March 31: Free SBA Monthly Web Chat to Focus on New Contracting Program for Women-Owned Small Businesses

Are you a woman business owner seeking federal contracts? The U.S. Small Business Administration’s March Web chat will focus on a new Women-Owned Small Business [WOSB] Federal Contract Program aimed at bringing more WOSBs into the federal contracting arena.

From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 31, Michele Chang [pictured], senior advisor in the SBA's Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, will host the free monthly Web chat, "SBA’s New Federal Contract Program for Women." Chang will answer questions for the full hour.

Participants can join the live Web chat by going online to www.sba.gov, and clicking on the Web chat event under "What’s New." Web chat participants may also post questions before the March 31st chat by visiting http://bit.ly/WebChatWOSB.

Federal contracts can provide women entrepreneurs with the financial oxygen they need in order to take their business to the next level. Celebrate Women’s History Month and visit http://1.usa.gov/ContractsWOSB to get information about the new contract program.

About SBA's Monthly Web Chats
SBA’s Web chat series provides small-business owners with an opportunity to discuss relevant business issues online with experts, industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs. Chat participants have direct, real-time access to the Web chats via questions they submit online in advance, and during the live session.

Participants will gain valuable information on how to participate in the program to gain increased access to government contracting opportunities.

To review archives of past Web chats, visit online at http://1.usa.gov/MonthlyWebChat.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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In Just Three Months, 2010 Jobs Act Supported More Than $12 Billion in SBA Lending to Small Businesses

Today, SBA Administrator Karen Mills [pictured] announced that, as of Dec. 31, the agency had approved more than $10.3 billion in loan guarantees, which supported more than $12 billion in lending to small businesses since President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 on Sept. 27. The Jobs Act included an extension of reduced fees and higher-guarantee loan enhancements in the agency’s two largest loan programs.

In a just-released statement, Mills noted that SBA moved quickly to get these critical loan dollars in the hands of small businesses and, just three months later, all of the $505 million in subsidy provided in the Jobs Act to support the loan enhancements has been utilized by the agency’s national network of lending partners. In light of that, the SBA has activated the SBA Loan Queue to ensure that any remaining funds that result from loan cancellations in the coming weeks are redirected to new Jobs Act loans.

Following is the full statement from Mills:

"In just three months since the Small Business Jobs Act was signed into law, SBA supported more than $12 billion in lending to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country. SBA is on the front lines with small-business owners and our lending partners every single day. I’m very proud that, as a result of those close relationships and partnerships, we were able to quickly put this significant amount of capital into the hands of our nation’s largest job-creation engine.

"The loan enhancements of higher guarantees and reduced fees first implemented as part of the Recovery Act have been a vital resource for tens of thousands of small businesses at a critical time when lending markets had dried up. Beginning in February 2009, these loan enhancements engineered a significant turnaround in SBA lending -- including driving record-high levels of SBA lending in recent weeks. The end result is that the agency helped put more than $42 billion in the hands of small businesses through the Recovery Act and Jobs Act combined.

"These enhancements have been a key piece of the Obama Administration’s efforts to help small businesses drive our nation’s economic recovery. As we transition back to our standard guarantees and fee rates, SBA loan programs will continue to play an important role -- as they have for decades -- in helping entrepreneurs and small-business owners start or grow their businesses and create jobs.

"The Small Business Jobs Act is the most consequential piece of legislation affecting small businesses enacted in more than a decade. While we are proud of how quickly SBA could provide $12 billion in capital to small businesses, we remain focused on implementing other key provisions of this law that will continue to expand access to capital; help small businesses compete for federal contracting dollars; strengthen small-business exports; and provide other critical support."

During the quarter, SBA approved nearly 22,000 small-business loans for $10.47 billion, supporting a total of $12.16 billion in lending. The amounts are greater than the volume for Jobs Act loans over the same period because they exclude some loans that were not eligible for one or more Jobs Act enhancements.

