Best Practices in Federal Procurement 

A Study of the Successes and Barriers for 

Women-Owned Businesses 

A Report Prepared for the National Women’s Business Council 

June 2006 

Prepared by Madison Services Group, Inc. 

1615 L Street NW, Suite 650 

Washington, DC 20036 

202-626-8528 
This research was conducted for the National Women's Business Council (NWBC) by 

Madison Services Group, Inc. The opinions and recommendations of the authors of this 

study do not necessarily reflect official policies of the NWBC, the 

U.S. Small Business Administration or any other agency of the U.S. Government. 

2 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Practices in Federal Procurement: 

A Study of the Successes and Barriers for 

Women-Owned Businesses 

Table of Contents 

I. Executive Summary 5
 

II. Introduction 9
 

III. Analysis and Findings 

A. Analysis of Interviews 13 

B. Findings: Best Practices 22 

C. Matrix of Small Business Programs and Outreach Activities 26 

IV. Recommendations 30 
 

V. Other Resources for Women Business Owners 

A. Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) 33 

B. Contract Assistance for Women Business Owners (CAWBO) 34 

C. Women’s Business Centers (WBC) 35 

D. Online Resources 36 

VI. Appendix 

A. Description of Each Agency with Contact Information 38 

B. Federal Procurement Data System Chart of Women-Owned

 Small Business Contracting by Agency 68 

C. OSDBU Council Model Code of Expectations 70 

D. Legislative Language 73 

E. List of Participants 80 

3 
I. Executive Summary 

4 
 

 

Executive Summary 

Based on a procurement roundtable discussion held at a meeting of the National 

Women’s Business Council (NWBC) in 2004, the NWBC commissioned a study of the 

best practices of small business advocates in federal government agencies. The small 

business office in most federal agencies is called the Office of Small and Disadvantaged 

Business Utilization (OSDBU). Other agencies, such as the Department of Defense and 

General Services Administration, have different names for their offices -- Office of Small 

Business Programs (DOD) and Office of Small Business Utilization (GSA). The name 

OSDBU not only refers to the offices themselves, but also to the advocates within them. 

Many OSDBU offices designate women-owned business advocates to whom the 

responsibility of working with women business owners falls. The goal of this project 

was to identify OSDBU best practices which result in more effective assistance to small, 

women-owned businesses involved in federal contracting. 

Women-owned business advocates in twenty-six different federal agencies, the Small 

Business Administration (SBA), as well as small business owners who represent 

women’s business organizations such as Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), 

National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Women Presidents’ 

Organization (WPO), Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and the 

Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC) were interviewed to find the best 

practices utilized in federal agencies to assist women-owned businesses. The findings 

indicate that, in the woman-owned business sector, interest in federal contracting far 

exceeds the assistance the federal government currently provides. The women business 

owners interviewed desire technical assistance and introductions to buyers in federal 

agencies and prime contractors. The OSDBUs interviewed do not, in large part, have the 

manpower, budget or resources to fulfill these needs. 

Even with budget and reporting authority restraints, OSDBUs do a remarkable job in 

assisting women-owned businesses in ways the public does not always recognize. 

OSDBUs that are proactive within their agencies are instrumental in persuading the 

agencies to set aside portions of large procurements for small businesses and facilitating 

introductions to agency program officials. They follow closely the contracts awarded to 

women-owned businesses and advocate within their agencies the need to increase 

contracts awarded to women-owned firms. 

Because of the overwhelming number of businesses looking for assistance, the OSDBUs 

should consider implementing the best practices found through this research. In 

particular, OSDBUs should take advantage of current technology, such as nationwide 

conference calls and video conferencing. A greater emphasis should be placed on 

regional agency meetings for small businesses interested in federal procurement. Every 

agency should consider instituting vendor outreach sessions, where program officials and 

procurement officials meet directly with small businesses. 

5 
 

 

In addition to best practices, it was the general view among the OSDBUs and women 

business owners interviewed that in order to increase federal contract awards to womenowned businesses, Public Law 106-554, codified at 15 USC Section 637 (m), should be 

implemented. If P.L. 106-554 is implemented, it would allow contracts, in industries 

historically underrepresented by women-owned small businesses, to be reserved for 

competition by women-owned small businesses.1 Without implementation of this law, 

federal agencies have only a goal of awarding five percent of federal contracts to womenowned businesses without any real tool to achieve it. Currently, there are no 

consequences for federal agencies who do not meet their woman-owned goal of five 

percent. 

The consequences for women business owners, however, amount to lost revenue equaling 

billions of dollars. A report issued by the House Small Business Committee Democratic 

Staff shows that in FY2003, contracts awarded to women-owned businesses throughout 

the entire federal government amounted to 2.89% – just over half of its five percent goal. 

The report estimates that the difference between the government’s 2.89% level of 

contracting with women-owned businesses and the stated goal of five percent represents a 

cost of $6 billion in lost contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses FY 

2003.2

 In FY 2004, the government again did not meet its five percent woman-owned 

goal with only 3.2% of federal contracts going to women-owned businesses, which the 

House report suggests resulted in a loss of $5.5 billion in contracting opportunities for 

women-owned businesses.3 

The National Women’s Business Council and the women’s business organizations 

represented on the Council are in a position to assist women business owners with federal 

contracting. The NWBC provides contracting information through its nationwide 

conference calls and works with federal agencies to provide special women-owned 

business panels at agency conferences. The NWBC also works to formulate positive 

relationships with women-owned business advocates in the federal agencies. An 

important tool to assist women business owners is womenbiz.gov, a website that is 

designed to be a gateway for women-owned businesses that wish to do business with the 

federal government. This web site contains helpful links and resources as well as 

upcoming outreach events. 

This report is intended to highlight the best practices utilized and identified by OSDBU 

offices. In this respect, other OSDBU offices can learn from the practices of their peers 

to increase the effectiveness and efficacy of outreach to women-owned businesses. 

Included in this report are critical recommendations and strategies to improve 

procurement practices within the federal agencies. In addition, this report can serve as a 

guide for women business owners interested in doing business with the federal 

1

 Public Law 106-554 Section 811; please see Appendix D for full text of legislation. 

2

 “Dramatic Gains in the Federal Marketplace Fails to Result in Small Business Contracts”. House Small 

Business Committee Democratic Staff. September 30, 2004. 

3

 “Scorecard VI History Unchanged: Year Capped with More Losses for Small Firms.” United States 

House of Representatives Small Business Committee Democratic Staff. October 20, 2005. 

http://www.house.gov/smbiz/democrats/Reports/scorecardVI.pdf. 

6 
government. It lays out important resources available to them and the best practices 

utilized by OSDBUs to encourage their participation. Appendix A of this report is 

designed to give women business owners a detailed view of the major federal agencies 

and the women-owned business contacts at each agency. 

7 
II. Introduction 

8 
 

 

Introduction 

In September 2004, the National Women’s Business Council convened a special meeting, 

“Accessing Government Markets: An Issues Roundtable Discussion”, that focused on 

best practices of the Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBUs) 

and the experiences of women business owners in the government marketplace. 4 

Participants included members of the small business community, experts in procurement, 

and women-owned business advocates from the OSDBU offices in federal agencies. 

The Roundtable provided Council members with information on federal contracting and 

the work of women’s business advocates in the federal agencies. During the Roundtable, 

several themes emerged, including: 1) federal agencies’ failure to meet the five percent 

goal for procurement with women-owned businesses; 2) the role of OSDBUs in various 

federal agencies; 3) the evaluation of federal agencies and prime contractors to ensure 

compliance with prime and subcontracting goals; 4) the potential impact of set-asides to 

reach the five percent goal for federal contracting with women-owned businesses; 5) 

what methods women business owners have used to gain access to government contracts; 

and 6) how women’s business organizations provide essential information and links to 

federal agencies. 

Based on the outcome of this procurement roundtable, the NWBC commissioned this 

study of the best practices of small business advocates in the federal agencies. The goal 

of the project was to identify best practices among the OSDBUs which result in 

assistance to women-owned businesses interested in federal contracting. In order to 

correctly identify these best practices, both OSDBU officials and women business owners 

were interviewed. 

Public Law 95-507, The Small Business Act, established the Offices of Small and 

Disadvantaged Business Utilization within each federal agency to foster the utilization of 

small businesses as federal contractors.5 On October 24, 1978, President Carter signed 

PL 95-507 amending the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 

1958, making federal procurement contracting more readily accessible to all small 

businesses. The establishment of this law specified the Government’s policy of 

providing “maximum practicable opportunities” in its acquisitions to small businesses, 

small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses. This stipulation applies 

not only to prime contractors, but also extends to subcontractors in contracts awarded by 

any executive agency. 

The head of each federal agency is responsible for effectively implementing the small 

business programs within each agency and achieving yearly procurement goals for small 

and small disadvantaged businesses. The current government wide goal for contracting 

4

 “Accessing Government Markets: An Issue Roundtable Discussion Summary Report” National Women’s 

Business Council. December 2004 

5

 Small Business Law can be found in Appendix D 

9 
 

 

 

opportunities for women-owned businesses is five percent of all federal prime contracts 

awarded according to the Small Business Act.6 

To accomplish this task, the OSDBU develops and implements appropriate outreach 

programs aimed at heightening the awareness of the small business community to the 

contracting opportunities available within each Department. Outreach efforts include 

activities such as sponsoring small business fairs and procurement conferences as well as 

participating in trade group seminars, conventions and other forums which promote the 

utilization of small businesses as contractors. 

To facilitate and improve the effectiveness of programs offered in each OSDBU office, 

an Interagency Council was formed. This Council aims to exchange information on 

methods, initiatives, and processes that will permit the respective agencies to more 

effectively utilize small businesses in prime contracts and subcontracts to the maximum 

extent practicable. 

A total of twenty-six representatives from OSDBU offices in federal agencies were 

interviewed for this report to gauge their level of outreach and programs for women 

business owners. The OSDBU officials discussed current outreach and procurement 

assistance for women business owners as well as planned events and activities. In 

addition, the officials offered insights into the unique structure of their agencies and tips 

on how women business owners can take advantage of services offered through their 

offices. 

Discussions with women business owners also provided valuable insights into the 

challenges women-owned businesses face in contracting with the federal government. 

The business owners interviewed, all of whom contracted with the government, identified 

success strategies, challenges and the strengths and weaknesses of small business 

programs at the federal agencies. In addition to owning and operating their own small 

business, the women interviewed were also active in various women-owned small 

business organizations such as Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), National 

Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Women Presidents’ Organization 

(WPO), Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and the Association 

of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC). For a complete list of participants, please refer 

to Appendix E. 

Interviews conducted during this research resulted in three main criteria for determining 

the best practices in OSDBU offices. The first criterion, self-reporting of successful 

practices by OSDBU staff, highlighted various practices that the OSDBU offices believe 

work most efficiently and effectively to engage women-owned businesses. OSDBU staff 

members identified practices that worked well not only in their own office, but in other 

offices as well. Feedback from the women business owners on programs and practices 

used by agencies provided a second criterion. The women business owners affirmed 

many of the best practices identified by the OSDBUs. The final criterion used to identify 

best practices took into account the number of agencies that utilize the outreach tool. 

6

 Small Business Law can be found in Appendix D 

10 
 

By combining the two self reporting mechanisms and the total number of agencies 

utilizing a particular tool, a comprehensive list of best practices was devised. This list is 

intended to serve as a guide for OSDBU outreach activities. OSDBU offices can learn 

from the activities of their peers to improve their contracting outreach for women-owned 

businesses. In addition, this report identifies important resources available to womenowned businesses who are interested in contracting with the federal government. In this 

respect, the report can also serve as a useful guide for women business owners seeking 

federal contracts. 

11 
III. Analysis and Findings 

12 
 

Analysis of Interviews 

In order to examine the issues that arose during the Roundtable discussion conducted by 

the National Women’s Business Council in 2004, OSDBU staff members and women 

business owners were interviewed. The questions asked during these interviews were 

aimed to address the six main issues that arose during the Roundtable including: federal 

agencies’ failure to meet the five percent goal for procurement with women-owned 

businesses; the role of OSDBUs in various federal agencies; the evaluation of federal 

agencies and prime contractors to ensure compliance with prime and subcontracting 

goals; the potential impact of set-asides to reach the five percent goal for federal 

contracting with women-owned businesses; what methods women business owners have 

used to gain access to government contracts; and how women’s business organizations 

provide essential information and links to federal agencies. 

While not highly structured, most of the interviews with OSDBU staff included the 

following questions: 

1.	 Does the OSDBU have specific programs in place for outreach and/or increasing 

procurement opportunities for women-owned businesses? 

2.	 What is the reporting structure of your OSDBU office? 

3.	 Is your staff aware of the five percent goal for women-owned small businesses? 

4.	 Have any outreach/communications/assistance programs for women-owned 

businesses been tried in the past but have been discontinued? 

5.	 Are there any outreach programs in other federal agencies that you believe are 

effective? 

6.	 Is a factor in staff performance ratings, the attainment of small business goals? 

Most of the conversations with women business owners included the following questions: 

1.	 Why and how did you become involved in federal contracting? 

2.	 What programs/ OSDBU initiatives, either past or present, were the most helpful 

to your business success? 

3.	 Which initiatives, policies, or programs do you think should be encouraged? 

4.	 Can you identify any policies or programs that were “barriers” to your entry to 

federal contracting? 

5.	 How did you overcome these barriers? 

Throughout the interview process, OSDBUs and women business owners identified 

success strategies for government contracting and ways to overcome challenges faced by 

women-owned small businesses. In addition, those interviewed were asked to identify 

the “best practices” used by OSDBU offices to assist women business owners in 

contracting with their agencies. 

Whenever possible, interviews were conducted directly with the women-owned small 

business specialist in the agency. However, not all agencies have a specific specialist for 

13 
 

 

 

women-owned businesses or have not yet filled the position. In those cases, the Director 

of the agency was interviewed. Also, some of the smaller agencies were not interviewed 

due to the small amount of contracting dollars available to women-owned businesses. 

The analysis is broken down into four major areas of discussion that incorporate the 

questions posed during the report: 1) awareness of the five percent contracting goal for 

women-owned businesses; 2) reporting structure and roles of OSDBU offices; 3) barriers 

and successes identified by women business owners; 4) small business assistance 

programs used by the OSDBU offices. 

Five Percent Contracting Goal for Women-Owned Businesses 

Agency achievement of the five percent women-owned goal dominated many of the 

interviews. Since FY 2000, the percentage of contracts awarded to women-owned 

businesses and the dollar amount of contracting opportunities has increased slowly, 

although the total contracting actions has fluctuated in the past five years. Chart 1 shows 

contracting actions, the dollar amount that those actions represent, and the percent of total 

federal contracts.7 

Chart 1: Federal Contracting Actions, Dollar Amount and Percent for WomenOwned Businesses 

Year Contracting Actions Dollar Amount ($000) 

Percent of Total 

Federal Contracts 

FY 00 403,747 $4,572,563 2.28% 

FY 01 394,881 $5,468,456 2.49% 

FY 02 272,305 $6,826,492 2.90% 

FY 03 595,051 $8,277,298 2.98% 

FY 04 489,572 $9,091,919 3.03% 

* Source: Federal Procurement Data System 

Appendix B includes a chart that illustrates the latest government statistics for FY 04 

with regard to the federal contracting goals for women-owned small businesses across all 

federal agencies.8

 The statistics, which are self-reported by the agencies, can be found at: 

https://www.fpds.gov/. 

