# Presentation: 686143

## 
DUTY TO COUNTRY:  
Corporate and Federal Responsibilities to Veterans in Business
Prepared for GSA Quality Partnership Council
December 8, 2005

**DUTY TO COUNTRY****:****  **
**Corporate and Federal Responsibilities to Veterans in Business**
**Prepared for GSA Quality Partnership Council**
**December 8, 2005**
** **

## 	Legal Background

- PL 106-50 Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999  (August 1999)
- Created comprehensive program of management, technical, and financial assistance for entrepreneurial veterans
- Established Federal prime and subcontracting goals
- PL 108-183 Veterans Benefits Act of 2003  (December 2003)
- SDVOSB Set-Aside Authority
- Rule of 2 for competitive set-asides; fair price; no dollar ceiling
- Less than 2 – noncompetitive awards up to $3M/services; $5M/mfg
- Final Rule Effective March 23, 2005

**Notes:**
106-50 Purpose:  To expand existing & establish new assistance programs for veterans who own or operate small businesses. (Established TVC; cooperative agreements between SBA, DOL, ASBDC, VA)
P.L. 106-554 (Dec 2000), Sections 803 and 808 – extended funding for TVC and created two separate subcontracting categories (VOSB and SDVOSB) – best efforts subcontracting goal for VOSBs, 3% agency goal for SDVOSB subcontracting 

## Executive Order (1)

**President signed October 20, 2004**
- More effectively support 3% goal _AND_ use set-aside authority
- All  Agencies shall:
- Develop a formal strategy and make it publicly available
- Annually report implementation actions to SBA
- Designate a Senior Level Responsible Official
- Measure key executive’s performance as “significant element”

**Notes:**

Key executives include:  Senior Oversight Official (normally the Deputy Secretary-level), Chief Acquisition Officer and Director, OSDBU.

EO resulted from lack of significant progress by agencies in increasing achievements with SDVOSBs and limited use of the May 2004 set-aside authority, established by the Interim FAR rule. 

Strategies are posted on the VetBiz.gov web portal and on SBA’s Office of Government Contracting SDVOSBC program web site.

## Executive Order (2)

**SBA** shall:
- Coordinate with VA Center for Veterans Enterprise
- Advise Agencies about Implementing Order
- Train business owners
**GSA** shall:
- Establish a Special Contract Schedule for SDVOSBs
- Help owners with Federal Supply Schedules

**Notes:**
Business owners training is important because of the flexibility to team, partner and joint-venture under the set-aside rules.  SBA has established a new office in the Office of Government Contracting to carry-out these duties.

GSA has proceeded quickly with their duties.  The VETS GWACS solicitation was posted in March 2005.  Additionally, GSA has conducted a series of well-organized outreach events in its regions beginning last Summer.

## Executive Order (3)

**DoD** shall:
-  Train Federal officials
**VA** shall:
- Assist agencies through CVE support
- Verify the accuracy of contractor databases
- Modify Transition Assistance Program information with Dept of Labor

**Notes:**
The DoD training is eagerly anticipated to try to resolve contracting officer’s concerns about parity among small business programs.

In carrying out VA’s duties, VA established an Interagency EO 13360 Working Group that meets monthly.  This group is well-attended and consists of volunteers who believe in alignment of message and consistency of advice to the owners’ community.

## 		VA’s Implementation Strategy

- Use SDVOSB set-asides
- Encourage SDVOSB’s to Market to VA
- Monitor Prime Contractor’s numbers
- Training
- Publicize VA needs

**Notes:**
Use Set-Asides:
Performance Plan element
Change FSS & Standardization rules
Propose new “identical item” clause
Modify forecast to show 3% of dollars
Written justification by HCA when not using SDVOSB set-aside
Use partial set-aside if necessary
Use VetBiz Vendor database

Encourage SDVOSB’s to market to VA:
Provide VIP firms notices from FEdBiz Opps
Use Rule of One
Sponsor Annual Outreach Program
Require sources sought when not using SDVOSB set-aside
Update forecast quarterly
Permit preference for SDVOSB’s in micropurchases