Background on SBA Loan Enhancements
SBA expands access to capital for small businesses by providing government guarantees on loans made by commercial lenders. The Small Business Jobs Act extended higher guarantees and reduced fees on its two most popular loan programs -- enhancements first enacted in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

From Feb. 17, 2009 -- when the Recovery Act was signed -- through Sept. 30, 2010, the SBA approved more than $22.5 billion in loan guarantees, which supported more than $30 billion in lending to small businesses, due to the loan enhancements put in place by the Act. The enhancements were funded with approximately $680 million in subsidy funds provided during the period.

Following the extension of the enhancements in the Jobs Act, SBA approved an additional $10.3 billion in loan guarantees -- supporting more than $12 billion in lending to small businesses from Sept. 27 through Dec. 31, funded by just $505 million in subsidy funds.

The three-month extension of the loan enhancements under the Jobs Act financed the highest volume in a fiscal year’s first quarter than at any time in the agency’s history. During the week of Dec. 18-24 alone, SBA supported a record-high $1.95 billion in small-business loans -- the highest dollar volume since the agency began tracking its weekly loan volumes.

SBA Loan Queue
Authority to continue the loan enhancements was extended through March 4 by Congress last month. While there is no additional appropriation of subsidy funds to support the loan enhancements, the extended authority does allow the agency to redirect -- through the SBA Loan Queue -- any dollars that come available from loan cancellations in the coming weeks to new loans with the enhancements.

It is typical that some previously approved loans are later cancelled by the borrower or lender and never disbursed for a variety of reasons. The queue takes this into account and will allow eligible small businesses, in consultation with their lenders, to choose to be placed in the queue for possible approval for a Jobs Act loan if funding becomes available.

Small-business owners and lenders will have transparent access to the queue via http://www.sba.gov/ and will be able to remove themselves from the queue at any time to be considered for a non-Jobs Act SBA-backed loan with all applicable fees and, for 7[a] loans, standard guarantee levels.

Small Business Jobs Act of 2010
The Small Business Jobs Act included an array of provisions aimed at helping small businesses gain access to capital, compete for federal contracting opportunities, expand exporting opportunities, and obtain other assistance to help them grow and create jobs. More information on the Jobs Act can be found at www.sba.gov/jobsact.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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SBA Finalizes Revisions of Size Standards to Expand Opportunities for Small Business

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration published a package of revised size definitions for three broad commercial sectors affecting businesses in retail trades, accommodations and food services, and other services.

The changes were proposed on Oct. 21, 2009, and will broaden small-business eligibility, and help them gain access to SBA’s financial assistance, contracting and other programs. The agency estimates as many as 17,000 additional firms will become eligible for SBA programs as a result of the revised size standards.

"These increases in the size standards mean more of America’s small businesses will be eligible for, and can access, the resources and services the SBA and other federal agencies have available," said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills [pictured]. "This comprehensive review is aimed at making sure the factors that determine eligibility are aligned with current economic and industry indicators, and ensure that small businesses across the country have the tools they need to drive economic growth and create jobs."

Last year, SBA began the process of reviewing and updating size standards based on industry-specific data. Before this comprehensive review, the last overall review of size standards occurred more than 25 years ago. Since then, most reviews of size standards have been limited to in-depth analyses of specific industries at the request of the public and federal agencies.

The SBA also makes periodic inflation adjustments to its dollar-denominated size standards. The latest inflation adjustment to size standards was published in the Federal Register on July 18, 2008.

Under provisions in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, SBA will continue its comprehensive review of all size standards for the next several years, as the law specifies.

The three final rules will affect the following industries:

Sector 44-45, Retail Trade [RIN: 3245-AF69]
In retail trade, a change in the new-car dealer industry from a revenue-based standard of $29 million in average annual receipts to an employee-based standard of 200 employees, will allow 5,700 additional new-car dealers to become eligible for small-business programs and services. Also, size standards were increased for 46 industries under retail trade. SBA estimates that more than 14,400 retail firms will become eligible for small-business programs and services.

Sector 72, Accommodation and Food Services [RIN: 3245-AF71]
Size standards were increased for five industries. SBA estimates 2,050 additional firms will become eligible for small-business programs and services.