Contracting numbers for women-owned businesses could be impacted by the lack of 

implementation of Public Law 106-554, which would permit contracting officers to 

restrict competition for eligible women-owned businesses.9 OSDBUs and women 

7

 Federal Procurement Data System. https://www.fpds.gov/ 8

 “Small Business Goaling Report FY 2004” Federal Procurement Data System https://www.fpds.gov/. 9

 This is true for women business owners who are not members of the 8(a) program, given that women 

business owners may be eligible for such program and, therefore, would already enjoy competition
 

restricted to 8(a) participants. 

14 
 

 

 

business owners interviewed stated the importance of a federal agency restricting 

competition to women-owned businesses. 

Federal agencies, that are charged with meeting the five percent goal for women- owned 

businesses, lack effective tools, such as restricted competition, to award contracts to 

women-owned businesses. While restricted competition or sole source contracts are 

allowed for other categories of businesses, no such tools are available for women-owned 

businesses. 

Among the agencies interviewed, ten out of a total of twenty-six agencies had achieved 

the five percent contracting goal in FY 04. The following graph, Chart 2, shows the 

breakdown of agencies according to their contracting numbers for women-owned 

businesses, according to the Federal Procurement Data System.10 

Chart 2: Women-Owned Business Contracting by Agency 

Agency 

FY 04 Women-Owned Business 

Achievement by percent (5% goal) 

Air Force N/A 

Army 3.7 

Commerce 13.85 

Defense 2.68 

Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) 4.2 

Education 1.16 

Energy 0.56 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 3.26 

General Services Administration 3.58 

Health and Human Services 5.65 

Homeland Security 6.95 

Housing and Urban Development 30.24 

Interior 9.36 

Justice 3.7 

Labor 6.87 

NASA 2.29 

Navy N/A 

Smithsonian 5.22 

State 6.37 

Transportation 3.83 

Transportation Security Administration N/A 

Treasury 4.93 

US Army Corps 5.6 

US Department of Agriculture 6.17 

USAID 0.31 

Veterans Administration 3.64 

*Source: Federal Procurement Data System 

10 FY 04The United States Air Force, Navy, and Transportation Security Administration were interviewed 

for this report, but did not have FY 04 procurement data available. 

15 
 

The following pie chart illustrates the percentage of agencies interviewed that reached or 

surpassed the agency woman-owned business goal of five percent of all federal contracts 

in FY 2004.11 As the chart indicates, thirty-four percent of all agencies interviewed 

achieved the five percent goal. An additional nine percent of agencies interviewed 

surpassed the five percent goal and awarded at least ten percent of contracts from their 

agency to women-owned businesses. However, the remaining fifty-seven percent of 

agencies interviewed failed to meet the five percent goal. In fact, twenty-two percent of 

the agencies interviewed awarded less than three percent of contracts to women-owned 

small businesses. 

Performance of Agencies Interviewed with
 

Regard to Women-Owned Federal Contracting 

FY 04
 

Greater than 10% 

Greater than 5% 

Less than 5% 

Less than 3% 

9% 

34% 

35% 

22% 

In interviews conducted as part of this study, the participants agreed that implementation 

of Public Law 106-554 would greatly assist agencies in meeting the five percent goal for 

women-owned companies. The women business owners interviewed did not believe the 

government has the necessary incentives to do business with women-owned companies. 

Failure to implement the women’s contracting program is one of the barriers to federal 

contracting identified by these women business owners. 

OSDBU and their Reporting Structure 

One of the major themes reported throughout the interviews with OSDBU staff is the 

general lack of budget and staff to properly assist all of the small businesses that request 

their help. Due to the overwhelming number of small businesses who want to do 

business with the government, OSDBU offices are generally understaffed. The sheer 

volume of calls and emails overwhelms most OSDBU offices and inhibits their ability to 

effectively monitor small business contracts or provide in-depth assistance. Womenowned business advocates within the OSDBU offices, in many cases, do not have a 

11 See Footnote 9. 

16 
 

budget. This severely impacts outreach efforts with women’s businesses and 

organizations representing them. 

When interviewing the OSDBUs, it became clear that the perceived mission of the 

OSDBU offices varies among the agencies. Some see it as a policy mission with primary 

responsibility for counting small business award numbers and reviewing subcontracting, 

while others see their primary mission as providing small businesses a gateway to the 

agency. In addition, all the agencies are set up in vastly different ways according to the 

structure and procurement culture of the particular agency. 

Reporting makes a difference. The statute establishing the OSDBU offices directs the 

offices to report to the Director/Secretary of the agency. However, in reality, many of the 

OSDBUs do not report to the head of the agency. The OSDBUs talked about the 

necessity of engaging the head of the agency in a directive to achieve small business 

goals. It is the perception of both the OSDBUs and the women business owners that the 

effectiveness of the OSDBU in influencing the agency’s procurement activities is 

severely hampered by low visibility and minimal authority within that particular agency. 

In addition, a number of OSDBUs expressed concern regarding the buyers in the agency 

and their knowledge of the contracting requirements under the Small Business Act. 

Many of the OSDBUs expressed a need to provide necessary training to program 

managers and contracting officers with regard to small business requirements. 

The divergence in mission and influence within an agency provides some confusion to 

women business owners when seeking to work with the OSDBUs. Women business 

owners are often looking for a one-stop shop for information on federal procurement 

while the OSDBU may be consumed with the agency policy with regard to small 

business goals. 

Barriers and Successes Identified by Women-Owned Businesses 

Experiences in federal contracting varied widely among the women business owners 

interviewed. Due to the complexity of the federal government market, women business 

owners identified a number of barriers and offered advice on becoming successful federal 

contractors. The experienced women contractors expressed frustration with the varying 

degrees of knowledge among federal procurement officials. 

One challenge identified by the group was that procurement support services among 

regional SBA offices vary greatly. Many believe that the procurement assistance at SBA 

regional offices needs to be strengthened. Both the OSDBUs and the women business 

owners expressed concern over the shortage of Procurement Center Representatives 

(PCRs). 

The PCR program, under the Small Business Administration, is charged with increasing 

the small business share of Federal procurement awards by initiating small business setasides, reserving procurements for competition among small business firms; providing 

17 
small business sources to Federal buying activities; and counseling small firms. 

Currently, there are fifty-eight individuals with PCR responsibilities that operate from 

SBA procurement area offices and federal buying centers around the country. The 

women businesses interviewed emphasized the need for assistance with contracting 

issues, but felt, in many cases, that the assistance was inadequate. The OSDBUs 

expressed frustration over the inability to work closely with PCRs because of the 

insufficient number of PCRs nationwide. 

All of the women business owners agreed that the federal system—whether it was the 

payment and reporting system, obtaining certifications or being awarded a GSA 

Schedule—was complicated and required substantial financial resources to enter the 

federal marketplace. 

The business owners discussed their concern with the federal government with respect 

not only to prime contracting but subcontracting as well. An impression that most 

women shared was that penetrating subcontracting opportunities with prime contractors is 

as difficult as contracting directly with the government. While prime contractors often 

say they cannot find competent women-owned businesses, women businesses feel that 

primes do not bother developing relationships with capable women-owned businesses 

that want to do business with them. 

The women business owners called for better government oversight of subcontracting 

plans and enforcement. “If they list us, they should use us” was a theme the business 

owners used in describing the challenge of working with prime contractors. The women 

business owners interviewed suggested that women-owned businesses would benefit 

from training programs on how to work successfully as subcontractors. Those 

interviewed cited two challenges when subcontracting -- getting the work and getting 

paid on time. In addition, they called for better communication between prime contractors 

and women-owned subcontractors. 

Another challenge for many women business owners is obtaining the 8(a) certification. A 

majority of the women mentioned that a consistent message among government officials 

is that an 8(a) certification is essential to do business with the government. That poses a 

real problem for women who are not minorities or who exceed the personal asset limit set 

by the regulations, which have not been changed since 1989. Absent the implementation 

of the women’s contracting program cited earlier in this report, the most effective small 

business program by which to sole source contracts and restrict competition, is the 8(a) 

program, which uses those techniques as tools to facilitate business development. 

Women business owners interviewed find State and federal certifications to be not only 

burdensome but confusing as well. Since no federal certification for women currently 

exists, women-owned businesses are receiving conflicting advice about which 

certifications are necessary or helpful with respect to federal contracting. 

Another challenge mentioned by women business owners was the complexity of the 

federal accounting and payment system. Small businesses must also learn how to 

18 
 

negotiate the terms of payment and what systems must be put into place in order to get 

paid. One protection cited by the women business owners was the Prompt Payment Act, 

of which many small businesses are unaware. The Prompt Payment Act, 5 C.F.R 1315, 

requires that the Government make payment within 30 days from the date of submission 

of a properly prepared invoice by a contractor. For amounts not paid within the required 

period, the Government is obligated to pay interest at a rate established by the Secretary 

of the Treasury.12 

The women business owners also offered suggestions and success strategies relating to 

federal contracting. They recommended gaining as much knowledge as possible before 

setting up meetings with government procurement officials. In addition, women business 

owners identified persistence and patience as requirements for getting government 

business. Most of the resources necessary to get started in federal contracting are 

available, but many in the women’s business community simply do not know about them. 

Two resources available to women business owners interested in contracting with the 

government can be found at the website run by the National Women’s Business Councilwww.womenbiz.gov - and the OSDBU Council’s website- www.osdbu.gov These two 

sites provide links for all of the agencies and general information needed to get started. 

The Womenbiz.gov site provides practical advice for contracting. 

The women-owned businesses interviewed believe that the OSDBUs performance 

reviews should be dependent on their success with small businesses. The women 

business owners felt that OSDBU offices use conference attendance numbers as the main 

criteria for showing outreach success. They did not feel that numbers alone are an 

effective method of measuring the agencies’ success. The women business owners 

suggested OSDBUs should have qualitative customer satisfaction measurements. One of 

the participants cited a GSA feedback program in existence eight or nine years ago as a 

model. The common thread in all of the conversations with business owners was they 

want OSDBU offices to be more proactive in helping women-owned businesses find 

procurement opportunities. 

In addition to the small business programs sponsored by the OSDBUs, women business 

owners also identified their involvement in organizations outside of the federal 

government as an important component of their success. High on their list of helpful 

organizations were women’s business organizations. They cited networking 

opportunities and procurement programs as key to their success. Women’s business 

organizations produced referrals, sales opportunities, and assistance in developing 

relationships with government buyers. 

12 Federal Register: September 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 188) Rules and Regulations 

Page 52579-52594 from the "Federal Register Online" 

19 
OSDBU Small Business Assistance Programs 

A number of successful small business assistance programs were identified by the 

OSDBU offices and echoed by women business owners. The following graph shows the 

five most widely used small business assistance programs and the percentage of the 

OSDBU offices interviewed that use them to assist women-owned businesses. 

OSDBU Small Business Assistance Programs 

50% 

88% 

73% 

38% 

77% 

0% 

20% 

40% 

60% 

80% 

100% 

Mentor Vendor One-on-One Conferences Special 

Protégé Outreach Counseling for WOBs or Training for 

Sessions Special WOBs 

Sessions for 

WOBs 

As the graph above illustrates, the most widely utilized program is one-on-one counseling 

with eighty-eight percent of OSDBU offices offering this service at the request of small 

businesses. Vendor Outreach Sessions were also widely used by OSDBU offices with 

seventy-seven percent of offices offering these sessions. In addition, forty-six percent of 

offices interviewed offered special Vendor Outreach sessions specifically geared toward 

women-owned businesses. 

Seventy-three percent of the OSDBUs interviewed have a special women-owned business 

session at their small business conferences, or host a separate conference for womenowned companies. Fifty percent of OSDBU offices offer Mentor Protégé programs. 

Lastly, thirty-eight percent of the agencies interviewed hold special training events for 

women-owned business. 

OSDBUs generally define success by the number of persons they are able to reach. Thus, 

the OSDBU offices tend to focus on conference participation in order to reach a greater 

volume of companies with their information, rather than calculating businesses directly 

assisted. All of the agencies that were interviewed attend small business conferences 

sponsored by women-owned business organizations and other small business 

organizations. This is by far the most common outreach activity. However, because of 

limited budgets, most OSDBU offices cannot host their own women-owned small 

business conference. Instead, OSDBUs offer special sessions at their conferences to 

20 
women-owned businesses rather than devoting a whole conference to women-owned 

businesses. 

OSDBUs suggested many other small business and women-owned programs that they 

would like to institute if they had access to additional resources. For example, many 

agencies commented that they would be able to attend more conferences and participate 

in additional regional outreach events if they had available funds. Ilene Waggoner, Small 

Business Advocate, Department of Homeland Security OSDBU, noted that Vendor 

Outreach Sessions and other training events would be extremely helpful to small 

businesses if they could take place in areas outside of Washington, DC. She stated, “If 

we had more staff and unlimited budget, we would really like to do Vendor Outreach 

Sessions in different areas of the country.” 

Lastly, the OSDBU Interagency Council, in cooperation with small business 

representatives, prepared a code of expectations which is important for both small 

businesses and agency advocates to understand. The document, entitled “Model Code of 

Expectations between Federal Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

and Small Businesses,” explicitly states what small businesses can expect from OSDBU 

offices and, conversely, what OSDBUs can expect small businesses to do to prepare for 

meetings with agency officials. This is an important tool that both the OSDBUs and 

women business owners can use to fully prepare themselves for a successful experience 

in federal contracting. The full text of the code is included in Appendix C and at the 

following site: http://www.osdbu.gov/Assets/PDF/Best%20Practices.pdf. 

21 
 

 

 

Findings: Best Practices Used By OSDBUs To Assist WomenOwned Businesses 

In many cases, agencies do not have specific programs geared toward women-owned 

businesses but rather offer programs that include the broader category of small business. 

The following programs, based on interviews and research, were found to the most 

effective small business programs utilized by the OSDBUs. 

1. Vendor Outreach Sessions: Vendor Outreach Sessions provide a forum for small 

businesses to meet with Small Business Specialists or program officials in a series of prearranged 15-minute appointments. These sessions provide the small business community 

an opportunity to discuss their capabilities and learn of potential procurement 

opportunities in a one-on-one forum. Some agencies refer to them as match making 

sessions, but the purpose of the meetings are the same. In total, seventy-seven percent of 

agencies interviewed conducted vendor outreach sessions. A total of forty-six percent of 

agencies interviewed conducted vendor outreach sessions geared specifically toward 

women business owners. The Vendor Outreach Session schedule can be found on 

OSDBU websites of participating agencies. 