Monitor Prime Contractors numbers:
Create a VetBiz Mentor-Protégé program
Require SubK goals in major acquisitions
Evaluate past performance as significant
Restrict subcontractor replacement to other SDVOSB
Encourage primes to help SDVOSB’s with bonding
Increase data accuracy through eSRS

Train and Publicize Needs:
Modify training for employee groups
Develop formal vendor access policies
Develop program newsletter
Post major goods/services purchased
Link OSDBU/VetBiz sites to main page
Formalize Annual Awards

Complete strategy of VA and other Federal agencies can be found on www.VetBiz.gov

**	**** ****	****CVE - Products**

**Online VetBiz Vendor Information Pages (VIP)**

##                   					Facts about VIP

**Online Vendor Database**
**Links to CCR & CA DGS; soon to TVC**
**Provides a Resource for Steaming Data**
**Vendor Validates Size & 51% Question**
**Enables Efficient Annual Notification Process**
**Provides Rapid Communications with Industry**
**Recognized by OFPP **
**4/03 Ltr to Agencies**
**4/04 Ltr to Agencies**

**Notes:**
Online VetBiz VIP:  OFPP issued a memorandum on 4/29/03 encouraging Federal agencies to use this new online database to locate VOSBs.  It requires businesses to answer 51% eligibility question, unlike CCR.  Anyone may provisionally register a business.  Message is then sent to the business asking them to answer the eligibility questions and complete fields telling us more about the business.  

Opened to the public in December 2003.  About 1500 firms currently in the database.  A national publicity campaign is contemplated for the Spring, culminating in our annual awards program in June.  

##                  		 			Facts about APP

**Free Online Database of Assistance Programs (24/7)**
**Search for Programs Geographically**
**Assistance Categories**
**Startup**
**Financing**
**Training**
**Procurement**
**Business Development**
**Integrated into VetBiz.Gov – Federal Veterans Web Portal**
**Program Information Managed by Account Holders **

**Notes:**
Assistance Program Pages:  Searchable online database of assistance programs available to start or expand a business.   Public Law 106-50, the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 1999 called upon VA, SBA, and the ASBDC to establish an electronic clearinghouse of Federal, State, and local governments, and private sector assistance programs. APP is that clearinghouse. Opened to the public in November 2004.  About 108 registered programs are currently in the database. 

Total Registrants: 224

##             			Other CVE Products

**Entrepreneurs’ Helpline **
**Community Business Resource Referrals **
**VetBiz Video Showcases**
**Free Market Research Reports**
**Speakers’ Bureau**
**Corporate Advocates for Veterans Enterprise (CAVE)**
**Government Advocates for Veterans Enterprise (GAVE)**

**Notes:**
Helpline & Referrals : Average 5,000 support calls per month.  Now staffed to follow-up with veterans referred to local providers.  Telecommunications equipment now allows for direct connections.  

Video Vendor Showcases:  This is a new videoteleconferencing initiative that will eliminate distance barriers to firms who want to market to new potential partners and to veterans who want to participate in business development training.  We’ve conducted two showcases to date.  A quarterly schedule is being developed. 

VetFran & Partnership Agreements: The IFA offers reduced franchising fees to veterans as a show of respect and recognition for their military service. Other partnership agreements are being finalized. They include corporate support agreements with major defense contractors and a special initiative to support veterans in the District of Columbia.  More than 300 franchises have opened since 2002 through VetFran.  More than 140 franchisors participate. 

Free Market Research:  Our business expansion unit will research availability of veteran-owned businesses to meet your needs at no charge to you. 

Speakers’ Bureau – We support about 80-100 community events each year. 
Legislation: VA has sent a proposal to OMB to establish legislation for a VA pilot set-aside authority called “BuyVet.”  VA is the only agency with a prime contract goal for veteran-owned small businesses.  PL 108-183 enacted in December permits set-asides only for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.  

## All You Need to Know

**http://www.vetbiz.gov**
**Veterans call tollfree 1-866-584-2344**
**Others call (202) 303-3260**