Sector 81, Other Services [RIN: 3245-AF70]
Size standards were increased for 18 industries. SBA estimates more than 1,400 additional firms will become eligible for small-business programs and services.

For more information about SBA’s revisions to its small-business size standards, visit http://www.sba.gov/size and click on "What’s New."

SOURCES: Library of Congress, U.S. Small Business Administration
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SBA Releases Final Women-Owned Small Business Rule to Expand Access to Federal Contracting Opportunities

With today's publication of a final rule in the Federal Register, the U.S. Small Business Administration will begin implementation of its women-owned small business [WOSB] contracting program. The agency expects the program to be available for WOSBs in early 2011.

The rule is part of the Obama Administration’s overall commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses to compete for federal contracts -- in particular, those owned by women, socially and economically disadvantaged persons, and veterans.

This rule identifies 83 industries in which WOSBs are under-represented, or substantially under-represented, in the federal contract marketplace. In addition to opening up more opportunities for WOSBs, the rule is also another tool to help achieve the statutory goal that five percent of federal contracting dollars go to women-owned small businesses.

"Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest-growing sectors of our nation’s economy, and even during the economic downturn of the last few years, have been one of the key job-creation engines in communities across the country," said SBA Administrator Karen Mills [pictured].

"Federal contracts provide critical opportunities for owners of small firms to take their business to the next level and create good-paying jobs," Mills added. "Despite their growth and the fact that women lead some of the strongest and most innovative companies, women-owned firms continue to be under-represented in the federal contracting marketplace. This rule will be a platform for changing that by providing greater opportunities for women-owned small businesses to compete for, and win, federal contracts.”

With the publication today of the final rule, SBA -- in conjunction with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council -- will begin a 120-day implementation of the WOSB contracting program, including building the technology and program infrastructure to support the certification process and ongoing oversight. With implementation expected to take several months, the agency expects that federal agencies’ contracting officers will be able to start making contracts available to WOSBs under the program in early 2011.

The creation of a rule to increase federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs was authorized by Congress in 2000. Since that time, SBA took a number of steps to study and analyze the market -- including looking at participation by women-owned small businesses across all industries.

Various draft rules were made available for public comment in prior years, but shortly after taking office, the Obama Administration drafted a new, comprehensive rule, based on the analysis of the prior studies and on all the questions and comments previously received. The proposed rule was published for public comment on March 2, 2010, for 60 days. SBA received over 1,000 comments during that time.

Some of the components of the Women-Owned Small Business rule include:

* To be eligible, a firm must be 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women, and primarily managed by one or more women. The women must be U.S. citizens. The firm must be "small" in its primary industry, in accordance with SBA’s size standards for that industry. In order for a WOSB to be deemed "economically disadvantaged," its owners must demonstrate economic disadvantage in accordance with the requirements set forth in the final rule.

* Based upon the analysis in a study commissioned by the SBA from the Kauffman-RAND Institute for Entrepreneurship Public Policy, the final rule identifies 83 industries [identified by "NAICS" codes] in which women-owned small businesses are under-represented or substantially under-represented in federal procurements.

* The SBA has identified eligible industries based upon the combination of both the "share of contracting dollars" analysis, as well as the "share of number of contracts awarded" analysis used in the RAND study. This differs from an earlier proposed version of the rule, which identified only four industries in which women-owned small businesses were under-represented. This earlier version proposed to identify eligible industries based solely on the "share of contracting dollars" analysis used in the RAND study.

* In accordance with the statute, the final rule authorizes a set-aside of federal contracts for WOSBs where the anticipated contract price does not exceed $5 million in the case of manufacturing contracts, and $3 million in the case of other contracts. Contracts with values in excess of these limits are not subject to set-aside under this program.

* The final rule removes the requirement, set forth in a prior proposed version, that each federal agency certify that it had engaged in discrimination against women-owned small businesses in order for the program to apply to contracting by that agency.

