take months due to the current backlog
  3. Your company pays a commercial firm, such as a CPA, to conduct an independent examination. Some government solicitations will only accept examination findings performed by government agencies.

The government appears to be making progress. In a recent OASIS+ solicitation, the solicitation language is more flexible by following the latest procurement trend, a self-scoring system. In a self-scoring system, companies earn points for systems, clearances, certifications, and past performance, and all bidders meeting the minimum points requirement are eligible to win an OASIS+ contract. (ibid)

Your company can stay proactive by:

  1. Advocate for your company. When necessary, object to the restriction limiting SF1408 examinations be performed by “government officials.”
  2. Ask for clarification of vaguely worded compliance sections. Make certain you are clear on all sections as it may be the difference between winning or losing a contract.
  3. Make sure your company and the accounting department are knowledgeable and up-to-date with new accounting standards.
  4. Invest in cybersecurity, it will carry more weight than ever before. (ibid)

Questions concerning compliance excellence or how to get an adequate rating? Give us a call.

A sneak peak into the updated HUBZone maps

According to a recent Small Business Administration release, new Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) maps will go into effect on July 1, 2023. The maps spotlight employment and growth opportunities reserved for small businesses in disadvantaged communities. The new maps include data from the 2020 census and 3,732 newly designated communities. (EXECUTIVEGOV March 10, 2023)

“By channeling a record $14 billion in federal purchases to HUBZone-certified small firms last year, the Biden-Harris Administration gave a critical financial boost to hundreds of entrepreneurs in economically disadvantaged rural and urban areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. (ibid)

Loris Gillen, director of the Office of the HUBZone Program said, “for small businesses in new HUBZone areas SBA’s certification provides a gateway to billions of dollars in federal contracting opportunities, contributing to the economic growth and strengthening of underserved communities while also ensuring that employment opportunities benefit the people living in communities that most need positive economic impact.” (ibid)

Questions about HUBZone contracting opportunities or the certification process? Give us a call.

Not an employee, not an Entity Administrator in SAM.gov

Effective March 6, 2023, only employees, officers, or board members within a company, may hold the Entity Administrator position. By making this change, GSA hopes to increase the level of security while ensuring that companies are controlling who may update their registration in SAM.gov. Service providers and/or consultants may continue managing entity registration, however, specific actions will be required. (gsa.gov|interact March 6, 2023)

Company registration updates require the relationship status of individuals to the company. If you are not a company employee, officer, or board member you will have the Data Entry role, not the Entity Administrator role. The Data Entry role allows you to register new entities, manage updates, and renew entity registrations, however, you may no longer manage user roles. If a company used an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter (notarized letter process) in the past, this is no longer an option for non-employees. (ibid)

If your current Entity Administrator is outside of your company, there are two ways to change your Entity Administrator role to a company employee, officer, or board member:

  1. Send an Entity Administrator Appointment Letter to the Federal Service Desk (FSD) appointing an administrator, or
  2. Ask your outside Entity Administrator to assign the role to an individual within your company prior to the next registration date, within SAM.gov. (ibid)

Companies that currently have an employee, officer, or board member as their Entity Administrator for SAM.gov are not affected by this change. If you are not certain, you can view roles assigned to individuals within your company by logging into SAM.gov and selecting “My Roles.” (ibid)

Questions about your Entity Administrator or SAM.gov? Give us a call.

Why the Small Business/Large Contractor Union is a Good Thing

The Biden Administration continues to focus on small businesses providing services to the federal government. This benefits not only small businesses but large contractors, as well. When large contractors partner up with a small business, it’s a win-win for both.

Federal agencies have stepped up their focus on contracting with small businesses to meet their small business contracting goals. The Small Business Administration recently reported $154 billion spent on contracts with small businesses in fiscal year 2021. In 2021, 27.2 percent of total federal contracting awards were to small businesses. This surpassed the 23 percent White House goal. (Washington Technology February 2, 2023)

Unfortunately, the past several years have seen the number of actual small businesses trend downward. The good news, there is more money for fewer small businesses that can serve as prime contractors due to limitations on the services these small businesses can offer. (ibid)

Large government contractors working with small businesses are looking like the future of federal contracting. These partnerships, which are built on mutual trust, allow for increased skills and innovative thinking. Additionally, when large contractors bring in small businesses, new jobs are created, entrepreneurship is expanded and innovation is at the forefront. (ibid)

According to Thomas A. Duckenfield III, CEO of TDB Communications, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business, and an 8a firm, “the best partnerships between small business and large contractors are based on a shared culture and alignment. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to these relationships. It’s about developing partnerships that benefit both parties while establishing trust between the two companies to better serve federal agencies and their constituents.” (ibid)

When large businesses work with small businesses it creates opportunities, cultivates new ideas, and introduces the latest technologies. For these partnerships to work both parties must understand what each brings to the “communal table.” Skills and capabilities must provide complimentary support and additional capacity for federal agencies. (ibid)

There is no set formula for partnership success. Companies that support each other’s business and goals as well as those of the federal agencies they serve should work well together.

Are you looking to partner with a small or large business on a federal agency contract? Give us a call.