Creating Opportunities for Small Business Utilization

• Number of set asides IQCs equal to the number of full and open IQCs (precedent: EGPR).
• Encourage utilization of different types of small businesses i.e. small, woman owned, hub zone, veteran owned, small disadvantated businesses (SDB), 8(a).
• Support increase in size standardization (While 541990 is not recommended for an increase beyond the current $7 million, 541611 and 541618 are recommended to be increased to $14 million. By having this range of size standardizations, SBAIC is able to support both our emerging and established/growing small business members).
• Lead and perform technical assistance (not just information technology, staffing, evaluations).
• Have overseas work counted as part of small business goals and contracting.

Prime Contracting Opportunities for SBs

• Small business thresholds (defined as under which only small businesses can compete) for task orders within IQCs – SBAIC requests a minimum of $4 million (which is equivalent to SBA’s 8a ceiling for sole sources) up to the dollar value associated with the NAICS code (i.e. $7 million in the case of the 541990 NAICS code) utilized for the procurement. Small businesses remain eligible to compete for work against large businesses over the small business threshold. (precedent: EG4PR has a small business threshold of $3 million)
• Directed contracting (sole sources) to small businesses when there is a single small business within an IQC (precedent: SWIFT III IQC)
• Directed contracting (precedent: WID IQC) or limited competition within small businesses (precedent: GBTI) when there is more than one small business within an IQC.
• Set aside single award contract awards for small businesses, including in CPC countries, within a certain ceiling. SBAIC requests a minimum of $4 million up to the dollar value associated with the NAICS code utilized for the procurement to be established for the ceiling. Small businesses remain eligible to compete for work against large businesses over the small business ceiling.

Subcontracting Opportunities for Small Businesses

• Minimum of 20% of total dollars (overall contract value) on full and open, IQCs, and task orders. (Precedent: PLACE IQC (M/OAA/EGAT/PEP-06-1036, 2006): “For this solicitation, the SB goal is a minimum of 40% of the overall value of contract ceiling. Of this, a minimum requirement of 15% of the overall contract ceiling shall go to SDBs. These percentages have been developed with reference to USAID’s overall Small Business and Small Disadvantaged Business goals.”)
• Enforcement of small business contracting plans at a task order level and on full and open contracts.
• Institute large business prime contractors metrics on small business utilization which can be linked to PPR on RFP evaluation criteria for new bids.