* The proposed rule allows women-owned small businesses to self-certify as "WOSBs" or to be certified by third-party certifiers, including government entities and private certification groups.

* The final rule requires WOSBs which self-certify to submit a robust certification verification, to complete the certifications at the federal Online Representation and Certification Application ["ORCA"] Web site, and also to submit a core set of eligibility-related documents to an online "document repository" to be maintained by the SBA. Each agency’s contracting officers will have full access to this repository.

* The SBA intends to engage in a significant number of program examinations to confirm eligibility of individual WOSBs.

* In the event of a contract protest or program review, the SBA has the authority to request substantial additional documentation from the WOSB to establish eligibility.

* SBA intends to pursue vigorously punitive action against ineligible firms that seek to take advantage of this program and, in so doing, to deny its benefits to the intended legitimate WOSBs.

* * *

GoodBiz113's Take: After languishing for eight long years during the Bush Administration, this rule in favor of WOSBs couldn't be more timely. Hats off to Administrator Mills and her team for finally making it happen for women-owned small businesses and our stakeholders.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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Landrieu Letter to SBA Urges Support for Gulf Coast Small Businesses

United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu [D-La., pictured], chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, today sent a letter to Small Business Administration [SBA] Administrator Karen Mills, highlighting several initiatives aimed at assisting small businesses being impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"As I write to you today, Gulf Coast small businesses continue to struggle with the growing economic impact from the disaster," Landrieu stated in the letter. "This is because, in addition to the current six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling, there is a ripple effect of the multiple fisheries closures, as well as a slowdown in tourism due to the oil spill.

"Depending on the season, up to 40 percent of the nation’s commercial seafood harvest comes from the Gulf of Mexico. The tourism and fisheries impacts of the disaster threaten the continued viability of our Gulf Coast restaurants, ice houses, processors, grocery stores, and other small businesses."

In her letter, Sen. Landrieu requested the SBA turn attention to the following federal assistance programs:

SBA Disaster Loan Interest Relief
In total, there are over 12,000 disaster loans outstanding from the 2005/2008 hurricanes with businesses who employ about 40,000 people. Landrieu requests the Obama Administration’s support for interest relief of up to $15,000 on outstanding disaster loans from the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes.

This proposal, intended to inject immediate capital into these businesses, is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and numerous Gulf Coast local governments and organizations. It has also been endorsed by the New York Times and the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspapers.

Collateral on SBA Disaster Loans
To date, SBA has approved 52 Gulf Coast oil spill-related Economic Injury Disaster Loans totaling $2.2 million. SBA has indicated that it will accept the "best available" collateral from businesses seeking disaster loans. This collateral could include personal real estate, equipment, or business property.

Landrieu presses SBA to examine different types of collateral that could be used and to not further burden businesses that are now, in some cases, facing their second or third disaster since 2005. She also urges SBA to coordinate with BP for borrowers interested in putting up their BP claims as collateral towards these disaster loans.

Reimbursement from BP
The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, established by the Oil Pollution Act, is available to reimburse federal agencies for operations related to response and compensation provisions after an oil spill. The SBA has increased its staff by 125 employees to respond to this disaster, and set up 28 Business Recovery Centers in the Gulf Coast. Landrieu requests that SBA contact BP to receive appropriate compensation.

Similarly, as the SBA disburses Economic Injury Disaster Loans to businesses and fishermen in impacted states, the agency should also seek reimbursement from BP for these loan amounts.

Lastly, local Small Business Development Centers [SBDCs] are currently assisting businesses with both the BP claims process and SBA disaster loan process. Landrieu pushes for SBA, in coordination with the SBDCs, to seek compensation from BP for these services being provided as a result of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

On May 27, 2010, the Small Business Committee held a hearing on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on Gulf Coast small businesses. In that hearing, the Committee heard from members of the U.S. Coast Guard and federal agencies on the claims process and assistance available to small businesses.

