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Tag: WOSB

Empowering Entrepreneurs: Unveiling the Force Behind Women’s History Month 2024

In March, we honor women’s achievements, resilience, and innovation during Women’s History Month. Women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) play a crucial role, in driving economic growth and diversity. GSA proudly empowers women business leaders, exceeding WOSB goals for the past 16 years. With over 12 million WOSBs in the US, they’re a potent force, creating jobs and shaping our economy. (GSABLOG Office of Small Business Utilization March 19, 2024)

The Associate Administrator for GSA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), is committed to supporting women entrepreneurs. GSA ensures WOSBs have access to government contracting opportunities. The Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program is a premier vehicle for government sales, empowering small businesses to thrive. With just a small investment in time, WOSBs can position themselves for success. (ibid)

Federal government agencies favor buying from MAS Schedule contract holders because they are procuring approved products and services. In addition, GSA has performed the groundwork and negotiated the best price. (ibid)

For WOSBs ready to secure GSA schedules contracts, here’s how to start:

  1. Register on SAM.gov. The primary database for contractors doing business with the federal government. For more in-depth information see the SAM.gov factsheet. (ibid)
  2. Connect with your local OSDBU small business specialist. These specialists are a great resource for training, education to assist you to successfully navigate the federal marketplace. (ibid)
  3. Utilize the Forecast of Contracting Opportunities Tool. this tool can assist you in locating contracting opportunities and building business plans. (The GSA Forecast Tool Factsheet explains how to use the tool and its features.) (ibid)
  4. Benefit from GSA OSDBU support and training opportunities. GSA.gov has an Events and Training page, in addition to videos and information on doing business with GSA. (ibid)

GSA is proud of its track record, having awarded over $651 million in prime contracts and $3.7 billion in subcontracts to WOSBs in FY23. In FY24, they’ve already awarded over $187 million. Women’s History Month 2024 is a tribute to the boundless potential of today’s women-owned small businesses, driving innovation and inspiring future generations. GSA continues to support them as a vital force for economic growth and progress in our nation. (ibid)

Want to know more about how your WOSB can get a GSA Schedule? Give us a call.

Small Businesses getting their fair shake

GSA is stepping up its game to support underserved communities across the federal government. Their goal is for every small business to have equal access to the federal marketplace and the opportunities the marketplace holds. (GSABLOG June 16, 2021)

The GSA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is working on behalf of the small business community in these ways:

  • The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The program encourages participation in innovation by women, people of color, and people with disabilities. The SBIR contracts will fund a varied portfolio of start-ups to encourage technological innovation, meet research and development (R&D) needs and increase commercialization to transition R&D into impact.
  • Furthering the Federal Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Competitiveness Strategy Framework, thereby making it easier for HBCUs to compete for federal opportunities.
  • Improvements to the certification process for the U.S. Small Business Administration Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Businesses (EDWOSB). These improvements will strengthen oversight, improve customer experience, facilitate participation in the WOSB Federal Contracting Program, and maintaining the integrity of the certification process. (ibid)

GSA is committed to working with small businesses, often considered the backbone of the nation’s economy. Their goal is to break down barriers for small disadvantaged and socioeconomic small businesses advancing their ability to do business with the government. The intent is to create an equal opportunity for everyone. (ibid)

Are you a small business, a women-owned small business, or an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business trying to do work with the federal government? Give us a call.

$355M for Women Owned Small Businesses

Over the past 20 years, the government has aimed to award at least 5 percent of contracts to Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs). In FY2020, WOSBs received $561.7 million in contracts. However, GSA has only set aside $354.9 million for WOSB contracts in FY2021. (ExecutiveGov, March 4, 2021)

According to GSA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, 10.47 percent of the total FY2020 contracting obligations for women-owned vendors were prime awards. To lend a hand to these vendors, GSA provides support through training resources and Forecast of Contracting Opportunities. These tools and other activities earned GSA a grade of A+ from the Small Business Administration in FY2019 for their work to support small businesses. (ibid)

Are you a Small or Woman-Owned Small Business looking to prime or sub on an upcoming procurement? Give us a call.

