Small BIZ getting big results through Army contracting

By Mrs. Beth Clemons (Army Contracting Command)May 6, 2014

small biz
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. --Small businesses worldwide received more than $2.2 billion in Army contracts in the first half of fiscal year 2014, according to the Army Contracting Command here.

"With the exception of (Historically Underutilized Business Zones) goals, we are on track to meet our fiscal year 2014 small business goals," said Alice Williams, associate director of the ACC Office of Small Business Programs. "Achieving the HUBZone goals will be a challenge due to the Small Business Administration's regulatory changes that significantly reduce the number of firms eligible for participation in the program."

ACC is a major subordinate command of the Army Materiel Command and encompasses contracting offices doing business with small business firms all over the world, she explained.

The ACC Office of Small Business Programs tracks and monitors small business achievements in five categories: Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Services Disabled Veteran Owned Business, Woman Owned Small Business, and Certified HUBZone.

In the first two quarters of fiscal 2014, ACC contracting offices awarded more than $1 billion in contracts to small disadvantaged businesses. Women owned small businesses received more than $477 million, service disabled veteran owned small businesses more than $266 million and HUBZone more than $138 million.

Nearly 20,000 small business actions were processed through the dozens of ACC offices around the world, resulting in more than 15 percent of available contract actions being awarded to small businesses. The small business goal for fiscal year 2014 is 19.25 percent. According to Williams, the second half of the fiscal year is the busiest.

ACC exceeded its fiscal year 2013 goals in all categories:

• Small Business 44.86 percent (40 percent goal)

• Small Disadvantage Business 22.74 percent (18 percent goal)

• Women Owned Small Business 9.38 percent (7.5 percent goal)

• Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business 8.65 percent (4 percent goal)

• HUBZone 5.19 percent (5 percent goal)

Those interested in doing business with ACC, or for more information, should visit http://acc.army.mil/smallbusiness/.