"Vendor outreach sessions have been very popular because it gives face time with 

[officials] in a buying activity, on the operations side....We have folks from our 

contracting offices, and often from our program offices, at our vendor outreach 

sessions. We also conduct vendor outreach sessions focusing on women-owned 

businesses." Sherry Cohen, Program Analyst Women-Owned Business, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture 

2. Teleconferencing: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses teleconferencing 

as a tool to reach out to small businesses who want to do business with the Department. 

Realizing that small businesses find travel expensive, the VA has chosen technology as a 

way to effectively reach out to small businesses. By utilizing partnerships with 

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) and Small Business Development 

Centers (SBDC), the VA has the capabilities to bring valuable information to a larger 

group of people. Since PTACs and SBDCs are typically housed within a university, the 

centers already have the technological capability needed for a teleconference. 

“We also now offer, because we have the video conferencing technology, those 

same sessions that are offered through the Small Business Development Centers 

and the Procurement Technical Assistance Centers around the country. One of 

the big issues is people in Washington have so much more knowledge and 

opportunities. So, this allows a small business in Kansas City, St. Louis or 

Pueblo, Colorado, to get the same information." Scott Denniston, Director, U.S. 

Department of Veterans Administration 

22 
 

 

 

 

3. Regional Training and Conferences: While most federal buyers are located in 

Washington, DC, the same is not true of small businesses. Small businesses, located 

nationwide, should not be required to travel to Washington, DC to receive contracting 

assistance. One way to address this geographic concern is to establish small business 

training seminars at regional offices as the General Services Administration (GSA) has 

done. These sessions allow the GSA to disseminate information to a wider range of small 

businesses. Regional SBA offices and GSA offices work together to support regional 

conferences and contracting assistance to small businesses to allow businesses to 

concentrate on opportunities in their local area as well as to save on the expense of 

traveling. 

“Our regional offices host outreach events, and they also participate in many of 

the outreach [events] that are sponsored by other organizations. I usually 

participate in the bigger conferences, like those offered through WIPP, WBENC, 

and also NAWBO organizations. I also team up with some of our regional 

counterparts and go out and either speak or exhibit and talk to the women 

business owners at their events.” Liz Ivey, Women-Owned Small Business 

Program Manager, U.S. General Services Administration 

4. Small Business Advisory Committees: Some agencies, such as the GSA and the 

Department of Energy, have established Small Business Advisory Committees (SBAC) 

to provide recommendations to the leaders of the agency on how to improve small 

business utilization. These committees are comprised of individual member selected 

based on their experience in the small business community or as experts and advocates 

for their program area. Small Business Advisory Committees, such as GSA’s, conduct 

two or more meetings per year in Washington, DC and elsewhere around the country. 

The GSA’s SBAC was created by a charter filed with Congress on August 29, 2005. The 

mission of the GSA Small Business Advisory Committee is: “to provide 

recommendations to the Associate Administrator for Small Business Utilization that will 

allow GSA to advance and improve its small business procurement program.”13 

5. Conferences and Tradeshows: Many conferences, tradeshows, and educational 

seminars aid small businesses in selling their products or services to the federal 

government. Some Congressional offices even host procurement or vendor sessions for 

established and potential small businesses. In addition, most agencies host their own 

small business opportunity fairs/seminars. The largest interagency fair is the OSDBU 

Procurement Conference held in April in Washington, DC each year which can be found 

at: www.osdbu.gov. Virtually every agency is represented at this small business 

conference and special programs for women-owned are offered. 

Small businesses can gain significant insight on agency buying practices and valuable 

contacts by attending conferences hosted by specific agencies. A word of caution--small 

businesses should choose one or two agency conferences to attend based on the federal 

agencies they are targeting. Look for conferences that have a portion of their agenda 

devoted to women-owned businesses, such as the Department of Energy’s small business 

13 U.S. General Services Administration’s Small Business Advisory Committee website: ww.gsa.gov/sbac. 

23 
 

conference or women-owned agency conferences, such as DOD and DISA. Attending 

conferences can be costly for a small business but, chosen wisely, can provide critical 

information and expand contacts. 

All twenty-six agencies interviewed participate in conferences sponsored by womenowned business organizations. Because of a lack of budget most agencies are not able to 

sponsor their own conference dedicated solely to women business owners. To combat 

this obstacle, many OSDBUs hold joint conferences for women or dedicate a portion of 

their annual conference specifically to women business owners. 

“And the other thing that we're finding more and more is the opportunity to join 

efforts of other agencies. If I can piggyback and partner with another federal 

agency--for example HHS and Homeland Security are holding a conference in 

San Diego, February 21st- well, if we can participate and be at their conference 

for a certain number of dollars, we can participate in a greater number of 

conferences. And we've done this in the past with Energy. Energy puts on a 

national conference and we pay to cosponsor with Energy. GSA has put on a 

conference in Albuquerque on American Indian and Alaskan Natives, and we’ve 

partnered with them and contributed money toward the cost of the conference.” 

Robert Faithful, OSDBU Director, U.S. Department of the Interior 

6. Mentor Protégé Program: The mentor protégé program is designed to motivate and 

encourage large business prime contractor firms to provide mutually beneficial 

developmental assistance to small business, veteran-owned small business, servicedisabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged 

business and women-owned small business concerns. The program is also designed to: 

•	 improve the performance of contracts and subcontracts, 

•	 foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between 

large prime contractors and small business subcontractors, and 

•	 strengthen subcontracting opportunities and accomplishments through incentives. 

Typically, mentor protégé programs provide incentives to mentor firms (prime 

contractors with active subcontracting plans) for entering into agreements with protégé 

firms (small businesses). Mentor protégé agreements can be very beneficial to the success 

of a small business because they can cross-market to the federal government with the 

mentor firm. In addition, small businesses can respond to larger Requests For Proposals 

because of the involvement of the large firm. In some cases, mentors also provide 

beneficial in-kind assistance, such as shared office space and staff infrastructure, to the 

protégé firm. Not all agencies have a mentor protégé program but the SBA Mentor 

Protégé agreement can be used for all agencies. 

A total of thirteen out of the twenty-six agencies interviewed offered mentor protégé 

programs. 

24 
7. One-on-One Counseling: One-on-one meetings are used by many agencies but are 

not necessarily the most effective way of disseminating information, simply because 

there is not enough time to meet with every small business that would like to schedule a 

meeting. Although the study shows that eighty-eight percent of agencies interviewed 

offer this service, this statistic does not reflect the total number of businesses that are able 

to take advantage of this particular outreach. One-on-one counseling is much more 

effective with small businesses that have a focused marketing plan and need help from 

the small business office to reach appropriate program officials within the agency or 

information about upcoming procurement opportunities. Companies just starting federal 

marketing should utilize resources such as SBA regional offices that can provide basic 

information with respect to federal contracting before requesting a one-on-one meeting 

with an agency. 

25 
Agency Small Business Assistance Program and Outreach Matrix 

The charts on the following three pages depict small business assistance programs and 

outreach activities that are offered at the twenty-six OSDBU offices that were 

interviewed for this report. The data was compiled through face-to-face interviews as 

well as follow-up questionnaires. It represents a detailed description of the statistics 

presented in the analysis and findings. 

Chart 3: Agency Program Matrix 

Agency WOB POC (as of 5/06) 

Agency hosts 

Vendor 

Outreach 

Sessions 

Vendor 

Outreach 

Sessions for 

Women-Owned 

Businesses only 

Agency 

participates in 

SBA's Match 

Making 

Sessions 

Air Force Marcia Haynes No No Yes 

Army Nancy Small Yes No Yes 

Commerce La Juene Desmukes No No Yes 

Defense Lee Renna No No yes 

Defense Information Systems 

Agency (DISA) Nicole Lewis Yes No No 

Education Melanie Carter Yes No Yes 

Energy Meagan Vargas Yes Yes Yes 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) Cassandra Freeman Yes Yes Yes 

General Services Administration Liz Ivey Yes Yes Yes 

Health and Human Services Arthuretta Martin Yes No Yes 

Homeland Security Angela Williams Yes Yes Yes 

Housing and Urban Development Judith Stackhouse Yes No Yes 

Interior LaVanna Stevenson Yes Yes Yes 

Justice Ramona Johnson-Glover Yes Yes Yes 

Labor Frederick Trakowski Yes No No 

NASA Shirley Perez Yes No Yes 

Navy Oreta Stinson No No Yes 

Smithsonian Rudy Watley No No No 

State Trish Culbreth No Yes Yes 

Transportation Pat Hodge Yes Yes Yes 

Transportation Security 

Administration Anthony Bell Yes Yes Yes 

Treasury Renee Fitzgerald Yes Yes Yes 

US Army Corps Karen Baker Yes No Yes 

US Department of Agriculture Sherry Cohen Yes Yes Yes 

USAID Tracy Scrivner Yes Yes Yes 

Veterans Administration Linda Sitney Yes No Yes 
Agency Small Business Assistance Program and Outreach Matrix 

Agency 

Agency hosts Conferences 

for WOSB only or provides 

Special Sessions for WOSB 

at the Conference 

Agency Attends 

and participates 

in WOSB 

Conferences 

Agency Provides 

Special Training 

Sessions for WomenOwned Small 

Businesses Only 

Air Force Yes Yes Yes 

Army Yes Yes Yes 

Commerce Yes Yes Yes 

Defense Yes Yes Yes 

Defense Information Systems 

Agency (DISA) Yes Yes No 

Education No Yes No 

Energy Yes Yes Yes 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) Yes Yes Yes 

General Services Administration Yes Yes No 

Health and Human Services Yes Yes No 

Homeland Security Yes Yes No 

Housing and Urban Development Yes Yes No 

Interior Yes Yes No 

Justice No Yes No 

Labor Yes Yes Yes 

NASA No Yes No 

Navy Yes Yes No 

Smithsonian No Yes No 

State No Yes No 

Transportation Yes Yes Yes 

Transportation Security 

Administration Yes Yes No 

Treasury Yes Yes No 

US Army Corps Yes Yes No 

US Department of Agriculture Yes Yes Yes 

USAID No Yes Yes 

Veterans Administration No Yes No 
Agency Small Business Assistance Program and Outreach Matrix 

Agency 

Agency provides One on 

One Counseling for WomenOwned Small Businesses 

Agency provides 

Women-Owned 

Small Businesses 

Introductions to 

Program 

Managers when 

Appropriate 

FY 04 WomenOwned Business 

Achievement by 

percent (5% goal) 

Air Force Yes Yes N/A 

Army Yes Yes 3.7 

Commerce Yes Yes 13.85 

Defense Yes Yes 2.68 

Defense Information Systems 

Agency (DISA) Yes Yes 4.2 

Education Yes Yes 1.16 

Energy Yes Yes 0.56 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) Yes Yes 3.26 

General Services Administration Yes Yes 3.58 

Health and Human Services Yes Yes 5.65 

Homeland Security Yes No 6.95 

Housing and Urban Development Yes Yes 30.24 

Interior Yes Yes 9.36 

Justice No Yes 3.7 

Labor Yes Yes 6.87 

NASA Yes Yes 2.29 

Navy No No N/A 

Smithsonian No Yes 5.22 

State Yes Yes 6.37 

Transportation Yes Yes 3.83 

Transportation Security 

Administration Yes Yes N/A 

Treasury Yes Yes 4.93 

US Army Corps Yes Yes 5.6 

US Department of Agriculture Yes Yes 6.17 

USAID Yes Yes 4.05 

Veterans Administration Yes Yes 3.64 

28 
IV. Recommendations 

29 
 

 

Recommendations 

1.	 Public Law 106-554 Should Be Implemented. It was the general view of the 

OSDBUs and women business owners interviewed that implementation of this 

law is important to the greater success of women businesses in the federal 

marketplace. Without this program, attainment of the five percent woman-owned 

business goal government-wide is harder to obtain. 

2.	 OSDBUs Should Report to the Secretary or Agency Head. According to a 

2003 Government Accounting Office (GAO) report, only one-half of the OSDBU 

Directors report to the Agency Head or Deputy Head as required in section 

15(k)(3) of the Small Business Act.14 The agencies with the strongest 

procurement programs for small business have support from the Secretary or 

Deputy Secretary level. Without access to policy makers within the agency, 

OSDBU Directors have limited credibility to advocate on behalf of small 

businesses with regard to policy or procurement decisions. 

3.	 OSDBUs Require Adequate Budgets. Some OSDBUs have no budget—not 

even for cab fare to get to a small business conference. Without a budget, 

OSDBU offices are severely hampered in their ability to generate effective 

outreach programs for women-owned businesses. 

4.	 Small Business Procurement Training for Agency Staff is Needed. With the 

shrinking acquisition workforce, knowledge of small business procurement issues 

is often overlooked.15 Every agency should task its OSDBU office with 

providing necessary training to program managers and contracting officers with 

regard to small business requirements. 

5.	 Every Agency Should Institute a Small Business Advisory Committee. Small 

Business Advisory Committees provide valuable “Real World” advice and 

guidance. Whether official or informal, they can assist OSDBU offices by 

providing a pipeline to small business owners and the organizations that represent 

them. Advisory committees provide the agency with procurement policy 

recommendations as well as outreach to the small business community. 

6.	 The Small Business Administration Should Play a Stronger Role. The Office 

of Federal Contract Assistance for Women Business Owners (CAWBO), a 

program office within the SBA, provides a critical forum for Women-Owned 

Business Advocates within the agencies. CAWBO should bring together women 

business advocates from many agencies to discuss best practices and strategies for 

increasing federal contracts going to women-owned businesses. CAWBO should 

14 GAO Report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, U.S. Senate. “Small and 

Disadvantaged Businesses: Some Agencies’ Advocates Do Not Report to the Required Management 

Level.” GAO-03-863. September 2003 

15 GAO Report to Congressional Committees. “Acquisition Workforce: Department of Defense’s Plans to 

Address Workforce Size and Structure Problems.” GAO-02-630. April 2002 

30 
expand its forum to include women-owned advocates at major installations and 

coordinate special events for women-owned businesses at federal agency 

sponsored small business conferences. 

7.	 Regional Outreach and Training for Small Businesses Needs to be 

Strengthened. While most federal buyers are located in Washington, the same is 

not true of small businesses. Small businesses, located nationwide, should not 

find it necessary to travel to Washington, DC to receive contracting assistance. 

Agencies should utilize technology tools such as video conferencing and training. 

Regional SBA offices and GSA offices should work together to support regional 

conferences and contracting assistance to small businesses. 

8.	 Subcontracting Assistance Is Necessary. Women business owners, while 

generally preferring prime contracts over subcontracts, find subcontracting to be 

an essential part of their overall business strategy. They experience many of the 

same barriers to subcontracting as prime contracting. Access to buyers, access to 

sufficient capital and ability to respond to proposals dominate the need for 

assistance. 

