In FY 2008, Small Businesses Won Record $93.3 Billion in Federal Contracts

Small businesses won a record $93.3 billion in federal prime contracts in Fiscal Year 2008 [Oct. 1, 2007 - Sept. 30, 2008] -- an increase of almost $10 billion from 2007, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration [SBA]’s third annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard, released today. In addition, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses increased their share of federal contracting dollars by at least $1 billion to $3 billion.

"This record $93.3 billion in contracts to small businesses is significant," SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. "However, across the federal government, we are committed to ensuring that the 23 percent goal is met, and even exceeded, going forward.

"Especially during these tough economic times, federal contracts for small businesses can be just the opportunity they need to continue to grow and create jobs. At the same time, the federal government gets access to some of the most innovative, and best, products and services."

Earlier this week, the Obama Administration reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that minority-owned businesses and small businesses -- including women and veteran-owned businesses -- have greater access to federal government contracting opportunities. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and SBA Administrator Karen Mills also announced a government-wide plan that includes federal agency procurement officials holding or participating in more than 200 events over the next 90 days to share information on government contracting opportunities, including those available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"President Obama [pictured] has made a commitment to ensuring that small businesses have greater access to federal contracting opportunities, and it is a commitment shared across this Administration," noted Mills. "We have already begun taking aggressive steps to connect small businesses with contracting opportunities, as well as increase our outreach to federal agency procurement officers to make sure they get the information and tools they need to help them connect with these good, innovative small companies."

Small Business Procurement Scorecards provide an assessment of federal achievement in prime contracting to small businesses by the 24 Chief Financial Officers Act agencies. It also measures progress that departments are making to ensure that small business opportunities remain an integral part of their acquisition of goods and services to meet mission objectives.

The Scorecard was designed as an internal control and monitoring device to ensure that:

1] Federal agencies reach their small-business and socio-economic goals;

2] Accurate and transparent contracting data is used; and

3] Agency-specific progress is maintained.

SBA is issuing the Small Business Procurement Scorecards for the third time.

The annual Scorecard rates federal agency performance in meeting the overall small-business goal and the component contracting goals for small disadvantaged businesses, small businesses in HUBZones, and small businesses owned by women and service-disabled veterans. Procurement goals for federal procuring agencies may vary, because the SBA negotiates individual goals with each federal procuring agency.

The following 13 agencies met small-business contracting goals: the departments of Agriculture [USDA], Education, Energy [DOE], the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], General Services Administration [GSA], Health and Human Services [HHS], Homeland Security [DHS], Interior [DOI], National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [NRC], Transportation [DOT], SBA and Veterans Affairs [VA].

The following 22 agencies met goals for contracts to small disadvantaged businesses: the departments of Agriculture, Commerce [DOC], Defense [DOD], Education, Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development [HUD], Interior, Justice [DOJ], Labor [DOL], National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation [NSF], the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, SBA, Social Security Administration [SSA], State, Transportation, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.

The following 14 agencies met goals for women-owned small businesses: the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, General Services Administration, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Transportation, Treasury, and SBA.

The following nine agencies met HUBZone contracting goals: the departments of Agriculture, Energy, General Services Administration, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Transportation and SBA.

The following four agencies met goals for small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans: the departments of the Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, Labor and Veterans Affairs.

According to the Scorecard ratings of performance on all five goals:

* One agency -- GSA -- met or surpassed its goals in all areas.

* Eight agencies -- DHS, DOE, DOI, DOL, DOT, NRC, SBA, USDA -- met or surpassed four of the five goals.

* Four agencies -- Education, EPA, HHS, VA -- met or surpassed three of the five goals.

* Four agencies -- DOC, HUD, NASA and Treasury -- met or surpassed two of the five goals.

* Five agencies -- DOD, DOJ, NSF, SSA and State -- met or surpassed one of the five goals.

* Two agencies -- Office of Personnel Management [OPM] and the U.S. Agency for International Development [USAID] -- met none of the five goals.

About the Scorecard
SBA rates 24 agencies green, yellow or red on each of the individual goals established by Congress, and gave a numerical score to each agency based on how many of the five goals were met or surpassed.

Each federal agency has a different small-business contracting goal, determined annually in consultation with SBA. SBA ensures that the sum total of all of the goals meets the 23 percent target established by law.

As part of its ongoing efforts to increase access to contracting opportunities for small businesses, the SBA is continuing to work with federal agency procurement staff to strengthen the integrity of contracting data -- including providing tools to facilitate public review of data and training to improve accuracy.

The goaling reports released today by SBA are available at http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/goals/index.html.

SOURCES: General Accounting Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Small Business Administration
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