To date, the SBA has approved 52 Economic Injury Disaster Loans. BP indicated at that hearing that they had received over 26,000 claims -- of which 12,000 claims have been paid -- totaling $36 million. To view complete coverage of the May 27th hearing, please visit: http://bit.ly/OilSpillHearingSBC.

On Thursday, June 17th, the Committee will hold a hearing highlighting the contracting process for proposals for the oil spill cleanup. Live video from the hearing can be viewed at http://sbc.senate.gov/.

To view a copy of Landrieu's letter, please go to: http://bit.ly/LetterOilDisaster.

Resources
For information about disaster-related contracting possibilities, visit SBA's Disaster Contracting Assistance Center: http://bit.ly/DisasterDCAC.

To glean consolidated information about federally funded government assistance to help all disaster victims -- e.g., businesses, families, individuals -- visit the new, one-stop DisasterAssistance.gov website: http://bit.ly/DisasterAssistance.

Anyone with damages to their business or home resulting from a declared disaster can apply for financial assistance via SBA's Disaster Assistance Electronic Loan Application: http://bit.ly/DisasterAssistELA.

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SOURCE: U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
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New Jersey, Texas Firms Take Top Prize as National Contractors of the Year; Small Businesses, Business Leaders and Government Officials Honored

A small-business contractor from New Jersey and another from Texas were named the National Prime Contractor of the Year and National Subcontractor of the Year, respectively, during a breakfast ceremony held this morning by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The event, sponsored by Raytheon, was part of National Small Business Week 2010, held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Small Business Prime Contractor and Small Business Subcontractor of theYear awards honor small businesses that have provided the government and private sector with outstanding goods and services, either as prime contractors or as subcontractors.

This year’s winners are:

* Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year: Anne C. O’Brien, president of Kalimex Inc., of Ocean View, N.J. This woman-owned, 8[a]-certified, small disadvantaged construction company boasts 14 years of successful project experience, plus more than $18 million in annual sales revenues. In one of those projects, Kalimex reopened the stairs to the crown in the Statue of Liberty for the first time since 9/11, ensuring visitors’ safe ascent up the famous double-helix stairway to the observation level in the statue’s crown. The National Park Service described Kalimex’s work on the Statue of Liberty as "sleek, elegant and magnificent." Another notable project for Kalimex Inc. includes exterior building renovation and masonry repairs on the Edgar Allan Poe House, located in Philadelphia, Penn., for the National Park Service; and

* Small Business Subcontractor of the Year: W.T. Gardner, founder and CEO of Savage Precision Fabrication Inc., of Wylie, Tex. Gardner founded Savage, a veteran-owned and Native American-owned firm, with $2,000 worth of tools. The company manufactures precision machine and sheet metal fabrication components -- including mechanical assemblies made of aluminum, titanium, copper, stainless steel and plastics -- to meet design specifications, and support the aerospace, military, defense and high-tech industries. It develops in-house processes -- such as heat treating, aging, Tungsten Inert Gas [TIG] and Metal Inert Gas [MIG] -- that are usually outsourced by a small business. The company has 38 employees, $4.4 million in annual sales in 2008, and is a preferred manufacturer in the aerospace and defense industry.

"Today, we celebrate the contributions of the outstanding business leaders, government officials and small businesses whose inspiring work in the federal contracting arena are creating jobs and helping lead economic recovery," said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills [pictured].

"Contracting with small businesses is a win-win for both the government and small businesses," Mills noted. "The government gets access to the most innovative companies, and small businesses get the oxygen they need to grow and take their businesses to the next level.

"That’s why it’s so important that more than $7 billion in federal contracts have already been awarded to small businesses under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

Small-business owners, corporate leaders, government officials and volunteers from across the country are in Washington, D.C., for the three-day conference, to be honored during five major award events for their achievements as America’s top entrepreneurs. The contracting awards recognize businesses and organizations for their commitment to providing contracting and subcontracting opportunities to small, women-owned and small disadvantaged businesses.

Other federal contracting awards included:

Frances Perkins Vanguard Award: Honoring government and industry for excellence in the use of women-owned small businesses as prime contractors and subcontractors.