9.	 National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) Should Continue to Provide 

Updated Information on Federal Contracting Through www.WomenBiz.gov. 

One of the frustrations small business owners express is the vast amount of webbased information on federal agency websites. A federal resource page which 

provides critical links and contacts for women-owned businesses would be 

extremely helpful to these businesses. It is critical that this site be updated 

regularly, in a timely manner, with input from the OSDBU and women-owned 

business community. 

31 
V. Other Resources for Women Business Owners 

32 
Procurement Technical Assistance Centers 

Authorized by Congress in 1985, the Procurement Technical Assistance Program was 

formed in an effort to expand the number of businesses capable of working with state, 

local and federal government agencies. Administered by the Department of Defense’s 

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the program provides matching funds through 

cooperative agreements with state and local governments and non-profit organizations for 

the establishment of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) to provide 

procurement assistance. 

PTACs come in many different sizes and shapes, reflecting the needs, priorities, and 

resources of the areas they serve. Some PTACs are administered directly by state 

governments, while others partner with universities, community colleges, local economic 

development corporations or other local institutions. Many are affiliated in some way 

with Small Business Development Centers and other small business programs. All 

PTACs are staffed with counselors experienced in government contracting and provide a 

wide range of services including classes and seminars, individual counseling and easy 

access to bid opportunities, contract specifications, procurement histories, and other 

information necessary to successfully compete for government contracts. 

PTACs are designed to be a source of information and guidance for businesses interested 

in doing business with the federal government. Ninety-three PTACs around the country 

form a nationwide network of dedicated procurement professionals. Their stated mission 

is to provide businesses with an understanding of the requirements of government 

contracting and the tools to obtain and successfully perform federal, state and local 

government contracts. 

PTACs provide this service, in most cases, free of charge through one-on-one counseling, 

classes, seminars, and matchmaking events. The following is a list of areas through 

which PTACs can help businesses navigate: 

• Determining Suitability for Contracting 

• Securing Necessary Registrations 

• SDB, 8(a), HUBZone and other certifications 

• Researching Procurement Histories 

• Networking 

• Identifying Bid Opportunities 

• Proposal Preparation 

• Preparing for Audits 

Challenges: Because of limited resources, PTACs do not have a nationally mandated 

women-owned business point of contact or specific programs specifically designed for 

the woman-owned business community. 

Successes: PTACs often interface with Women Business Centers and women’s business 

organizations to provide outreach specific to women’s needs. 

33 
Contract Assistance for Women Business Owners (CAWBO) 

The Office of Federal Contract Assistance for Women Business Owners (CAWBO) was 

established on October 1, 2000 within the SBA. The goal of the office is to increase 

federal contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses and the number of 

women-owned businesses that successfully compete in the federal marketplace. As part 

of SBA’s Reauthorization Act of 2000, the office was given the responsibility of carrying 

out the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Assistance Program. The 

program attempts to close the gap for women-owned small businesses and help federal 

agencies attain their goal of awarding five percent of federal contracting dollars to 

women-owned small businesses. Congress established this program as a tool that the 

agencies may use to help achieve this goal. 

The mission of CAWBO is two-fold: First, it aims to increase federal prime and 

subcontracting dollars awarded to women-owned small businesses. Secondly, it seeks to 

encourage outreach and awareness so that more women-owned businesses take advantage 

of opportunities open to them. 

CAWBO works closely with the major procuring agencies, especially those that have not 

yet achieved the five percent goal, to open up more contracting opportunities to womenowned businesses. The office is also reaching out to small businesses and organizations 

to raise awareness and foster positive relationships. CAWBO is working to improve 

procurement training and practice as well such as mentor protégé programs, teaming and 

subcontracting. 

In 2004, a forum was initiated to bring women-owned business advocates from agencies 

together quarterly to discuss best practices, challenges and solutions. This forum 

provided much needed communication between federal agencies to discuss policies and 

practical solutions faced by OSDBUs. 

34 
 

Women’s Business Centers 

The Women’s Business Center program was established on December 8, 2004 in 

accordance with the Small Business Act of 2004.16 Specifically, Section 29 of the Act 

establishes the formation of non-profit centers to reach women that would not otherwise 

be served. The Administration may provide financial assistance to private non-profit 

organizations to conduct five-year projects for the benefit of small business concerns 

owned and controlled by women. 

In particular, women’s business centers (WBCs) provide financial assistance, including 

training and counseling in how to secure business credit and investment capital, preparing 

and presenting financial statements, managing cash flow, and other financial operations 

of a business. They also assist women in management counseling which includes every 

facet of day-to-day operations of a small business. Additionally, WBCs provide 

marketing assistance, including preparing and executing marketing plans, developing 

pricing strategies, locating contract opportunities, negotiating contracts and utilizing 

varying public relations and advertising techniques. 

All WBCs provide individual business counseling and access to the SBA’s programs and 

services. Many also serve as intermediaries for the SBA’s MicroLoan and Loan 

Prequalification programs. Each WBC tailors its programs to the needs of its 

constituency, which in some instances includes offering bilingual counseling. Some of 

the centers have concentrated on procurement assistance, especially those located in 

Washington, DC metro area. 

Women’s Business Centers are unique providers of entrepreneurial training and support 

services to aspiring women business owners, particularly those who are economically and 

socially disadvantaged. The success of these centers is clear as the majority of clients 

form businesses and maintain connections to the Women’s Business Centers, creating a 

continuous cycle of business connection, mentoring and value. 

For a complete listing of Centers and to find one in your area, please visit the following 

website: http://www.sba.gov/onlinewbc/wbc.pdf 

16 Section 29 of PL 108-447, approved 12/8/04, outlines the details of the Women’s Business Center 

program. The entire bill is available at: http://www.sba.gov/regulations/sbaact/sbaact.html 

35 
 

 

 

 

Online Resources to Help Women-Owned Businesses 

Most of the information that small businesses need to get started can be found 

electronically. Increasingly, more offices are making crucial documents available online 

to accommodate a wider audience. In many instances, it is vital that businesses gather as 

much information as possible before setting up an appointment with an OSDBU small 

business specialist or contracting officer. Below is a list of helpful resources that can 

help put businesses on the right track and provide information needed to run a successful 

business. 

1. http://www.nwbc.gov/ 

2. www.womenbiz.gov 

3. http://www.ccr.gov/ 

4. http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ 

5. http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentId=8106&contentType

 =GSA_OVERVIEW 

6. http://vsc.gsa.gov/ 

7. http://www.arnet.gov/far/ 

8. http://www.sba.gov/financing/special/women.html 

36 
VI. Appendix 

37 
 

 

 

Appendix A: Description of OSDBU Offices 

The following is a detailed list of OSDBU offices within each federal agency. The 

description contains the website, FY 04 Performance for contracts awarded to womenowned businesses and the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Advocates within 

each office. When no WOSB advocate has been identified, the point of contact for the 

office has been named. Information listed below was current as of May, 2006. 

U.S. Air Force 

WOSB Advocate: Marcia Haynes 

Website: http://www.selltoairforce.org
 

Address: 1060 Air Force Pentagon 

 Washington, DC 20330 

Phone: (703) 696-1103 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: N/A 

Mission Statement: The U.S. Air Force’s Small Business Office aims to promote 

outreach and acquisition strategies geared toward small and disadvantaged businesses 

to encourage their participation in Air Force acquisition, procurement and research. 

Organizational Structure of Agency: Small business specialists are located at every 

Air Force base and serve as the executors of the WOSB program. For a complete 

listing of small business specialists near you, please visit: 

http://www.selltoairforce.org/Locator/locator_map.asp 

How the Office Works: The office aims to accomplish its stated goal by partnering 

with small and large businesses, trade associations, other federal agencies and minority 

institutions to provide affordable, effective and sustainable war fighting capabilities. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a women-owned small business advocate. 

•	 Has developed a women-owned small business program designed to encourage 

women-owned businesses to contract with the agency. 

•	 Participates in DOD-sponsored conferences geared toward women-owned 

businesses. 

•	 Provides special training and one-on-one counseling for women-owned 

businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Participates in Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production Program 

(MTAPP) designed to help small manufacturing businesses become more 

38 
____________________________________________________________________ 

competitive and meet the production needs of the Air Force and the Department 

of Defense. 

•	 Offers the mentor-protégé program through the Department of the Air Force. 

•	 Participates in SBIR/STTR, HBCU/MI, SDB, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 

Native American programs. 

•	 Participates in small business conferences. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

Department of the Army 

WOSB Advocate: Nancy Small 

Website: http://sellingtoarmy.com 

Address: 106 Army Pentagon 

 Room 3B514 

Washington, DC 20310 

Phone: (703)693-6114 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: N/A 

Mission Statement: The vision of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business 

Utilization is to establish the Army as the premier organization for the promotion of and 

assistance to small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business 

and Historically Black Colleges and Universities Minority Institutions (HBCU/MIs), 

Veteran Owned and HUBZone. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department of the Army’s organizational chart can 

be found at the following website: http://www.army.mil/organization/. 

How the Office Works: The office seeks to further the goals of the Department of Army 

by promoting procurement through various programs and policies. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has designated a specialist for women-owned businesses to assist in procurement 

for the Army. 

•	 Participates in conferences specifically geared toward women-owned businesses. 

•	 Provides special training and one-on-one counseling for women-owned 

businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Offers a highly effective mentor-protégé program. 

•	 Has identified individual specialists for 8 (a)/SDB, Veteran-owned and service 

disabled, HUBZone and HBCU/MI businesses. 

39 
____________________________________________________________________ 

 

•	 Participates in small business conferences and training sessions for small 

businesses. 

•	 Offers a 13-step tutorial on how to do business with the Army. 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions. 

•	 Participates in SBA match making sessions. 

Department of Commerce 

WOSB Advocate: The Department of Commerce does not have a woman-owned 

small business advocate at this time. 

Point of Contact: La Juene Desmukes 

Website: http://www.osec.doc.gov/osdbu 

Address: 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW

 Room H-6411 

 Washington, DC 20230 

Phone: (202) 482-1472 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 13.85% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

(OSDBU) is responsible for promoting the use of small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), 

women-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned and HUBZone small 

businesses within the U.S. Department of Commerce's (DOC) acquisition process. 

Organizational Structure of the Agency: The Department of Commerce consists of 10 

bureaus or agencies. A full list of offices and small business specialists within each 

agency is located at the following website: http://www.commerce.gov/organization.html 

How the Office Works: The DOC OSDBU serves as a liaison between the small 

business community and the DOC procurement offices. Each agency/bureau under the 

Department of Commerce has a small business specialist. Small business specialists 

specialize in each agency’s procurement process and opportunities. Gives special 

recognition and awards to individuals and bureaus that have made outstanding 

contributions to the success of Commerce's Small Business Program. In addition to its 

procurement assistance within the agency, the DOC is also focused on providing 

exporting opportunities for small businesses through its U.S. Commercial Service 

Division. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has put in place a Memorandum of Understanding with women’s business 

organizations to promote the export of U.S. small business goods and services. 

40 
 

_____________________________________________________________________ 

The point of contact for this program is Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd, Executive 

Director for Global Diversity Initiatives. 

•	 Offers sessions at conferences dedicated to women-owned businesses. 

•	 Provides special training and one-on-one counseling for women-owned 

businesses. 

•	 Participates in conferences geared toward women-owned businesses sponsored 

by other organizations. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses 

•	 Utilizes internet networking opportunities to share information. 

•	 Publishes the annual Forecast of Contract Opportunities which lists upcoming 

procurements. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

Department of Defense 

WOSB Advocate: Lee Renna 

Website: http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/ 

Address: 1777 N. Kent Street 

 Suite 9100 

 Arlington, VA 22209 

Phone: (703) 588-8620 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 2.68% 

Mission Statement: The goal of the Small Business Utilization Office is to advise the 

Secretary of Defense on all small business matters as well as to serve as an advocate for 

small businesses in Defense contracting situations. 

Organizational Structure of Agency: The Department of Defense is composed of 

various Departments including: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, Defense Logistics 

Agency and DISA. When contracting with the Department of Defense, you need to first 

identify the department with which you wish to contract- i.e. Army, Navy etc. Once 

identified, contact the small business specialist within the specific department. 

How the Office Works: This office coordinates outreach to all services and is 

responsible for assisting all branches of the services to reach their small business goals. 

The office provides training for Military Departments, Defense Agencies and 

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) who offer technical assistance to 

small businesses. Each Service maintains its own OSDBU office. 

41 
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Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses 

•	 Maintains an informational website specifically geared toward women-owned 

businesses: www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/wosb/index.htm 

•	 Hosts annual women-owned small business conferences that feature special 

training for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate to direct the women-owned business program 

with the Department of Defense. 

•	 Offers one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Provides a step by step tutorial to contract with the Department of Defense. The 

tutorial can be found at: 

http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/doing_business/DoD_Contracting_Guide.htm 

•	 Participates in small business conferences. 

•	 Showcases the Mentor-Protégé program that seeks to encourage major DoD prime 

contractors (mentors) to develop the technical and business capabilities of small 

disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) and other eligible protégés. 

•	 Participates in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small 

Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs which fund early-stage R&D 

projects at small technology companies. 

•	 Sponsors DOD Regional Councils for Small Business Education and Advocacy 

which are a nationwide network of small business specialists organized to 

promote the National Small Business Programs of the United States. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s match making sessions. 

Defense Information Systems Agency 

WOSB Advocate: Nicole Lewis 

Website: http://www.disa.mil/main/sadbu.html
 

Address: D04, Room 1108B 

 701 South Courthouse Rd

 Arlington, VA 22204 

Phone: (703) 607-6436 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 05 Performance: N/A 

Mission Statement: The DISA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business 

Utilization (SADBU) advises the Director of DISA on small business matters, and 

represents the Agency before Congress, the Office Secretary of Defense (OSD), and 

other agencies in accordance with the mission of DISA. The office of Small and 

Disadvantaged Business Utilization of DISA 

42 
 

 

 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

Organizational Structure: For a complete breakdown of DISA, please visit: 

http://www.disa.mil/main/disaorga.html 

How the Office Works: The SADBU office participates and monitors the DISA 

acquisition process, and develops and monitors the disadvantaged business program 

to ensure that small business, women-owned, small disadvantaged business concerns 

and Historically Black Colleges, Universities, and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI's) 

receive a fair portion of DISA contract awards. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate within DISA 

•	 Hosts a Small Business Conference geared for women-owned businesses. 

Offers additional listing of small business conferences on website. 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Provides introductions to program managers when appropriate. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Hosts monthly vendor outreach sessions. 