Bye Bye Self Certify

Certification changes for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSBs (EDWOSBs) will occur this summer. The Small Business Administration (SBA) expects the updated regulation to be published on 30 June 2020, and to go into effect 30 days after. (U.S. Small Business Administration)

Info we have so far includes:

  • Self-certification as a WOSB or EDWOSB will end
  • Certification, going forward, will be accomplished through an approved third-party entity or through SBA’s free online certification at certify.sba.gov. (ibid)

To assist in awarding women-owned business contracts, the government limits competition, by including just those businesses participating in the women’s contracting program. The goal of the government is to award the contracts to women-owned businesses in industries where WOSBs are underrepresented. Some contracts are restricted even further to include economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs) only. The SBA keeps a current list of those eligible industries. (ibid)

Eligibility for the women’s contracting program:

  • Qualify as a small business
  • Company at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens
  • A company with the day-to-day management of operations and long-term decisions controlled by women

Eligibility for the economically disadvantaged business within the women’s contracting program:

  • Meet all requirements of the women’s contracting program
  • Business is owned/controlled by one or more women, each with a personal net worth less than $750,000
  • Business is owned/controlled by one or more women, each with $350,000 or less in adjusted gross income averaged over the previous three years
  • Business is owned/controlled by one or more women, each $6 million or less in personal assets

The eligibility requirements are spelled out in Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). (ibid)

To participate in the women’s contracting program, you must be certified as a women-owned business. First the company must have a profile on SAM.gov, and then go through the aforemention process at certify.SBA.gov. The SBA has approved the following four organizations to provide third-party certifications:

Updating certification information annually through both SAM.gov and certify.SBA.gov will maintain your status within the program as well as make contracting officers aware that your business meets the eligibility requirements to compete under the WOSB or EDWOSB umbrella.

Questions about self-certification, third-party certification, or the women-owned business contracting arena? Give us a call.

 

Self Certification — No More ;-(

The 2015 National Defense Authorization Act mandated that the Small Business Administration (SBA) discontinue self-certification of women-owned and other small businesses. In 2020, SBA plans to finalize a self-certification rule that closes a loophole allowing participants in the SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program to self-certify. (Federal News Network, June 2019)

Approximately one-quarter of all federal contracts are held by small businesses, which over the past six years has helped federal agencies to  exceed  SBA’s governmentwide small business contracting goal. This year’s spending of more than $120 billion on small business contracts surpasses last year’s spending by nearly $15 billion.

The Government Accountability Office reported in March that almost 40 percent of WOSB-certified businesses were ineligible. Meanwhile, SBA’s Office of Inspector General June 2018 audit found 89 percent of sole-source (50 out of 56 contracts) did not meet all program criteria. Basically, there is currently no way to know if the contracts, listed in the chart below, were actually eligible for the sole-source awards. (ibid)

Rob Wong, SBA’s associate administrator of the Office of Government promotes a formal certification to  give the program some much-needed integrity. Wong said, “simply put, the wrong companies were receiving our contracts, we want to make sure that, if a company receives a contract through these programs, they’re actually eligible to receive it.” (ibid)

SBA has subsequently published a proposed rule in the Federal Register eliminating self-certification and providing a free online certification application to WOSB. Comments on the proposed rule are being accepted until July 15. In Wong’s opinion, it is high time to streamline the vetting process for the many other set-aside programs, all of which have different sets of eligibility criteria. Wong feels that going to three formal certifications for 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones, women-owned, and service-disabled veterans will unify the processes. The rule with set-aside screening is expected to take a year for the changes to take effect. (ibid)

Do you have questions about the new certification process and how it may affect your current contract or an upcoming opportunity? Give us a call at 301-913-5000.