SBA

U.S. Small Business Administration

Doing Business With the Federal Government

The federal government is the largest buyer of goods and services in the world. While small

businesses are often at a disadvantage when trying to win federal contracts, the U.S. Small Business

Administration can help overcome the barriers. The SBA works closely with other federal agencies

and the nation’s leading federal contractors to ensure that small businesses obtain a fair share of

government contracts and subcontracts. The SBA also seeks fair access to government-owned

property and resources that are being sold. In fact, the SBA has many programs to help small firms

do business with the federal government.

The Prime Contracts Program

Through the Prime Contracts Program, the SBA helps to increase small businesses’ share

of government contracts. The program also advocates for the breakout of items for pro-curement

through full and open competition.

To expand contracting opportunities for small businesses, the SBA has specially-designated

procurement center representatives. These PCRs review contracting actions at major

federal procurement centers, review subcontracting plans, recommend contracting sources and

provide counseling.

There are two types of PCRs: traditional and breakout. Traditional PCRs work to increase the

number of procurements set aside for small businesses. Breakout PCRs work to remove

components or spare parts from sole-source to competitive procurement. This effort generates large

savings for the federal government.

The Subcontracting Assistance Program

The Subcontracting Assistance Program promotes maximum use of small businesses by the

nation’s large prime contractors. Specially-designated SBA commercial market representatives visit

large businesses to identify and expand subcontracting opportunities for small businesses, and

counsel small businesses on how to market their products and services to large contractors. CMRs

also conduct program reviews of large businesses to ensure compliance with subcon-tracting

program requirements.

The Certificate of Competency Program

The Certificate of Competency Program allows a small business to appeal a contracting officer’s

determination that it is unable to fulfill the requirements of a specific government contract on

which it is the otherwise successful offeror. When the small business applies for a COC, SBA

industrial and financial specialists conduct a detailed review of the firm’s capabilities to perform on

the contract. If the business demonstrates the ability to perform, the SBA issues a COC to the contracting officer requiring the award of that specific contract to the small business.

The Procurement Marketing and Access Network
The SBA’s Procurement Marketing and Access Network, or PRO-Net, is a “virtual” one-stop

procurement shop. The Internet web site — http://pronet.sba.gov — is an electronic search engine

for contracting officers, as well as a marketing tool and link to procurement opportunities and other

important information. All small firms seeking federal, state and private contracts can fill out —

and update — their own profiles at the site. These profiles are available to federal and state

government agencies as well as prime and other contractors seeking small business contractors,

subcontractors and/or partnership opportunities. Thousands of small firms have their profiles in the

database. If your business isn’t among them, sign up today.

The Size Determination Program

The Size Determination Program ensures that only small firms receive contracts and other benefits

set aside exclusively for small business. When a firm’s claim that it is small is challenged, SBA

size specialists determine if the firm does, in fact, meet established SBA size standards. Size

determinations may also be requested in connection with other federal programs.

The Natural Resources Sales Assistance Program

Through the Natural Resources Sales Assistance Program, the SBA ensures that small businesses

obtain a fair share of federally owned property and resources that are available for sale or lease.

SBA industrial specialists work with other federal agencies to make it easier for small businesses to

make the purchases, which include —

• timber and related forest products;

• strategic materials from the national stockpile;

• leases involving rights to minerals, coal, oil and gas;

• royalty oil; and

• surplus real and personal property.

Getting Ready for Online Business

While the SBA’s programs can help you overcome many barriers to obtaining federal contracts,

you also need to prepare for doing business electronically. That means participating in Electronic

Commerce/Electronic Data Interchange. EC/EDI is the computer-to-computer exchange of business

information using electronic mail (e-mail), computer bulletin boards, electronic funds transfer or

other similar technologies.

By the end of September 1999, the federal government will use charge cards as the preferred means

of procuring products and services. The General Services Administration has already issued more

than 250,000 SmartPay cards to federal employees. If your business accepts VISA or MasterCard,

you can also accept GSA SmartPay cards, and the trans-actions can be processed through your

existing merchant account. If you do not currently accept these credit cards, you can establish a

merchant account by contacting your local bank or the GSA SmartPay contractors listed at the GSA

web site: http://pub.fss.gsa.gov/fm/future/merchant.html

For More Information

For additional information on government contracting programs, visit our Office of Government

Contracting home page at: www.sba.gov/gc. You may also call your local SBA district office or

your closest SBA government contracting area office.

SBA Government Contracting Offices
10 Causeway Street, Room 265

Boston, MA 02222-1093

617-565-5622

900 Market Street, 5th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-580-2762

1720 Peachtree Road NW, Room 318N

Atlanta, GA 30309

404-347-4483

500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1250

Chicago, IL 60661-2511

312-353-7381

4300 Amon Carter Blvd., Suite 116

Fort Worth, TX 76155

817-334-5900

455 Market Street, 6th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94105-2939

415-744-8429

• SBA offices are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S.

Virgin Islands and Guam. For the office nearest you, look under “U.S. Government” in your

telephone directory, or call the SBA Answer Desk.

• SBA Answer Desk: 1-800-U-ASK-SBA

• Fax: 202-205-7064

• TDD: 704-344-6640

• Your rights to regulatory fairness: 1-800-REG-FAIR

• OnLine Electronic Bulletin Board (modem and computer required)

1-800-697-4636 (limited access)

1-900-463-4636 (full access)

202-401-9600 (D.C. metro area)

• Internet

Home page: www.sba.gov

Gopher: gopher.sba.gov

File transfer protocol: ftp.sba.gov

Telnet: telnet.sba.gov

U.S. Business Advisor: www.business.gov

SBA Affiliates

Inquire at your local SBA office for the location nearest you.

• BICs — Business Information Centers

• TBICs — Tribal Business Information Centers

• OSCSs — One Stop Capital Shops
• SCORE — Service Corps of Retired Executives

• SBDCs — Small Business Development Centers

• USEACs — U.S. Export Assistance Centers

• WBCs — Women’s Business Centers

SBA Publications

Call your local SBA office or the SBA Answer Desk.

• The Resource Directory for Small Business Management — a listing of low-cost business

management publications and videotapes

• The Facts About . . . SBA Publications — a listing of free SBA publications

Did you know that America’s 23 million small businesses —

• employ more than 50 percent of the private workforce,

• generate more than half of the nation’s gross domestic product, and

• are the principal source of new jobs?

All of the SBA’s programs and services are provided to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

SBA no. FS-0009 (01/99)