New federal rules allowing setasides on multiple award contracts are starting to demonstrate an impact.

From April 1 to Oct. 31, there were 11,613 set-aside Requests for Quotation created in eBuy, Jeffrey Woodworth, a spokesman for the General Services Administration, told Set-Aside Alert.

With a total of 61,061 RFQs closed in eBuy during that time frame, the small business setasides constituted about 19% of eBuy RFQs, Woodworth said.

The set-asides for multipleaward contracts were created under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation councils adopted an interim rule on the new set-asides in November 2011.

The figures show the impact of the 2011 discretionary set-aside rule on purchases made on eBuy.

The Small Business Administration anticipates that small-business set-asides on multiple-award contracts will rise as more federal contracting staff become trained and gain experience with the new rule.

“Any time you have a change like that, you need training to get over the fear of the unknown,” John Shoraka, associate administrator for the SBA, said at a recent industry event.

The interim rule gives contracting officers discretion over whether to set aside task orders, rather than requiring set-asides under the rule of two. In addition, agencies may set aside part of a multiple-award contract. They may reserve one or more contract awards for small businesses on a multiple-award contract that is awarded through full and open competition.

The SBA also has issued proposed rules for the new program.

The eBuy website hosted by GSA allows government purchasers to request quotes or proposals from GSA Schedule contract holders.

A banner on the website declares “eBuy is Set-Aside Ready!”