Vendor data complications

      Counting the number of small business federal vendors is complicated, as reviewed in Set-Aside Alert’s July 2, 2021 issue.

      The Small Business Administration maintains two methodologies, with two sets of numbers, as shown in its annual procurement scorecards in recent years. And the General Services Administration has a related dataset of small providers of “common goods and services.”

      In a Sept. 9 press release, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-NY, who chairs the House Small Business Committee, quoted a “38% decline” in the number of small business federal contractors since 2010.

      She did not cite a source, but the figure possibly came from a Nov. 30, 2020 GAO report that referenced a 38% drop in small vendors--but only for vendors of common goods and services. That “common spend” pool comprises about 60% of the total pool of contract spending.

      Set-Aside Alert contacted Velazquez about the apparent discrepancy but received no response, and the 38% was still in the release at press time.

      Also, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-MD, quoted a 40% drop in small vendors in a recent press release. His press aide said those numbers are from an SBA Unique Vendor Count available in SAM.gov, indicating 137,690 small vendors in 2010, and 83,187 in 2020, showing a decrease of 40%.

More information:
Velazquez release: https://bit.ly/3BXUMvu
Mfume release: https://bit.ly/3n22lew

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