Impact of A-76 Competitive Sourcing 

on Small Government Vendors

by Eagle Eye Publishers, Inc.

2007. [32 pages.] Under contract SBAHQ-04-M-0535

This report was developed under a contract with the Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, and contains information

and analysis that was reviewed and edited by officials of the Office of Advocacy. However, the final conclusions of the report do not 

necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Advocacy.

Overall Findings

The data show that since fiscal year (FY) 2001 

through the third quarter of FY 2006, $5.5 billion 

was spent on 3,735 A-76 contracts (see table). Of 

the 795 companies that received these procurements, 567 companies, or 71 percent, were small. 

Small businesses won 65 percent of the total number of A-76 contracts.

Highlights

• As noted, A-76 contracts were awarded by 

both civilian and defense agencies. Small business 

shares are shown in both number of contracts and 

dollars. Multiple contracts may be awarded to one 

recipient. 

• Civilian agencies awarded contracts to a total 

of 678 recipients, of which 488, or 72 percent, 

were small businesses. The civilian agencies awarded these 488 small businesses a total of 2,355 contracts over the FY 2001-FY 2006 period, or about 

two-thirds of the total number of civilian agency 

A-76 contracts. These contracts were valued at 

$615 million, or about 19.5 percent of the total 

dollar value of A-76 contracts awarded by civilian agencies. The average value of these civilian 

agency A-76 contracts was $261,532 per recipient 

small firm. 

• Defense agencies awarded a total of $2.3 billion in A-76 contracts over the FY 2002-FY 2006 

period. Of the number of defense agency A-76 

contracts, small firms won 64 percent; small firms 

won 31 percent of the dollar value. 

Scope and Methodology

The General Services Administration’s Federal 

Procurement Data System—Next Generation 

(FPDS-NG) database provided the primary source 

data used in this study. It provides the most systematic overview of A-76 prime contract statistics 

for civilian agencies. The FPDS-NG database is a 

three-year-old information collection and dissemination system that replaces the old procurement 

reporting process using DD-30 and SF-279 forms.

Starting in 1979, the Department of Defense’s 

database for tracking A-76 initiatives has been the 

Commercial Activities Management Information 

System or CAMIS. The CAMIS database thus is 

the primary source for A-76 contract statistics for 

defense agencies.

May 2007 No. 302

Summary of Federal Civilian and Defense Agency A-76 Procurements Since FY 2001* 

 Number of award recipients Number of contracts Contract dollars (billions) 

 Total Small 

firms1

Percent

small 

Total Small 

firms1

Percent

small 

Total Small 

firms1

Percent

small 

Total 795 567 71.3 3,735 2,438 65.3 5.5 1.3 24.2 

Civilian agencies2

 678 488 71.9 3,606 2,355 65.3 3.2 .6 19.5 

Defense component agencies3

 117 79 67.5 129 83 64.3 2.3 .7 30.7 

* See notes below for time periods covered. 

1 The A-76 recipients that are not small constitute an “Other” category that includes nonprofits, etc., but is primarily large businesses. 2Civilian agency data are from the Federal Procurement Data System and cover the FY 2001 to FY 2006 year to date (YTD) period. 

3 Defense Department (DoD) data are from the DoD’s Commercial Activities Management Information System (CAMIS) and cover the 

FY 2002 to FY 2006 YTD period. 
To perform this analysis, the researcher 

extracted and analyzed all A-76 contract transaction records reported in the FPDS-NG and the 

CAMIS covering the period FY2001–FY2006. 

The data were summarized and discussed.

This report was peer-reviewed consistent with 

Advocacy’s data quality guidelines. More information on this process can be obtained by contacting the Director of Economic Research at 

advocacy@sba.gov or (202) 205-6533.

Note

Previous research titled, "Small Business 

Participation in A-76 Privatization Initiatives," 

was published by the U.S. Small Business 

Administration's Office of Advocacy in 1989 and 

is available at http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/

PB90-195595.pdf.

Ordering Information

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studies performed under contract with the U.S. 

Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy 

are available on the Internet at www.sba.gov/advo/

research. Copies are available for purchase from:

National Technical Information Service

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Springfield, VA 22161

(800) 553-6847 or (703)605-6000

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