Administration Eyes Help For Mid-Sized Companies The Bush administration is considering ways to help companies compete for contracts after they outgrow small business status. “There is support for the notion that there should be some period of time after you become mid-sized that you still should have some of the benefits of a small business designation,” said Robert Burton, acting administrator of OMB’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy. He spoke March 28 at a conference in Falls Church, VA, sponsored by Input. When a business no longer qualifies for set-asides, Burton said, “we don’t want to set them up to fail.” He said SBA is looking at options, but declined to give details and did not promise any changes. Anthony Martoccia, SBA’s new associate deputy administrator for government contracting and business development, said he is not aware of the effort. Federal small business programs have always generated debate over whether they should be aimed at the “not-so-small” as well as the very small. Henry Wilfong Jr., president of the National Association of Small Disadvantaged Businesses, has said that in today’s economy, “‘small’ has to be bigger than it used to be.” SBA is preparing to rewrite its size standards, but agency officials have said in the past that they do not intend to increase the standards. The standards were adjusted for inflation in December. There is currently no legal authority for preferences for mid-sized firms. There is not even an official definition of a mid-sized business. GSA asked industry to suggest definitions as part of its market research for its $65 billion Alliant governmentwide acquisition contracts. Alliant consists of a full and open competition and a small business set-aside with a size standard of $23 million in revenues. John Johnson, assistant commissioner of the GSA’s Federal Technology Service, said the agency wants to find ways to ensure that mid-sized firms get a share of the IT vehicle. He spoke March 30 at a conference sponsored by the consulting firm CMA. In its February request for information, GSA suggested three possible definitions of mid-sized in the IT industry: revenues under $100 million, under $200 million or under $500 million. The comment period ended March 31. GSA plans to issue a new draft RFP for Alliant and Alliant Small Business in June.