Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 82 / Thursday, April 29, 2010 / Presidential Documents 22499 

Memorandum of April 26, 2010 

Establishing an Interagency Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses 

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies 

The Federal Government is the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services, with purchases totaling over $500 billion per year. The American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) and other national 

investments are providing new opportunities for small businesses to compete 

for Federal contracts, and it is critical that these investments tap into the 

talents and skills of a broad cross-section of American business and industry. 

Small businesses must be able to participate in the Nation’s economic recovery, including businesses owned by women, minorities, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and service-disabled veterans of our Armed 

Forces. These businesses should be able to compete and participate effectively 

in Federal contracts. 

The Congress has established a number of statutory goals designed to help 

small businesses compete for Federal contracts. In addition to the goal 

of awarding at least 23 percent of all Federal prime contracting dollars 

to small businesses, the Congress also established Government-wide contracting goals for participation by small businesses that are located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (at least 3 percent) or that are owned 

by women (at least 5 percent), socially and economically disadvantaged 

individuals (at least 5 percent), and service-disabled veterans (at least 3 

percent). These aspirational goals help ensure that all Americans share in 

the jobs and opportunities created by Federal procurement. 

In recent years, the Federal Government has not consistently reached its 

small business contracting goals. Although we have made some progress— 

particularly with respect to Recovery Act contracts—more work can and 

should be done. I am committed to ensuring that small businesses, including 

firms owned by women, minorities, socially and economically disadvantaged 

individuals, and service-disabled veterans, have fair access to Federal Government contracting. Indeed, where small businesses have the capacity to do 

more, we should strive to exceed the statutory goals. While Chief Acquisition 

Officers and Senior Procurement Executives have many priorities, small 

business contracting should always be a high priority in the procurement 

process. 

Obtaining tangible results will require an honest and accurate accounting 

of our progress so that we can have transparency and accountability through 

Federal small business procurement data. Additionally, we must expand 

outreach strategies to alert small firms to Federal contracting opportunities. 

In order to coordinate executive departments’ and agencies’ efforts towards 

ensuring that all small businesses have a fair chance to participate in Federal 

contracting opportunities, it is hereby ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Establishment. There is established an Interagency Task Force 

on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses (Task Force). 

The Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Director), and the Administrator of the Small Business 

Administration (Administrator) shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Task Force 

and shall direct its work. 

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22500 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 82 / Thursday, April 29, 2010 / Presidential Documents 

Sec. 2. Membership. In addition to the Secretary, the Director, and the 

Administrator, the Task Force shall consist of the following members: 

(i) the Secretary of the Treasury; 

(ii) the Secretary of Defense; 

(iii) the Attorney General; 

(iv) the Secretary of Labor; 

(v) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; 

(vi) the Secretary of Transportation; 

(vii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 

(viii) the Secretary of Homeland Security; 

(ix) the Administrator of General Services; 

(x) the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; 

(xi) the Director of the Minority Business Development Agency; 

(xii) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; 

(xiii) the Director of the Domestic Policy Council; 

(xiv) the Director of the National Economic Council; 

(xv) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; and 

(xvi) the heads of such other executive departments, agencies, and offices 

as the President may, from time to time, designate. 

A member of the Task Force may designate, to perform the Task Force 

functions of the member, one or more senior officials who are part of 

the member’s department, agency, or office, and who are full-time officers 

or employees of the Federal Government. 

Sec. 3. Functions. The Task Force shall provide to the President, not later 

than 120 days after the date of this memorandum, proposals and recommendations for: 

(i) using innovative strategies, such as teaming, to increase opportunities 

for small business contractors and utilizing and expanding mentorship 

programs, such as the mentor-prote ́ge ́ program; 

(ii) removing barriers to participation by small businesses in the Federal 

marketplace by unbundling large projects, improving training of Federal 

acquisition officials with respect to strategies for increasing small business 

contracting opportunities, and utilizing new technologies to enhance the 

effectiveness and efficiency of Federal program managers, acquisition officials, and the Directors of Offices of Small Business Programs and Offices 

of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, their managers, and 

procurement center representatives in identifying and providing access 

to these opportunities; 

(iii) expanding outreach strategies to match small businesses, including 

firms located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones and firms 

owned and controlled by women, minorities, socially and economically 

disadvantaged individuals, and service-disabled veterans of our Armed 

Forces, with contracting and subcontracting opportunities; and 

(iv) establishing policies, including revision or clarification of existing 

legislation, regulations, or policies, that are necessary or appropriate to 

effectuate the objectives of this memorandum. 

Sec. 4. Using Technology to Improve Transparency and Accountability. Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, the Assistant to the President 

and Chief Technology Officer and the Federal Chief Information Officer, 

in coordination with the Task Force, shall develop a website that illustrates 

the participation of small businesses, including those owned by women, 

minorities, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and servicemstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with PRESDOCO0

Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 82 / Thursday, April 29, 2010 / Presidential Documents 22501 

disabled veterans of our Armed Forces, in Federal contracting. To foster 

greater accountability and transparency in, and allow oversight of, the Federal 

Government’s progress, this website shall be designed to encourage improved 

collection, verification, and availability of Federal procurement data and 

provide accurate data on the Federal Government’s progress in ensuring 

that all small businesses have a fair chance to participate in Federal contracting opportunities. 

Sec. 5. Outreach. In developing its recommendations, the Task Force shall 

conduct outreach with representatives of small businesses and small business 

associations. 

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) This memorandum shall be implemented 

consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of any necessary 

appropriations. 

(b) This memorandum does not create any right or benefit, substantive 

or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the 

United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, 

or agents, or any other person. 

(c) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall assist and 

provide information to the Task Force, consistent with applicable law, as 

may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Task Force. Each executive 

department and agency shall bear its own expenses of participating in the 

Task Force. 

(d) The Director is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. 

The White House, 

Washington, April 26, 2010 

[FR Doc. 2010–10174 

Filed 4–28–10; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3110–01–P 


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