•	 Participates in SBIR/STTR, HBCU/MI, SDB, Veteran-Owned, and WomenOwned Programs 

Department of Education 

WOSB Advocate: Melanie Carter 

Website: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ods/osdbu.html 

Address: 550 12th Street, SW

 Washington, DC 20024 

Phone: (202) 245-6004 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 1.16% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

(OSDBU) aims to assist in small business growth and development by lending its 

specialized services to the small business community. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department of Education is broken down into three 

main branches under which the offices of program operate. For a complete list of office 

structure, please visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/index.html 

43 
 

____________________________________________________________________ 

 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU office establishes and maintains ties with the 

business community, other Federal Agencies including the General Services 

Administration and Small Business Administration, and educational institutions that will 

aid in the achievement of Departmental goals. The Department of Education awards 

mostly grants, rather than direct procurements. For information on the grant process go 

to: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/grants/grants.html 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate who plans, directs and administers the 

Department of Education Small, Disadvantaged and Women-Owned Business 

Program. 

•	 Attends and participates in conferences sponsored by women-owned business 

organization. 

•	 Offers one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

 Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s match making sessions. 

•	 The Dept. of Education’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program. 

SBIR is a highly competitive program that encourages small business to explore 

their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its 

commercialization. 

Department of Energy 

WOSB advocate: Meagan Vargas 

Website: http://smallbusiness.doe.gov/index.html 

Address: 1000 Independence Ave., SW

 Room 5B148 

 Washington, DC 20585 

Phone: (202) 586-0199 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 0.56% 

Mission Statement: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is committed to increasing 

the contracting opportunities awarded to small and disadvantaged businesses. The Office 

of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is responsible for 

administering this program by establishing goals, promulgating policy and developing 

practices and programs aimed at encouraging and increasing small business participation 

in departmental procurement opportunities. The mission of the OSDBU is to serve as the 

agency's focal point for small businesses interested in doing business with the DOE. 

44 
 

____________________________________________________________________ 

Organization of the Agency: Much of the DOE contracting is done through 21 prime 

contractors also known as Maintenance and Operations (M&O) contractors. These 

primes manage the national labs. Relatively little small business contracting is done with 

the DOE directly. A full list including contact information can be accessed at 

http://professionals.pr.doe.gov/ma5/ma-5web.nsf/business/doe+MO+contractors 

How the Office Works: To the extent possible the OSDBU office assists small business 

in identifying prime and subcontracting opportunities available for small business. 

Among their many activities, the OSDBU office: 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has established a women-owned business initiative and has appointed an 

advocate solely for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Devotes a portion of the programming at the DOE annual small business 

conference to women-owned businesses. 

•	 Participates in conferences aimed at women-owned businesses. 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions, some specifically geared toward women-owned 

businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Sponsors a mentor-protégé program to link experienced large business mentors 

with developing small business protégé. 

•	 Has implemented an 8(a) Pilot Program to 1) target 8(a) businesses for DOE 

procurement opportunities at the subcontract level; 2) to allow flexibility to 

DOE's major prime contractors in awarding subcontracts to 8(a) business 

concerns; and 3) to create additional ways for 8(a) businesses to access 

contracting opportunities. 

•	 Sponsors a national Small Business Conference that brings together members of 

the small business community including association representatives, government 

leaders and individual business owners for business expos, plenary sessions and 

matchmaking forums. 

•	 Has created a small business advisory board to monitor small business policies 

and programs. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

•	 Offers mentor-protégé program. 

45 
 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

WOSB Advocate: Cassandra Freeman 

Website: http://www.epa.gov/osdbu/ 

Address: 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

 Mail Code 1230N 

 Washington, DC 20460 

Phone: (202) 564-0928 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 3.75% 

Mission Statement: The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office 

of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is to support the protection of the 

environment and human health by fostering opportunities for partnerships, contracts, subagreements, and grants for small and socioeconomically disadvantaged businesses. 

Organization of the Agency: The EPA is broken down into 12 sub-agencies that can be 

found at the following website: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/organization.htm. 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU office seeks to accomplish the mission by 

developing policy and procedures designed to obtain direct procurement and 

subcontracting goals for various groups including Small Business, Small Disadvantaged 

Business, 8(a), Women-Owned Businesses, Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small 

Business, Veteran-Owned Small Business, and HUBZone Business. For a complete list 

of small business specialists within the agency, visit: 

http://www.epa.gov/osdbu/resource.htm 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Small Businesses: 

•	 Sponsors sessions at their annual conference for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Participates in conferences geared toward women-owned businesses sponsored by 

other organizations. 

•	 Provides special training and one-on-one training for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Offers vendor outreach sessions, some specifically geared toward women-owned 

businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Compiles, collects, and assembles statistical data on socioeconomic programs 

•	 Offers a mentor-protégé program 

•	 Participates in various educational training programs such as workshops, 

Seminars, and Trade Fairs 

•	 Participates in SBA’s match making sessions. 

46 
 

General Services Administration 

WOSB Advocate: Liz Ivey 

Website: http://www.gsa.gov/sbu 

Address: 1800 F Street, NW

 Room 6029 

 Washington, DC 20405 

Phone: (202) 501-1021 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 3.58% 

Mission Statement: GSA’s Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU) advocates for 

small, minority, veteran, HUBZone, and women business owners. Its mission is to 

promote increased access to GSA’s nationwide procurement opportunities. 

The OSBU office monitors and implements small business policies and manages a range 

of programs aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial opportunities, opening doors to new 

business horizons and enhancing technological capabilities. 

Organizational Structure of Agency: GSA consists of the Federal Technology Service 

(FTS), the Federal Supply Service (FSS), the Public Buildings Service (PBS), and 

various Staff Offices, including the Office of Government-wide Policy (OGP). Eleven 

Regional Offices extend GSA’s outreach to federal customers nationwide. 

How the Office Works: OSDBU’s outreach activities make it possible for the small 

business community to meet key contracting experts and be counseled on the 

procurement process. Business activities are supported by program experts at GSA 

headquarters, through Small Business Utilization Centers in 11 Regional Offices, and by 

small business technical advisors in the GSA National Office. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has appointed a women-owned business advocate. 

•	 Participates in conferences geared toward women-business owners sponsored by 

other organizations. 

•	 Dedicates a portion of small business conference for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions, some specifically geared toward women-owned 

businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Hosts procurement networking sessions. 

•	 Hosts marketing strategies and techniques workshops. 

•	 Publishes the annual 'Forecast of Contract Opportunities' which lists upcoming 

procurements. 

•	 Offers electronic commerce/electronic data interchange training sessions. 

47 
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•	 Hosts interagency networking breakfasts to exchange pertinent information 

regarding small business procurement. 

•	 Sponsors “Get it Right” Seminars to ensure the proper use of GSA contracting 

vehicles and services and improve excellence in acquisition. 

•	 Utilizes roundtable events. 

•	 Hosts procurement conferences. 

Department of Health and Human Services 

WOSB Advocate: Arthuretta Martin 

Website: http://www.hhs.gov/osdbu/ 

Address: 200 Independence Avenue, SW 

Room 360G, Hubert H. Humphrey Building 

Phone: (202) 690-7235 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 5.65% 

Mission Statement: HHS' Small and Disadvantaged Business Program is designed to 

ensure that small businesses, including disadvantaged, veteran-owned and servicedisabled veteran-owned, HUBZone and women-owned businesses, have an equitable 

opportunity to participate in HHS' procurement programs and that they receive a fair 

share of resulting contract awards. 

Organization of the Agency: There are 12 agencies under the umbrella of the 

Department of Health and Human Services. A full list can be accessed at the following 

website: http://www.hhs.gov/about/orgchart.html 

How the Office Works: To accomplish its mission, the OSDBU office has organized its 

responsibilities, programs and activities under three lines of business: Advocacy, 

Outreach and Unification of the Business Process. The results achieved under all three 

lines of business support the accomplishment of the HHS' Strategic goal - to encourage 

and assist the participation of all small businesses. Assists firms on Prompt Payment Act 

requirements and mediates and resolves sensitive acquisition issues. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has created a Women-Owned Business Initiatives Committee (WOSBIC) 

dedicated to the advancement of women-owned businesses in the federal market 

place. Arthuretta Martin has been appointed as the Women Business Advocate 

and heads the WOSBIC, along with other Small Business Specialists within HHS, 

to provide assistance in meeting the 5% goal. 

•	 Schedules Women-Owned Small Business Enterprise days within the HHS 

operating divisions. 

48 
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•	 Develops outreach materials to be distributed at various events. 

•	 In the process of developing an HHS WOSBIC website. 

•	 Sponsors sessions at conferences geared toward women-owned businesses where 

they do special training and one-on-one counseling. 

•	 Participates in conferences geared toward women-owned businesses sponsored by 

other organizations. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Sponsors Departmental small business procurement conferences, Agency's
 

networking sessions, workshops and seminars. 

•	 Participates in trade group seminars, conventions, and other forums, which 

promote the utilization of small and disadvantaged businesses as contractors. 

•	 Hosts monthly Vendor Outreach Sessions to educate vendors on the Department's 

procurement programs and provide information on how to effectively market their 

products and services. This includes one-on-one sessions with small business 

specialists. 

•	 Promotes the Department’s annual Procurement Forecast, which announces 

anticipated contracting opportunities for that fiscal year, on the OSDBU website. 

Department of Homeland Security 

WOSB Advocate: Angela Williams 

Website: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0418.xml 

Address: 7th & D Street, SW

 Room 3514 

 Washington, DC 20528 

Phone: (202) 205-8827 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 6.95% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

(OSDBU) within the Department of Homeland Security promotes the Department’s small 

business pledge to provide maximum practicable opportunities in acquisitions to small 

business, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, small 

disadvantaged business, and women-owned small businesses. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department of Homeland Security consists of 24 

agencies each of whom have a small business specialist. A complete organizational chart 

can be found at the following website: 

http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/DHS_OrgChart.pdf 

49 
____________________________________________________________________ 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU is organized by category of businesses they serve, 

i.e. women, veterans, etc. The OSDBU works closely with small business specialists 

within each agency under its umbrella and serves as the central point of contact for small 

businesses. Submits quarterly bundling reports to the Office of Federal Procurement 

Policy on efforts to unbundle contracts and mitigate the effects of necessary and justified 

contract bundling. A full list of agencies and small business specialists for each agency is 

located at: 

http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/20051001_DHS_OFB_SBS_List.pdf. 

Specific Outreach to Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a women-owned small business advocate. 

•	 Hosts a monthly small business vendor outreach session, some specifically for 

women-owned businesses. To see list of vendor outreach sessions, go to: 

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=37&content=4055. Vendor 

Outreach sessions match small business vendors with agency contacts. The 

appointments run for 15 minutes. These appointments are usually filled within a 

matter of hours, so plan accordingly. 

•	 Participates in conferences geared toward women-owned businesses sponsored by 

other agencies. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Identifies small business specialists in each component procurement office. 

•	 Maintains a DHS small business procurement assistance website. 

•	 Hosts a quarterly small business introductory workshop on the specifics of doing 

business with the Department. 

•	 Participates in other small business outreach events such as conferences, seminars 

and workshops sponsored by trade associations, industry, or the SBA. 

•	 Prepares and publishes a Forecast of Opportunities at the beginning of each fiscal 

year. 

•	 Sponsors a mentor-protégé program to link experienced large business mentors 

with developing small business protégé. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

50 
 

 

 

 

Department of Housing and Urban Development 

WOSB Advocate: Judith Stackhouse 

Website: http://www.hud.gov/offices/osdbu/index.cfm 

Address: 451 7th Street NW 

Room 5C2318 

Washington, DC 20210 

Phone: (202) 708-1428 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 30.24% 

Mission Statement: The OSDBU office within HUD is responsible for ensuring that 

small businesses are treated fairly and that the procurement process is accessible in order 

to have an opportunity to compete and be selected for a fair amount of the Agency's 

prime and subcontracting opportunities. 

Organization of the Agency: HUD is broken down into multiple different offices. The 

complete organizational chart can be found at the following website: 

http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/about/admguide/orgcharts/hud.pdf 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU offers various opportunities for small businesses 

to meet with staff to discuss business opportunities and other subjects related to HUD's 

small business contracting and subcontracting activities. There are a number of outreach 

activities sponsored by HUD including: 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Participates in conferences geared specifically for women-owned businesses 

sponsored by women’s organizations. 

•	 Hosts monthly vendor outreach sessions. 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Offers annual Small Business Open House for small business to showcase their 

products and services and to learn about possible opportunities at HUD. 

•	 Utilizes business utilization development specialists (BUDS) that meet 

independently with small businesses to discuss HUD’s contracting and 

subcontracting opportunities. BUDS also act as mentors to identify business 

strategies and contracting opportunities. 

•	 One-on-one meetings are offered in person or as conference calls. 

•	 Hosts Information Technology (IT) Orientation Sessions 

•	 Participates in many expos, conferences and trade fairs relevant to the small 

business community. 

•	 Airs recent small business conferences via web casts. 

51 
 

Department of the Interior 

WOSB Advocate: LaVanna Stevenson 

Website: http://www.doi.gov/osdbu/ 

Address: 1849 C Street, NW

 Mail Stop 2252 

 Washington, DC 20240 

Phone: (202) 208-3493 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 9.36% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization within 

the Department of the Interior has as its mission to provide continuous outreach to small, 

small disadvantaged, 8(a), women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned and service 

disabled veteran owned businesses. 

Organization of the Agency: The DOI consists of 8 sub-agencies including the Bureau 

of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Office of Surface Mining, U.S. Geological Survey, National Park 

Service, and Minerals Management Service. They can be accessed at the following 

website: http://www.doi.gov/. 

How the Office Works: The Department of the Interior consists of a number of services 

such as National Park Service, the Minerals Management Service, as mentioned above. 

In addition, the Department of Interior operates the National Business Center that links 

businesses into contracting opportunities within the agency. For detailed information, 

please visit their website: http://ideasec.nbc.gov/j2ee/login.jsp. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Hosts conferences dedicated specifically to women-owned businesses 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions, some specifically for women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Makes available the Department’s Forecast of Procurement Opportunities 

•	 Collects and stores directory of prime contractors that work with the DOI 

•	 Publishes a Small Business Pocket Guide to help small businesses answer 

program issues, concerns or questions 

•	 Publishes a guide to procurement for the Department entitled, “Introduction to 

Interior Acquisitions: Know Your Neighbors. A Guide for Small Business”. This 

introductory guide was published in August of 2005. 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling. 

52 
 

 

 

Department of Justice 

WOSB Advocate: Ramona Johnson-Glover 

Website: http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/osdbu/ 

Address: 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

 Suite 1010 

 Washington, DC 20530 

Phone: (202) 616-0521 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 3.7% 

Mission Statement: The OSDBU office of the Department of Justice strives to increase 

the Department's performance in utilizing small, small disadvantaged, women-owned and 

veteran-owned businesses as contractors and subcontractors. 