The recipients are:

* Jim Cuff, senior vice president, Science Applications International Corporation [SAIC], of McLean, Va. [Industry Buying Activity];

* Kevin Boshears, director, Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Department of Homeland Security, of Washington, D.C. [Federal Buying Activity]; and

* Bennie Boren, acquisition supervisor/small-business specialist, Public Works Department Gulfport, NAVFAC Southeast, of Gulfport, Miss. [Federal Procurement Official].

Gold Star Award: Recognizing the exemplary performance of federal agencies and their dedicated personnel who carry out the aggressive goals and strategic initiatives that help ensure a role for small business in the federal marketplace.

The recipient is:

* Judith P. Croxton, director of business operations, Shaw Air Force Base-20th Contracting Squadron, of Shaw AFB, S.C.

Surety Bond Award: Honoring the 16 participating surety companies and bond producers for the support they provide to small businesses who need help securing bid, payment and performance bonds.

Two prominent national surety trade associations accepted the awards on their behalf. They are:

* Ms. Lynn Schubert, president, The Surety & Fidelity Association of America; and

* Mr. Mark H. McCallum, CEO, the National Association of Surety Bond Producers.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence: Recognizing large prime contractors that have excelled in their use of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.

The recipients are:

* Richard A. Heltzel, president, Healy Tibbitts Builders Inc., of Aiea, Hawaii [Construction Category];

* Amber Janey, small business liaison officer, Rockwell Collins, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa [Manufacturing Category]; and

* Keith Joy, director of small business programs, UT-Battelle LLC/Oak Ridge National Laboratory [ORNL], of Oak Ridge, Tenn. [Research & Development Category].

The 2010 Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence-Research & Development is one of SBA's top honors. Administrator Mills praised the Department of Energy's ORNL's "hard work, innovative ideas, and dedication to [its] community" while presenting the award to Keith Joy, director of small business programs at ORNL.

Joy tasked his office with "aggressive goals" to meet the requirements of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award. In 2010, he and his staff encouraged strong performance via an internal awards program, meetings between contractors and small businesses, and extensive outreach programs to maximize the impact of ORNL's small business programs. Joy noted that he was "very proud, humbled, and appreciative" to receive this honor on behalf of his team at ORNL.

"The President recognizes that small businesses are the building blocks of our economy," said Bill Valdez, acting director of the Department of Energy's Office of Economic Impact and Diversity. "Our office's mission is to support the innovation and growth of small businesses, and we absolutely must continue to honor their hard work."

Small Business Week featured a series of forums on innovation, exporting and social media, designed to help entrepreneurs with current, real-world issues that impact their businesses. There was also a town hall forum to discuss small-business concerns.

For additional details on Small Business Week 2010 -- including a full schedule of events and information on all award winners -- visit http://www.nationalsmallbusinessweek.com/.

Small Business Week 2010 sponsors and co-sponsors include: Sam’s Club, Visa, Ford, ADP, Raytheon, Cbeyond, UPS, Intuit, Google, eBay, AT&T, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, D&B, Verio, ASBDC, NADCO, NAGGL, NASE, NSBA, WIPP and SCORE.

SOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration
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Landrieu Fights for Small-Business Contracts in Military Procurement Process

United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Chair Mary Landrieu [D-La.] wrote today to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin [D-Mich.] and Ranking Member John McCain [R-Ariz.] in support of the Weapons System Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 [S.454], which was marked up this morning.

Specifically, Sen. Landrieu indicated her support for Section 205, “Organizational Conflicts of Interest in the Acquisition of Major Weapon Systems,” and Section 203, “Maximization of Competition Throughout the Life Cycle of Major Defense Acquisition Programs,” which would increase meaningful opportunities for small businesses to compete for Department of Defense [DoD] projects.

Currently, the DoD procurement process sometimes lacks independent or objective analysis to determine the best firm for a particular contract. In her letter, Sen. Landrieu cited an example in which a small business was nearly put out of business because the DoD disregarded a conflict of interest when making a contracting decision.

