Senate panel grills DOD on small biz vendors

      Under questioning at a recent Senate Subcommittee hearing, the Defense Dept.’s small business advocates recently outlined various ways they are trying to make it easier for small businesses to win contracts with DOD.

      At the march 22 hearing, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI, chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, asked what DOD is doing to reduce barriers for new small firms seeking to do business with DOD.

      In response, Farooq Mirtha, director of DOD’s Office of Small Business Programs, said the office has reconfigured its website as a “One-Stop Shop” to raise awareness of its services among contractors.

      In addition, the Army is making greater use of Other Transaction Authority to attract small firms with little or no government contracting experience, according to Kimberly Buehler, director of the Army’s small business programs.

      At the Navy, contracting officials are emphasizing use of “an old tool...and we’ve resurrected it”---8(a) sole-source set-asides, said Jimmy Smith, director of the Navy’s small business programs.

      Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-AK, ranking member of the subcommittee, asked what DOD is doing to boost 8(a) contracting with Native Americans.

      The Army and Air Force representatives at the hearing said they are focusing on “strategic partnerships” with 8(a) companies. Buehler said she recently visited with officials from Akima LLC, representing several Alaska Native 8(a)s.

      Also, the Navy is negotiating with the Small Business Administration to see if Procurement Center Representatives can vouch for 8(a) firms that lack government-based past performance, Smith said.

More information:
Hearing website: https://bit.ly/3JNV0KI

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