Organization of the Agency: There are seven agency bureaus within the Department of 

Justice that offer federal contracts. A complete list of the bureaus and respective 

contracting officers is located at the following website: 

http://www.usdoj.gov/jmd/osdbu/doing.htm#9 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU establishes and monitors goals for the 

participation of small businesses in Justice Department acquisitions. In order to assist the 

bureaus in achieving their established goals, the OSDBU maintains resource information 

and provides technical advice and assistance to the contracting staff as needed. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified an advocate specifically for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Has established the Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) Program, under which 

the Department takes affirmative action to ensure that businesses owned and 

controlled by women are offered an opportunity to compete on contracts awarded 

by the Department. 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions, some specifically geared toward women-owned 

businesses. 

•	 Attends and participates in conferences sponsored by women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Compiles and distributes for the Department an annual Forecast of Expected 

Contract Opportunities, It also displays the number of such awards, the 

anticipated quarter of performance, the value or range of values expected for each 

award and the bureau in which the award is anticipated. 

•	 Provides counseling and advice to small businesses regarding their possible 

eligibility for special consideration under preferential purchasing programs. 

53 
Department of Labor 

WOSB Advocate: DOL does not currently have a women-owned small business 

specialist. 

Point of Contact: Frederick Trakowski 

Website: http://www.dol.gov/osbp/welcome.html 

Address: 200 Constitution Avenue, NW

 Room C2318 

 Washington, DC 20201 

Phone: (202) 693-6460 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 6.87% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) is responsible for 

ensuring procurement opportunities for small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, 

women-owned small businesses, HUBZone businesses and businesses owned by servicedisabled veterans. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department is composed of many Bureaus. For a 

listing, please visit: http://www.dol.gov/dol/organization.htm. In addition to direct 

procurement opportunities, the Department also issues grants. 

How the Office Works: For a complete listing of small business specialists, please visit: 

http://www.dol.gov/osbp/contacts/main.htm. For grant information: 

http://www.dol.gov/oasam/grants/prgms.htm. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Offers special training and sessions at small business conferences specifically for 

women-owned businesses. 

•	 Attends and participates in conferences sponsored by women-owned business 

organization. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Hosts Vendor Outreach sessions to increase utilization of all types of small 

businesses. The sessions give small businesses the opportunity to market their 

products and services directly to OSBP procurement officials as well as learn 

more about potential contracting opportunities. 

•	 Operates a Small Business Procurement Power Page demonstrating the wide 

variety of goods and services that the agencies within the Department of Labor 

purchase each year. Each DOL agency has a responsibility for procuring its own 

goods and services in support of the agency's mission. 

54 
 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

WOSB Advocate: Shirley Perez 

Website: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codek/ 

Address: Headquarters Code K 

 Suite 5C39 

 300 E Street, SW

 Washington, DC 20546 

Phone: (202) 358-2088 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 2.29% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

(OSDBU) at NASA Headquarters are responsible for the development and management 

of NASA programs to assist small businesses. The office functionally oversees and 

directs the activities of corresponding offices at each NASA Center. The mission of the 

OSDBU is to ensure that small, small disadvantaged and women-owned small 

businesses, including historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other 

minority institutions are provided the maximum practicable opportunities to participate in 

NASA prime contracts and subcontracts, particularly in the high tech areas. 

Organization of the Agency: NASA is broken down into 4 different “Mission 

Directorates”- Exploration Systems, Space Operations, Science, and Aeronautical 

Research. A complete organizational breakdown can be found at the following website: 

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/hq/organization/index.html 

For a complete listing of small business specialists within each Directorate, please visit: 

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codek/center_special_directory.htm 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU's vision is to integrate small, small disadvantaged, 

and women-owned small businesses into the competitive base of contractors from which 

NASA regularly purchases goods and services as well as to urge NASA's prime 

contractors to do the same in subcontracting activities. In contracting with small, small 

disadvantaged and women-owned small businesses, NASA seeks to mentor, nurture and 

develop such firms so as to prepare them to obtain contracts from other federal agencies, 

the private sector, and the international arena. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate within NASA. 

•	 Sponsors sessions at annual conferences dedicated to women-owned businesses. 

•	 Participates in conferences sponsored by other organizations dedicated to womenowned businesses. 

•	 Offers one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Hosts national Small Business Conferences. 

55 
 

____________________________________________________________________ 

•	 Supervises a mentor protégé program. 

•	 Runs the NASA Acquisition Internet Service which posts the Department’s 

contract forecast as well as other important notices and informational links on 

procurement within NASA. 

•	 Participates in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, which is 

a highly competitive three-phase award system which provides qualified small 

business concerns with opportunities to propose innovative ideas that meet the 

specific research and development needs of the Federal Government. For more 

information on NASA’s SBIR program, please visit: 

http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/SBIR.html 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s match making sessions. 

Department of the Navy 

WOSB Advocate: Oreta Stinson 

Website: http://www.hq.navy.mil/sadbu 

Address: Building 36 

 Washington Navy Yard 

 720 Kennon Street, SE 

 Washington, DC 20374 

Phone: (202) 685-6485 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: N/A 

Mission Statement: The Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (SADBU) 

office of the Department of the Navy recognizes the critical role that small businesses 

play in the nation’s naval capabilities as well as the strength of the nation’s economy. 

The mission of the SADBU office is to encourage the use of small businesses at early 

stages of the acquisition process. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department of the Navy's contracting and 

acquisition functions flow from the "Heads of the Contracting Activity" (HCA). 

Each HCA has been given broad authority regarding acquisition functions. At the 

HCA level, SADBU program implementation efforts are monitored by Small 

Business Specialists, who are known as Associate Directors of Small Business. Small 

Business Specialists at all other Navy and Marine Corps contracting offices are 

known as Deputies for Small Business. A complete organizational chart can be found 

at the following website: http://www.hq.navy.mil/sadbu/HCA.htm. 

How the Office Works: The office assists small businesses to obtain contracting 

opportunities with the various contracting offices.
 

56 
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Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a women-owned small business advocate. 

•	 Participates in DOD-sponsored conferences geared toward women-owned 

businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Offers an on-line database of all Navy and Marine Corps contracting centers 

as well as goods and services that are needed. Website: 

http://www.hq.navy.mil/sadbu/Marketinfo.htm 

•	 Publishes a 10-step tutorial on doing businesses with the Navy. 

•	 Participates in SBIR/STTR, HBCU/MI, SDB, Veteran-Owned, and WomenOwned programs. 

•	 Offers mentor-protégé programs. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s match making sessions. 

Smithsonian 

WOSB Advocate: There is no advocate identified solely for women-owned 

businesses. 

Point of Contact: Rudy Watley 

Website: http://www.si.edu/oeema/sdbu.htm 

Address: MRC 921 

 750 9th Street, SW

 Suite 8100 

 Washington, DC 20013 

Phone: (202) 275-2055 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 5.22% 

Mission Statement: The Smithsonian has instituted a Supplier Diversity program to 

provide advocacy and direction to small and disadvantaged businesses. The goal of the 

program is to ensure that small firms receive ample opportunity and consideration in the 

Smithsonian's procurement of goods and services. Key components of the program 

include: 

Specific Outreach to Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 No specific programs for women-owned businesses. 

57 
____________________________________________________________________ 

 Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Develops training seminars to educate Smithsonian buyers on the benefits of 

utilizing small and disadvantaged businesses. 

•	 Maintains a database of qualified small businesses used to conduct vendor 

searches for Smithsonian buyers. 

•	 Publishes informational materials that assist small businesses with their marketing 

efforts. 

Department of State 

WOSB Advocate: Trish Culbreth 

Website: http://www.state.gov/m/a/sdbu/ 

Address: SA-6, Room L500 

 Washington, DC 20522 

Phone: (703) 875-6881 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 6.37% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

(OSDBU) ensures that all legislatively specified categories of small businesses in prime 

contracts and subcontracts are effectively utilized to the maximum extent possible, 

including small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned 

and service disable veteran-owned businesses. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department of State is broken down into 6 different 

offices and 27 different sub-offices. An organizational chart can be found at the 

following website: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/dos/54734.htm. 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU office provides training and counseling to its 

buyers about contracting with small businesses and actively seeks opportunities for small 

businesses that are capable of contracting domestically and internationally for the 

Department. A comprehensive description of programs, list of contacts and phone 

numbers in the Department can be found at: 

http://www.state.gov/m/a/sdbu/pubs/c13313.htm. In addition, the OSDBU office 

recognizes individual small businesses with annual Small Business prime contractor 

awards and awards for excellence. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate to work solely on women business issues. 

•	 Participates in conferences sponsored by women-owned business organization. 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

58
____________________________________________________________________ 

 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Facilitates a mentor protégé program 

•	 Participates in Small Business Fairs and Expos including an annual Department of 

State Small Business Trade Fair Show and a HUBZone Expo 

•	 Offers one-on-one counseling. 

•	 Co-hosts quarterly IT expos with offices within the Agency. 

•	 Hosts an annual prime/subcontracting networking sessions. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

Department of Transportation 

WOSB Advocate: Pat Hodge 

Website: http://osdbuweb.dot.gov 

Address: 400 7th Street, SW

 Room 9414 

 Washington, DC 20590 

Phone: (202) 366-1930 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 3.83% 

Mission Statement: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

(OSDBU) is responsible for the implementation and execution of the Department of 

Transportation (DOT) activities on behalf of small businesses to provide the maximum 

practicable opportunity in acquisitions to small businesses, veteran-owned small 

businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small 

businesses, small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned small businesses to 

participate as subcontractors in the contracts awarded by the Department. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department of Transportation is divided into 13 

agencies including the Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration (FMSCA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal 

Transit Administration (FTA), Maritime Administration (MARAD), National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Pipeline 

and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Research and Innovative 

Technology Administration (RITA), Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation 

(SLSDC), and Surface Transportation Board (STB). For links to each agency, please 

visit: http://www.dot.gov/DOTagencies.htm. 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU develops and administers partnership agreements 

with chambers of commerce and trade associations which offer a comprehensive delivery 

system that target services towards Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE’s) 

59 
and assist these firms in becoming successful transportation industry contractors. In 

addition to offering small business assistance, the office also has the responsibility of 

short term lending and bonding assistance programs. The DOT, through coordination 

with state transportation departments offers a women-owned certification. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Small Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate to work solely with women-owned businesses. 

•	 Sponsors conferences and training sessions specifically for women-owned 

businesses. 

•	 Participates in training and conferences sponsored by women-owned business 

organizations 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions, some specifically for women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

•	 Works collectively with the Minority Resource Center within the DOT to offer 

small business programs. 

•	 Offers the Bonding Assistance Program and Short Term Lending Program, which 

provides women-owned and other DBE financing to include short-term working 

capital at prime interest rates for transportation-related projects or such other 

financing as the Director of the OSDBU/MRC may determine in order to increase 

DBE participation in business opportunities. The lending program works similarly 

to the SBA 7(a) lending program. Currently, DOT has 9 banks that participate in 

the program. Businesses have to have a Transportation contract in order to 

participate in the program. 

•	 Sponsors a Mentor-Protégé program within the agency. 

•	 Through partnerships with chambers of commerce and trade associations, the 

MRC has a network of regional offices throughout the nation. These offices offer 

a comprehensive delivery system that targets DBEs to assist them in becoming 

successful competitors in transportation related acquisitions and projects. 

•	 Organizes and hosts several Transportation Marketplace Conferences throughout 

the year as part of its national outreach effort. The events are designed to educate, 

train and assist small businesses to secure DOT procurement opportunities with 

Federal, state and local government entities. Prime contractors are invited to 

participate in workshops, the Trade Fair Expo and the One-on-One Marketing 

Sessions. They provide key information concerning subcontracting opportunities 

in the private sector. 

•	 Maintains the MRC Hotline (formerly known as the National Information 

Clearinghouse). It serves as a central point of contact for the dissemination of 

MRC program information, procurement forecasts, forms, data, public laws, 

orders, and other information of interest to the DBE and OSDBU community. The 

MRC Hotline’s customer service representatives respond to inquiries and 

questions received through the dedicated toll-free number, (800) 532-1169, by 

written correspondence, or by e-mail in the Feedback section of the OSDBU web 

site at http://osdbu.dot.gov. 

60 
Transportation Security Administration 

WOSB Advocate: Anthony Bell 

Website: http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=84&content=09000519800732da 

Address: 601 S. 12th Street 

4th Floor, TSA-14 

Arlington, VA 22202 

Phone: (571) 227-1410 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: N/A 

Mission Statement: The mission of the Transportation Security Administration's Small 

Business Office is to support the Administration's policies and programs to protect the 

Nation's transportation systems by engaging small businesses that provide the best-inclass service in the acquisition process. 

Organization of the Office: TSA is officially located within the Department of 

Homeland Security. A full organizational chart can be found at the following website: 

http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_multi_image_with_table_0102.xml 

How the Office Works: While TSA is not legally bound to abide by the Small Business 

Act, it does follow the guidelines set up through the Act. In order to create a more active 

and efficient approach in promoting the use of small businesses in the agency, TSA has 

established its Small Business Office and assigned small business specialists to further 

assist small businesses. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Small Businesses: 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions, some specifically geared toward women-owned 

small businesses. 

•	 Provides special sessions for women-owned businesses at small business 

conferences.
 

•	 Attends and participates in conferences sponsored by women’s business 

organizations. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Participates in SBA’s match making sessions 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for small businesses. 

•	 Offers mentor-protégé program 

•	 Publishes a Procurement Forecast that lists upcoming procurement opportunities 

(along with opportunities of other DHS components) 

61 
 

 

Department of the Treasury 

WOSB Advocate: Renee Fitzgerald 

Website: http://www.treas.gov/offices/management/dcfo/osdbu/ 

Address: 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

 Attn: 655 15th Street, Room 6099 

 Washington, DC 20220 

Phone: (202) 622-0793 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 4.93% 

Mission Statement: The Department of the Treasury's Office of Small Business 

Development (OSBD) assists, counsels, and advises small businesses of all types (small 

businesses, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small businesses, veteran 

owned small businesses, service disabled veteran owned small businesses, and small 

businesses located in historically underutilized business zones) on procedures for 

contracting with Treasury. 

Organization of the Agency: The Department of the Treasury is broken down into many 

different offices. For a complete breakdown, please visit: 

http://www.treas.gov/organization/org-chart-122005.pdf 

How the Office Works: The OSBD office works to develop programs and policies that 

assist small businesses in contracting with the Treasury Department. For a complete 

listing of small business specialists within each division, please visit: 

http://www.treas.gov/offices/management/dcfo/osdbu/contacts-small-biz-specialists.html 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Small Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate within the agency. 

•	 Hosts monthly vendor outreach sessions, some specifically for women-owned 

small businesses. For a schedule of monthly vendor outreach sessions, please 

visit: 

http://www.treas.gov/offices/management/dcfo/osdbu/outreach/vos/outreach_sess 

ions_schedule.pdf 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Participates in conferences sponsored by other organizations geared specifically 

toward women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Offers monthly vendor outreach sessions to engage small businesses in one-onone procurement counseling. 