With the help of the Small Business Innovation Research [SBIR] program, the company, NAVSYS Corporation, developed technology for a GPS navigation system for the Air Force, which the government found helpful. When the Air Force began to transition the technology into its GPS program, it asked the prime contractor to assess whether the technology should be used. The prime contractor, however, had a conflict of interest in determining whether the small business should get the contract or the prime contractor should do it themselves. The prime contractor ultimately decided to do it themselves.

“Small businesses are too often overlooked or harmed by the federal government’s contracting process,” Sen. Landrieu said today. “Section 205 of the Weapons System Acquisition Reform Act will go a long way toward protecting small businesses from conflicts of interest, while eliminating waste and inefficiency at the DoD.

“Section 203 of the bill would also help to maximize competition for defense acquisition contracts, which will help small businesses because it creates more potential opportunities for them to participate.”

Sen. Landrieu’s letter to Sens. Levin and McCain is available online at: http://tinyurl.com/d7zc3s.

GoodBiz113's take: For far too long, greedy and gluttonous prime contractors have feasted at the DoD contracting table. It's time for them to share the wealth of DoD procurement opportunities with smaller, leaner and faster enterprises who bring real innovation and cost-effective efficiencies to the needs of our military forces. Bravo to Sen. Landrieu for her efforts to improve DoD's acquisition procedures to serve the greater good.

SOURCES: Library of Congress, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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Kerry Honors Women Entrepreneurs on Anniversary of Women's Business Ownership Act

Twenty years after important women’s business legislation was signed into law, Sen. John Kerry [D-Mass.], chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, recognized the progress women entrepreneurs have made in developing innovative and prosperous small businesses. The Women’s Business Ownership Act [H.R. 5050] -- the first comprehensive small-business legislation aimed to help women entrepreneurs succeed -- marked its official anniversary on Saturday.

“As the fastest-growing segment of the nation’s business community, employing more than 7 million workers and pumping over $1 trillion into the economy, women entrepreneurs are vital to the growth of this nation,” said Kerry. “Despite the immense progress made in the last 20 years, women still face hurdles.”

One of the biggest challenges still facing women business owners is gaining equal access to government contracts. While women-owned firms account for 30 percent of all small businesses, they receive less than 3.5 percent of federal contracts -- far short of the five percent goal.

To help women compete for federal contracts, Congress passed the Equity Contracting for Women Act of 2000 [H.R. 4897], a set-aside program to provide federal contracting assistance to small-business concerns owned and controlled by women. In September, the Small Business Administration [SBA] finalized a rule for the program that seriously undermines women’s ability to compete for contracts, because of the narrow definition they applied to the program -- labeling just 31 of 140 industries studied as underrepresented.

Women entrepreneurs have lost more than $6 billion in potential revenue over the last eight years because of a lack of access to contracts. Kerry continues to push for a wider, more inclusive, definition for the program.

“Eight years ago, when Congress passed this law, our intent was to level the playing field for women entrepreneurs,” Kerry noted. “This ruling does the opposite, creating more roadblocks for women. Any meaningful change that we could have enacted through this program has now been vastly constrained.”

Kerry has also worked in a bipartisan manner to strengthen the more than 100 Women's Business Centers across the country. Last year, Kerry led passage of an amendment providing permanent funding for established centers, and successfully urged the Administration to implement the new program immediately.

In addition, Kerry pushed SBA to correct management practices, after Inspector General and U.S. Government Accountability Office reports found massive management failures of the Women’s Business Center program. Since the September hearing, management has significantly improved.

“We must do everything in our power to help encourage entrepreneurship in these difficult economic times,” said Kerry. “When run properly, these business centers are valuable resources that help to stimulate innovation, create jobs and boost our economy.”

GoodBiz113's take: Sen. John Kerry, a longtime champion of small businesses, is to be lauded for his diligent efforts -- especially on behalf of women-owned enterprises seeking those elusive federal contracting dollars. Thank you, Sen. Kerry!

SOURCES: GovTrack.us, Library of Congress, U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
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