U.S. Small Business

Administration
Introduction to the Office of 

Government Contracting

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District 

Small Business Industry Day

February 20, 2024
Our mission is to assist small businesses in obtaining a fair share of Federal 

Government contracts, subcontracts and property sales.

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Office of Government Contracting 

(GC)
Who Are We: 

• GC headquarters staff and field 

staff positions 

• Procurement Center 

Representatives (PCRs) 

• Commercial Market 

Representatives (CMRs) 

• Certificate of Competency (COC) 

Specialists 

• Size Determination Specialists 

• Industrial Specialists (IS)

What Do We Do:

• Prime Contracting Program

• Certificate of Competency Program

• Small Business Size Determinations

• Waivers of the Nonmanufacturer Rule

• Surveillance Reviews

• Natural Resources and Sales Assistance 

Program (Timber)

• GC plays a major role in the formulation of 

federal procurement policies that affect small 

businesses

Area Offices

To locate an SBA Area Office go to https://www.sba.gov/contracting/resources 4 -small-businesses/pcrdirectory
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The SBA’s Prime Contracts Program serves to 

strengthen the economy of the Nation by striving 

to create maximum practicable opportunities for 

Small Business (SB) and all other socioeconomic concerns while increasing overall 

competition in the Federal acquisition process.

Prime Contracting Program
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• Assigned to a contracting activity to carry out SBA policies and programs

• Activity must provide access to all reasonably obtainable contract information

• Safeguards against improper disclosure of contract information

• Recommend the set-aside of selected acquisitions

• Each PCR negotiates review levels with buying activity and defines it in a Business Operations Plan 

(BOP) Addendum

• Recommend new qualified small business sources

• Review proposed bundled acquisitions to recommend alternate contracting methods 

to increase SB prime contracting opportunities (15 days)

• Appeal Contracting Officers’ decisions which they deem adverse to small businesses

• Review all actions equal to or over $1 billion. This review is forwarded to the SBA 

Director of Government Contracting for concurrence.

PCR Responsibilities
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• Investigate issues upon the request of a SB, the activity, or SBA office

• Size determinations, Certificate of Competency (COC) investigations, Surveillance Reviews, etc.

• Provide advice to large businesses concerns to facilitate subcontracting opportunities 

for small businesses

• Review subcontracting plans

• Conduct periodic compliance reviews of the activity

• Advise and assist small businesses

• Meet with the HCA or Chief of the Contracting Office

• Training contracting activity personnel on aspects of the SB Program

• Participate in conferences and training to increase SB participation

PCR Responsibilities
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Certificate of Competency (COC) 

Program

• A small business’s second chance at winning a contract where they are the 

apparent awardee

• The Contracting Officer determines the small business to not be responsible 

(Capability, Competency, Capacity, Credit, Integrity, Perseverance, Tenacity, & 

Limitation on subcontracting)

• The Contracting Officer must refer the small business to the SBA for a COC

• The SBA performs its own independent analysis of the small business’s 

responsibility

• SBA’s decision:

o SBA’s analysis find the firm responsible and issues a COC. The Contracting Officer must 

award the contract to the small business (with some exceptions).

o SBA’s analysis agrees with the Contracting Officer and does not issue a COC. The 

Contracting Officer can move forward with the procurement.
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Size Program

• Ensure acquisitions set aside for small business are awarded to legitimate 

small businesses to ensure and even playing field

• SBA sets the small business size standard for each NAICS Code

• Size standards are based on either Average Annual Receipts or Number of 

Employees depending on the NAICS code

• Protests must be filed with the Contracting Officer

• Size protests are decided by the SBA not the procurement agency
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Subcontracting Assistance Program

The mission is to ensure domestic small businesses receive a fair and 

equitable opportunity to compete for and receive subcontracts resulting 

from Federal prime contracts.

• Provide post-award Subcontracting training

• Facilitate the matching of large prime contractors with small business concerns

• Counsel large prime contractors on their responsibilities to maximize 

subcontracting opportunities for small business concerns

• Counsel small businesses on how to market themselves to large businesses

• Perform periodic compliance reviews to ensure large businesses are maximizing 

opportunities to small business concerns
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Hot Topic: Market Research

When is the Government required to conduct Market Research?

• Basically, all the time. (FAR 10.001(a)(2) “(i) Before developing new 

requirements documents...(ii) Before soliciting offers for acquisitions [in excess of 

SAT*]...(iii) Before soliciting offers for acquisitions [less than SAT when 

appropriate...(vi) On an ongoing basis...”)

Why respond to Sources Sought?

• For procurements over the SAT, need to demonstrate to the contracting officer 

that there are 2 or more responsible SB (commonly called the Rule of Two). (FAR 

19.502-2)

*Simplified Acquisition Threshold means $250,000 (FAR 2.101)
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Hot Topic: Market Research

SBA - Dynamic Small Business Search

• Complete your Capabilities Narrative. Use good key words that describe what 

you do.

• Don’t end up like this
Jason Johnston

AMAM-SB, Bldg. 5303

Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898

Email: jason.johnston@sba.gov

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PCR Contact Information