•	 Facilitates a mentor protégé program designed to motivate and encourage firms to 

assist small businesses in enhancing their capabilities. The program is also 

designed to foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between 

62 
____________________________________________________________________ 

 

small business entities and Treasury prime contractors and increase the overall 

number of small businesses that receive Treasury contract and subcontract 

awards. 

•	 Hosts Small Business Industry Days. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking session. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

WOSB Advocate: Karen Baker 

Website: http://www.usace.army.mil/business.html#Small 

Address: 441 G Street, NW

 Room 3A60 

 Washington, DC 20314 

Phone: (202)761-8790 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 5.73% 

Mission Statement: The mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ office of small 

business is to establish policy and provide leadership and guidance for the Corps’ Small 

Business Program. 

Organization of the Agency: The Corp is decentralized into Districts. Contracts for the 

USACOE are awarded by Districts, Laboratories and Centers around the country. A 

complete listing of all Small Business Offices can be found at the following website: 

http://www.usace.army.mil 

How the Office Works: The office assists small businesses in identifying business 

specialists in each District that can assist with procurement opportunities. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a women-owned small business advocate. 

•	 Participates in DOD-sponsored conferences specifically for women-owned 

businesses. 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Hosts an annual Small Business Conference. Offers additional listing of small 

business conferences on website. 

•	 Participates in SBIR/STTR, HBCU/MI, SDB, Veteran-Owned, and WomenOwned programs. 

•	 Offers Mentor-Protégé programs. 

63 
____________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture 

WOSB Advocate: Sherry Cohen 

Website: http://www.usda.gov/da/smallbus/ 

Address: 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

 Room 4320 

 Washington, DC 20523 

Phone: (202) 720-7117 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 6.17% 

Mission Statement: The OSDBU office within the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) aims to provide maximum opportunities for small businesses to participate in 

USDA contracting activities by establishing and attaining small disadvantaged business 

program goals. 

Organizational Structure of Agency: The link below shows the organizational 

structure of the USDA. The USDA is decentralized and consists of 29 agencies and 

offices, all of whom have small business specialists. For a complete view of all USDA 

agencies and offices, please visit the USDA’s website and click on “About USDA” 

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU office serves as USDA’s central point of contact 

for inquiries from small businesses and works closely with small business specialists in 

the agencies that compose USDA. Because the OSDBU has a women-owned small 

business advocate (WOSB), she serves as the first point of contact for women-owned 

businesses. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 OSDBU has appointed a WOSB advocate to network within the women-owned 

business community and serve as an advocate for women-owned businesses 

within the agency procurement offices to consider women-owned small 

businesses for all procurement opportunities. 

•	 Participates in conferences dedicated to women-owned businesses and offers 

special training for women-owned businesses. 

•	 Provides special training and one-on-one counseling for women-owned 

businesses. 

•	 Hosts monthly vendor outreach sessions, some specifically for women-owned 

businesses. 

64 
____________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Offers one-on-one meetings to assist small businesses to navigate the procurement 

process and to ascertain how the office can best help them and tailor assistance. 

•	 Hosts meetings on the first Tuesday of each month for small business 

associations. The meetings are open to the public and provide information on 

procurement opportunities or policies within the USDA that affect small 

businesses. 

•	 Assists large prime contractors in identifying potential small businesses 

(including veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, 

disadvantaged, and women- owned businesses) to assist in subcontracting goal 

attainment. 

•	 Posts the USDA’s Annual Subcontracting Opportunities Directory available to 

small businesses. 

•	 Publishes a Procurement Forecast on its website where businesses can learn about 

upcoming contracting opportunities. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

USAID 

WOSB Advocate: Tracy Scrivner 

Website: http://www.usaid.gov/business/small_business/ 

Address: USAID/OSDBU/MRC 

 Suite 1085 

 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

 Washington, DC 20523 

Phone: (202) 712-1500 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 0.307% 

Mission Statement: 

To be an innovative and customer-focused organization providing quality service, 

striving for excellence in private sector development through the utilization of U.S. small 

businesses in USAID sustainable development activities. 

Organization of the Agency: USAID is headquartered in Washington, DC, but has 

many field offices located in the countries where they do business. USAID is broken 

down into bureaus in Washington, DC. The agency has both geographic bureaus (which 

are responsible for the overall activities in the countries where there are programs) and 

functional bureaus (that conduct agency programs that are world-wide in nature or that 

cross geographic boundaries.) For an organizational chart of the agency, please visit: 

http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/usaidorg.html. 

65 
____________________________________________________________________ 

 

 

How the Office Works: 

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and Minority Resource 

Center (OSDBU/MRC) is the initial point of contact at USAID for U.S. small businesses. 

It is organized by regions of the globe and the small business advocates are organized by 

region. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Small Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate within the agency. 

•	 Provides special sessions for women-owned businesses at annual conference. 

•	 Hosts monthly vendor outreach sessions, some reserved specifically for womenowned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling. 

•	 Maintains the Small Business Resource Database (SBRD), 

http://www.usaid.gov/business/small_business/vendordb.html. This is an 

electronic database for U.S. small businesses and organizations who are interested 

in participating in agency sustainable development programs. 

•	 Sponsors outreach conferences on “How to Do Business with USAID,” and 

participates in national, regional and local conferences sponsored by both private 

and public organizations. 

•	 Develops operations, systems, and procedures to optimize participation of U.S. 

small businesses in USAID development assistance activities. 

Department of Veterans’ Affairs 

WOSB Advocate: Linda Sitney 

Website: http://www.va.gov/osdbu/ 

Address: 810 Vermont Avenue, NW 

 Washington, DC 20420 

Phone: (202) 565-8156 

FY 04 Goal: 5% 

FY 04 Performance: 3.64% 

Mission Statement: The mission of the OSDBU is to advocate for the maximum 

practicable participation of small, small disadvantaged, veteran-owned, women-owned, 

and empowerment zone businesses in contracts awarded by the Department of Veterans 

Affairs and in subcontracts which are awarded by VA's prime contractors. 

Organization of the Agency: The VA is further divided into the Veterans Health 

Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery 

66 
Administration. For an organizational chart, please visit: 

http://www.va.gov/about_va/organization.asp. 

How the Office Works: The OSDBU office is responsible for educating and training the 

VA staff in order to best serve small and disadvantaged businesses. The office also 

serves as the liaison to deal with payment problems or other difficulties in working with 

VA offices. The office is responsible for various activities aimed at encouraging the use 

of small businesses within the agency. 

Specific Outreach for Women-Owned Businesses: 

•	 Has identified a WOSB advocate. 

•	 Participates in conferences geared toward women-owned businesses sponsored by 

other organizations. 

•	 Provides one-on-one counseling for women-owned businesses. 

Other Outreach for Small Businesses: 

•	 Utilizes video teleconferencing to train and educate businesses offsite. 

•	 Trains, counsels and assists small businesses in their understanding of federal and 

agency procurement procedures. 

•	 Advises businesses on marketing their products and services to VA and other 

federal agencies. 

•	 Hosts vendor outreach sessions. 

•	 Participates in SBA’s matchmaking sessions. 

67 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix B: Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Achievements 

FY 04* 

Department Name 

Women-Owned 

Small Business 

Contractor Actions 

Women-Owned 

Small Business 

Contractor Dollars 

WomenOwned Small 

Business 

Contractor % 

TOTAL FEDERAL 489,572 $9,091,919,423 3.03% 

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 76 $3,758,308 0.31% 

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 22 $2,772,769 4.05% 

AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF 7,700 $246,627,162 6.17% 

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION 0 $0 0% 

ARCHITECTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS 

COMPLIANCE BOARD 0 $0 0% 

ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME 0 $0 0% 

BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS 19 $200,157 1.55% 

CHEMICAL SAFETY AND HAZARD INVESTIGATION BOARD 13 $20,000 4.64% 

COMMERCE, DEPARTMENT OF 2,684 $206,624,736 13.85% 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 18 $229,947 8.78% 

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM BLIND & OTHER 

SEVERELY HANDICAPPED 3 $453,325 59.16% 

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 82 $894,823 8.89% 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION 97 $1,020,936 13.21% 

CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE 16 $380,673 1.28% 

DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD 0 $0 0% 

DEFENSE, DEPT. OF 330,287 $5,644,134,163 2.68% 

EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 274 $17,730,136 1.16% 

ENERGY, DEPARTMENT OF 1,198 $123,465,958 0.56% 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 1,217 $44,042,126 3.26% 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION 400 $1,408,169 2.71% 

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 47 $2,347,739 0.98% 

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE U.S. 0 $0 0% 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 14 $2,246,678 33.41% 

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION 68 $503,788 15.84% 

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY 15 $333,994 1.42% 

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION 5 $91,300 0.89% 

FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY 2 $45,746 18.91% 

FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION 16 $80,137 6.70% 

FEDERAL RETIREMENT THRIFT INVESTMENT BOARD 0 $0 0% 

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 0 $0 0% 

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 10,457 $267,783,706 3.58% 

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 9,869 $445,758,765 5.65% 

HOMELAND SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF 2,580 $308,441,425 6.95% 

HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 753 $286,373,701 30.24% 

INTERIOR, DEPARTMENT OF THE 6,262 $217,604,676 9.36% 

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION 11 $1,277,261 16.72% 

J. F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 0 $0 0% 

68
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Department Name 

Women-Owned 

Small Business 

Contractor Actions 

Women-Owned 

Small Business 

Contractor Dollars 

WomenOwned Small 

Business 

Contractor % 

LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 946 $115,563,429 6.87% 

MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD 5 $31,188 5.24% 

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1,843 $285,206,191 2.29% 

NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION 65 $3,768,418 2.99% 

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 22 $105,005 5.21% 

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES 1 $5,000 14.24% 

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 0 $0 0% 

NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD 12 $236,678 4.23% 

NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD 0 $0 0% 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 47 $6,621,553 13.74% 

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD 3 $34,906 1.34% 

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 199 $8,214,500 8.66% 

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH REVIEW 

COMMISSION 40 $1,522,848 9.47% 

OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS 3 $72,300 100% 

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 1,104 $41,978,139 8.94% 

OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL 0 $0 0% 

PEACE CORPS 35 $1,359,292 3.44% 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD 57 $324,429 5.31% 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 51 $5,332,437 6.19% 

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM 0 $0 0% 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 63 $4,939,687 10.90% 

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 328 $7,346,752 5.22% 

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 5,087 $28,786,501 5.50% 

STATE, DEPARTMENT OF 4,919 $119,305,662 6.37% 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 0 $0 0% 

TRANSPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF 784 $60,222,942 3.83% 

TREASURY, DEPARTMENT OF 1,889 $120,799,279 4.93% 

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM 0 $0 0% 

UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY 7 $1,690,484 98.94% 

UNITED STATES TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY 0 $0 0% 

VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF 86,351 $308,242,927 3.64% 

*Source: Federal Procurement Data System 

69
 
Appendix C: OSDBU Council Model Code of Expectations 

Best Practice Developed by the External Liaison 

Committee of the Federal OSDBU Directors Interagency Council 

August 2003 

Model Code of Expectations between Federal Offices of Small and Disadvantaged 

Business Utilization (OSDBUs) and Small Businesses 

Small Businesses can expect that the OSDBU will: 

•	 Make very clear up front the depth and breadth of the services that can be 

expected from the OSDBU;
 

•	 Be exceptionally candid as to whether the capabilities of the small business match 

the agency’s needs, and, if not, direct them to the appropriate OSDBU or prime 

contractor Small Business Liaison Officer (SBLO), preferably with a personal 

introduction; 

•	 Explain the relevant laws enacted for their benefit, i.e., small business set-asides, 

8(a) set-asides, HUBZone set-asides, subcontracting goals, and illustrate how the 

small business can use them to maximize contract and subcontract opportunities; 

•	 Put them in contact with the appropriate project/technical managers, end users, or 

any other relevant personnel, assuming the small business is selling what the 

OSDBU’s agency is buying; 

•	 Inform small businesses with all up-to-date information in light of the every 

changing procurement legislation and implementing regulations that impact small 

business; 

•	 Be a “marketing consultant,” “information broker,” and facilitator to the small 

business, e.g., inform it of any special unwritten and cultural nuances or 

procedures at the OSDBU’s agency and its buying activities that will improve the 

small business’ chances of winning a contract; 

•	 Make very clear that certification as an 8(a), small disadvantaged business, 

HUBZone contractor, service disabled veteran does not create an entitlement to a 

contract or a guarantee for one in the future. 

•	 Stress that understanding the agency’s procurement process, engaging in strong 

marketing, and competing for work, even sole sources work, is critical to 

enhancing one’s prospects of obtaining a contract; 

•	 Ensure a professionally conducted meeting with time parameters and expectations 

set in advance; 

•	 Summarize the agency’s contracting opportunities at its various contracting 

activities and field installations for the small business’ specific area of business or 

make referrals to those places where the small business can go to obtain such 

knowledge; 

70 
•	 Demonstrate, if necessary, how to navigate within the agency’s host website and 

highlight the most useful sites and links; 

•	 Offer follow-up due date for responding to questions for which the OSDBU 

counselor does not have an immediate answer; 

•	 Impart knowledge about the “market” (what the OSDBU’s agency buys), the 

decision makers (agency key players) and the competitive environment at the 

agency (who the incumbents are, what service needs are growing, which are 

declining, where the future strategic, long term opportunities are, etc.); 

•	 Not give false hope, vague or generic information, such as stating how many 

millions or billions of dollars the agency spends on goods and services with no 

explanation as to how the small business can reasonably expect to fit into the 

agency’s procurement structure; 

•	 Treat all small businesses the same under like circumstances when providing 

pertinent procurement information and not show special preference to a network 

of friends or acquaintances; 

•	 Provide information on the agency’s latest acquisition-related initiatives and 

agency-unique programs that will, or were designed to, increase the chances of a 

small business to obtain a contract or subcontract, e.g. discuss agency’s mentor 

protégé program, if applicable. 

The OSDBU Can Expect that the Small Business Will: 

•	 Have done preliminary research on the agency’s website and other sources of 

information to determine what their mission is and whether it buys what the small 

business sells; 

•	 Be focused in developing discussion in its area of expertise based on 

requirements; 

•	 Be cognizant of time and schedule and does not prolong the discussion past the 

time set for the meeting; 

•	 Make a case as to why an agency should use its firm over other small businesses 

that perform the same type of work or provide the same products; 

•	 Not develop unrealistic expectations based upon the meeting; 

•	 Be aware that the OSDBU is not the end user and does not need to hear the entire 

technical marketing presentation; 

•	 Follow the recommended avenues of opportunity outlined by the OSDBU that the 

firm determines are consistent with its best interests; 

•	 Understand that various small business certifications, i.e., 8(a), SDB, HUBZone, 

women-owned small businesses, service disabled veterans, are secondary to a 

small business’ ability to emphasize its high quality products or services, on time 

delivery, and best value; 

•	 Understand that from an ethical and legal standpoint that an OSDBU CANNOT: 

o	 Promise anyone a contract; 

o	 Provide government-proprietary information; 

71 
o	 Share third party proprietary information provided to him/her by other 

small businesses; 

o	 Direct large contractors to provide jobs (employment or subcontracting) to 

a particular small business; 

o	 Help small businesses write/review proposals to be submitted to the 

OSDBU’s agency or any other government agency; 

o	 Act in a manner that is tantamount to acting as an agent of the small 

business; 

o	 Aid or abet the small business in preparation of a protest against the 

OSDBU’s agency; 

o	 Lobby source selection officials to select a specific small business; 

o	 Advocate purchase of goods and services that the government does not 

want or need; 

o	 Help to create false expectations on the part of small businesses of 

nonexistent contracting opportunities; 

o	 Supersede the authority of the contracting officer; 

o	 Show improper favoritism to some small businesses at the expense of 

others; 

o	 Encourage or accept gratuities. 

72 
 

 

 

Appendix D: Legislative Language 

1. Public Law 106-554 signed 12/21/00.
 

SEC. 811. PROCUREMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL 

BUSINESS CONCERNS. 

Section 8 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637) is amended by adding at the end the 

following: 

`(m) PROCUREMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS 

CONCERNS-

(1) DEFINITIONS- In this subsection, the following definitions apply: 

(A) CONTRACTING OFFICER- The term `contracting officer' has the 

meaning given such term in section 27(f)(5) of the Office of Federal 

Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 423(f)(5)). 

(B) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY 

WOMEN- The term `small business concern owned and controlled by 

women' has the meaning given such term in section 3(n), except that 

ownership shall be determined without regard to any community property law. 

(2) AUTHORITY TO RESTRICT COMPETITION- In accordance with this subsection, 

a contracting officer may restrict competition for any contract for the procurement of 

goods or services by the Federal Government to small business concerns owned and 

controlled by women, if— 

(A) each of the concerns is not less than 51 percent owned by 1 or more women 

who are economically disadvantaged (and such ownership is determined without 

regard to any community property law); 

(B) the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that 2 or more small 

business concerns owned and controlled by women will submit offers for the 

contract; 

(C) the contract is for the procurement of goods or services with respect to 

an industry identified by the Administrator pursuant to paragraph (3); 

(D) the anticipated award price of the contract (including options) does not 

exceed--

(i) $5,000,000, in the case of a contract assigned an industrial 

classification code for manufacturing; or 

(ii) $3,000,000, in the case of all other contracts; 

(E) in the estimation of the contracting officer, the contract award can be 

made at a fair and reasonable price; and 

(F) each of the concerns-- 

(i) is certified by a Federal agency, a State government, or a national 

certifying entity approved by the Administrator, as a small business 

concern owned and controlled by women; or 

(ii) certifies to the contracting officer that it is a small business 

73 
 

 

concern owned and controlled by women and provides adequate 

documentation, in accordance with standards established by the 

Administration, to support such certification. 

(3) WAIVER- With respect to a small business concern owned and controlled by 

women, the Administrator may waive subparagraph (2)(A) if the Administrator 

determines that the concern is in an industry in which small business concerns owned 

and controlled by women are substantially underrepresented. 

(4) IDENTIFICATION OF INDUSTRIES- The Administrator shall conduct a study 

to identify industries in which small business concerns owned and controlled by 

women are underrepresented with respect to Federal procurement contracting. 

(5) ENFORCEMENT; PENALTIES-

(A) VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY- In carrying out this subsection, the 

Administrator shall establish procedures relating to-- 

(i) the filing, investigation, and disposition by the Administration of 

any challenge to the eligibility of a small business concern to receive 

assistance under this subsection (including a challenge, filed by an 

interested party, relating to the veracity of a certification made or 

information provided to the Administration by a small business 

concern under paragraph (2)(F)); and 

(ii) verification by the Administrator of the accuracy of any 

certification made or information provided to the Administration by 

a small business concern under paragraph (2)(F). 

(B) EXAMINATIONS- The procedures established under subparagraph (A) 

may provide for program examinations (including random program 

examinations) by the Administrator of any small business concern making a 

certification or providing information to the Administrator under paragraph 

(2)(F). 

(C) PENALTIES- In addition to the penalties described in section 16(d), any 

small business concern that is determined by the Administrator to have 

misrepresented the status of that concern as a small business concern owned 

and controlled by women for purposes of this subsection, shall be subject to-- 

(i) section 1001 of title 18, United States Code; and 

(ii) sections 3729 through 3733 of title 31, United States Code. 

(6) PROVISION OF DATA- Upon the request of the Administrator, the head of any 

Federal department or agency shall promptly provide to the Administrator such 

information as the Administrator determines to be necessary to carry out this subsection.'. 

74 
 

 

2. Small Business Act, establishing contracting goals for the Federal Government 

and the Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization 

Public Law 85-536, as amended 

Includes PL 108-447, last updated 12.8.04 

The full bill can be viewed at the following website: 

http://www.sba.gov/regulations/sbaact/sbaact.html 

Section 15(g)(1) pertains to contracting goals for the Federal Government 

Section15(k)(1-10) pertain to the creation of Offices for Small and Disadvantaged 

Business Utilization as well as their roles and responsibilities. 

§ 15. 

(g) (1) The President shall annually establish Government-wide goals for 

procurement contracts awarded to small business concerns, small business concerns 

owned and controlled by service disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business 

concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically 

disadvantaged individuals, and small business concerns owned and controlled by women. 

The Government-wide goal for participation by small business concerns shall be 

established at not less than 23 percent of the total value of all prime contract awards for 

each fiscal year. The Government-wide goal for participation by small business concerns 

owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans shall be established at not less than 3 

percent of the total value of all prime contract and subcontract awards for each fiscal 

year. The Government-wide goal for participation by qualified HUBZone small business 

concerns shall be established at not less than 1 percent of the total value of all prime 

contract awards for fiscal year 1999, not less than 1.5 percent of the total value of all 

prime contract awards for fiscal year 2000, not less than 2 percent of the total value of all 

prime contract awards for fiscal year 2001, not less than 2.5 percent of the total value of 

all prime contract awards for fiscal year 2002, and not less than 3 percent of the total 

value of all prime contract awards for fiscal year 2003 and each fiscal year thereafter. 

The Government-wide goal for participation by small business concerns owned and 

controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals shall be established at 

not less than 5 percent of the total value of all prime contract and subcontract awards for 

each fiscal year. The Government-wide goal for participation by small business concerns 

owned and controlled by women shall be established at not less than 5 percent of the total 

value of all prime contract and subcontract awards for each fiscal year. Notwithstanding 

the Government-wide goal, each agency shall have an annual goal that presents, for that 

agency, the maximum practicable opportunity for small business concerns, small business 

concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small 

business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and 

economically disadvantaged individuals, and small business concerns owned and 

controlled by women to participate in the performance of contracts let by such agency. 

The Administration and the Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy 

shall, when exercising their authority pursuant to paragraph (2), insure that the 

cumulative annual prime contract goals for all agencies meet or exceed the annual 

75 
 

 

 

Government-wide prime contract goal established by the President pursuant to this 

paragraph. 

(2) The head of each Federal agency shall, after consultation with the 

Administration, establish goals for the participation by small business concerns, by small 

business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, by qualified 

HUBZone small business concerns, by small business concerns owned and controlled by 

socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and by small business concerns 

owned and controlled by women in procurement contracts of such agency having a value 

of $25,000 or more. Goals established under this subsection shall be jointly established 

by the Administration and the head of each Federal agency and shall realistically reflect 

the potential of small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled 

by service-disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, and small 

business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged 

individuals to perform such contracts and to perform subcontracts under such contracts. 

Whenever the Administration and the head of any Federal agency fail to agree on 

established goals, the disagreement shall be submitted to the Administrator of the Office 

of Federal Procurement Policy for final determination. For the purpose of establishing 

goals under this subsection, the head of each Federal agency shall make consistent efforts 

to annually expand participation by small business concerns from each industry category 

in procurement contracts of the agency, including participation by small business 

concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, by qualified HUBZone 

small business concerns, by small business concerns owned and controlled by socially 

and economically disadvantaged individuals and by small business concerns owned and 

controlled by women. The head of each Federal agency, in attempting to attain such 

participation, shall consider— 

(A) contracts awarded as the result of unrestricted competition; 

and 

(B) contracts awarded after competition restricted to eligible 

small business concerns under this section and under the 

program established under section 8(a). 

(h) (1) At the conclusion of each fiscal year, the head of each Federal 

agency shall report to the Administration on the extent of participation by small business 

concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans (including servicedisabled veterans), qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns 

owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and small 

business concerns owned and controlled by women in procurement contracts of such 

agency. Such reports shall contain appropriate justifications for failure to meet the goals 

established under subsection (g) of this section. 

(2) The Administration shall annually compile and analyze the reports 

submitted by the individual agencies pursuant to paragraph (1) and shall submit them to 

76 
 

 

 

the President and the Congress. The Administration's submission to the President shall 

include the following: 

(A) The Government-wide goals for participation by small 

business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled 

veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns owned 

and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and small 

business concerns owned and controlled by women and the performance in attaining such 

goals. 

(B) The goals in effect for each agency and the agency's 

performance in attaining such goals. 

(C) An analysis of any failure to achieve the Government-wide 

goals or any individual agency goals and the actions planned by such agency (and 

approved by the Administration) to achieve the goals in the succeeding fiscal year. 

(D) The number and dollar value of contracts awarded to small 

business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled 

veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns owned 

and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and small 

business concerns owned and controlled by women through— 

(i) noncompetitive negotiation, 

(ii) competition restricted to small business concerns 

owned and controlled by socially and economically 

disadvantaged individuals, 

(iii) competition restricted to small business concerns, 

and 

(iv) unrestricted competitions, 

for each agency and on a Government-wide basis. 

(E) The number and dollar value of subcontracts awarded to 

small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by servicedisabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns 

owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and small 

business concerns owned and controlled by women. 

(F) The number and dollar value of prime contracts and 

subcontracts awarded to small business concerns owned and controlled by women. 

77 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) The President shall include the information required by paragraph 

(2) in each annual report to the Congress on the state of small business prepared pursuant 

to section 303(a) of the Small Business Economic Policy Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 

631b(a)). 

(i) Nothing in this Act or any other provision of law precludes exclusive 

small business set-asides for procurements of architectural and engineering services, 

research, development, test and evaluation, and each Federal agency is authorized to 

develop such set-asides to further the interests of small business in those areas. 

(j) (1) Each contract for the purchase of goods and services that has an 

anticipated value greater than $2,500 but not greater than $100,000 shall be reserved 

exclusively for small business concerns unless the contracting officer is unable to obtain 

offers from two or more small business concerns that are competitive with market prices 

and are competitive with regard to the quality and delivery of the goods or services being 

purchased. 

(2) in carrying out paragraph (1), a contracting officer shall consider a 

responsive offer timely received from an eligible small business offeror. 

(3) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed as precluding an award 

of a contract with a value not greater than $100,000 under the authority of subsection (a) 

of section 8 of this Act, section 2323 of title 10, United States Code, section 712 of the 

Business Opportunity Development Reform Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-656; 15 U.S.C. 

644 note), or section 7102 of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994. 

(k) There is hereby established in each Federal agency having procurement 

powers an office to be known as the "Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business 

Utilization". The management of each such office shall be vested in an officer or 

employee of such agency who shall— 

(1) be known as the "Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business 

Utilization" for such agency, 

(2) be appointed by the head of such agency, 

(3) be responsible only to, and report directly to, the head of such 

agency or to the deputy of such head, except that the director for the Office of the 

Secretary of Defense shall be responsible only to, and report to, such Secretary or the 

Secretary's designee, 

(4) be responsible for the implementation and execution of the 

functions and duties under sections 8 and 15 of this Act which relate to such agency, 

(5) identify proposed solicitations that involve significant bundling of 

contract requirements, and work with the agency acquisition officials and the 

78 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Administration to revise the procurement strategies for such proposed solicitations where 

appropriate to increase the probability of participation by small businesses as prime 

contractors, or to facilitate small business participation as subcontractors and suppliers, if 

a solicitation for a bundled contract is to be issued; 

(6) assist small business concerns to obtain payments, late payment 

interest penalties, or information due to such concerns from an executive agency or a 

contractor, in conformity with chapter 39 of title 31, United States Code, or any other 

protection for contractors or subcontractors (including suppliers) that is included in the 

Federal Acquisition Regulation or any individual agency supplement to such 

Government-wide regulation; 

(7) have supervisory authority over personnel of such agency to the 

extent that the functions and duties of such personnel relate to functions and duties under 

sections 8 and 15 of this Act, 

(8) assign a small business technical adviser to each office to which 

the Administration has assigned a procurement center representative -- 

(A) who shall be a full-time employee of the procuring activity 

and shall be well qualified, technically trained and familiar with the supplies or services 

purchased at the activity, and 

(B) whose principal duty shall be to assist the Administration 

procurement center representative in his duties and functions relating to sections 8 and 15 

of this Act, 

(9) cooperate, and consult on a regular basis, with the Administration 

with respect to carrying out the functions and duties described in paragraph (4) of this 

subsection, and 

(10) make recommendations to contracting officers as to whether a 

particular contract requirement should be awarded pursuant to subsection (a), or section 

8(a) of this Act or section 2323 of title 10, United States Code. Such recommendations 

shall be made with due regard to the requirements of subsection (m), and the failure of 

the contracting officer to accept any such recommendations shall be documented and 

included within the appropriate contract file. 

79 
 

 

Appendix E: List of Participating Women Business Owners 

I. Women Business Owners 

Norma Byron, President 

Ashlawn Group, LLC 

101 S. Whiting Street 

Suite 308 

Alexandria, VA 22304 

Rebecca Boegnik, CEO and 

Chairman of the Board 

Neutral Posture, Inc. 

3904 N. Texas Avenue 

Bryan, TX 77803 

Claire Guthrie Gastañaga 

CG2 Consulting 

501 East Franklin Street 

Richmond, VA 23219 

Mary Kay Hamm, President 

Linden International 

530 East Swedesford Road 

Suite 106 

 Wayne, PA 19087 

Billie Bryant, President 

CESCO, Inc. 

1420 Mockingbird Lane 

Dallas, TX 75247 

Gayle Waldron 

Summit Building 

ICOT Center 

13575 58th Street North 

Suite 153 

Clearwater, FL 33760 

Carol Kuc, President/ CEO 

Complete Conference Coordinators, 

Inc. 

1300 Iroquois Ave 

Suite 160 

Naperville, IL 60563 

80