REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- When it comes to small business, Army Materiel Command continues to create win-win opportunities that develop capabilities, grow industry and provide Soldiers with the best equipment possible.
And, this year, AMC was the biggest winner of all.
AMC’s Office of Small Business Programs recently won the Department of the Army’s Fiscal Year 2021 Command Award for Small Business, recognizing superior performance by AMC Headquarters and its 10 major subordinate commands in implementing innovative initiatives that increased the credibility and stature of the Small Business Program and improved the implementation of small business programs throughout the AMC enterprise.
“Small businesses bring a lot to the bench in terms of capabilities and innovative solutions,” said Thaddeus Martin, director of AMC’s Office of Small Business Programs.
“For every successful small business, there is a large business or an organization that reached back and helped them during their early years. That’s how we continue to grow the nation’s industrial base.”
The award is based on increases in small business participation at the prime or subcontractor level on AMC contracts, improvements in the working relationship between AMC’s broader acquisition team and small business, and AMC initiatives that improved its small business program.
AMC has won the Army’s command award for small business six consecutive times between fiscal years 2014 and 2019. But, in fiscal year 2020, the award was won by the Army Corps of Engineers, one of five large Army organizations whose small business programs compete against each other each year. The others are the Army Medical Command, National Guard Bureau and Army Futures Command.
Even though AMC didn’t win the award in fiscal year 2020, it has achieved its small business goals for eight consecutive years. In fiscal year 2021, 25.22% of AMC’s contracting dollars went to small business, surpassing the goal of 22.60% and representing 49,614 contracting actions and $18.26 billion in contracting awards. AMC’s small business awards in fiscal year 2021 represent 64.82% of the Army’s $28.17 billion total small business eligible dollars.
In addition, AMC has led the Army in the past seven years in the amount of awarded dollars to small business, growing from 48.71% of total contract dollars in fiscal year 2013 to 64.82 in fiscal year 2021.
“Our numbers keep increasing each year,” Martin said. “AMC sees small business as a high priority throughout day-to-day functions and duties. These numbers signify that small business is big business within AMC.”
Martin said such success was possible only through the efforts managed through AMC’s small business programs at each of its 10 major subordinate commands, which includes 61 small business professionals.
“It is a collaboration across all the MSCs,” Martin said. “The procurement processes are the same across the board. But AMC has such a vast portfolio that each small business program brings something different to the table in terms of opportunities. Combine that with the AMC footprint being nearly everywhere in the world, and you can see that AMC has the Army’s most diverse mission. Our small business professionals keep mission readiness as their top focus as they work through unique contracting challenges.”
AMC has developed a three-year strategic and implementation plan that identifies small business performance as both prime and subcontractors; contributions that align with AMC’s Lines of Effort; support of statutory requirements and office readiness; and support of upcoming requirements. AMC has also realigned its small business offices to ensure operationalized structure and developed standardized small business messaging to communicate to industry.
Martin said AMC’s small business offices worked within their business communities to improve small business relationships through such outreach events as annual Advance Planning Briefings to Industry, match-making meetings and national small business conferences.
“These activities encourage our acquisition team to interact with small businesses in helping them understand and navigate upcoming requirements and processes,” Martin said. “We are working to break down barriers in the Army procurement process by identifying clearer points of entry.”
AMC small business professionals provide coaching, support and feedback to grow and develop successful small businesses, he said. In addition, he said the commitment of Army senior leaders in supporting small business efforts has had a huge impact on the program.
Referring to AMC’s new Small Business Strategic and Implementation Plan, Martin said the organization’s small business professionals will help the Army embed best practices that will spur maximum small business innovation; increase entry points for small businesses into defense markets; and streamline regulation and policy to make it easier for small businesses to contribute to mission requirements.
“The strategic focus enhances the Army’s top priorities of People, Readiness and Modernization while advocating for small businesses,” Martin said. “The importance of increasing small business participation within defense procurements is more than just meeting statutory requirements. It is critical to our national security, the protection of the warfighter and the resilience of our nation’s economy.”
One new best practice that AMC is working to establish throughout the Army is the use of video capability statements, which are brief videos that small businesses can use to market their capabilities to Army organizations.
“To open doors of opportunity , small business owners need to be able to tell Army acquisition professionals five things: What they do; What they do best; Who they are currently working for; What does their company do that aligns with Army priorities and Where they are going with their company,” Martin said.
While AMC small business professionals support small businesses by increasing their contracting opportunities, they are also ensuring AMC messaging is the same throughout the AMC enterprise.
“We are committed to a dynamic AMC Small Business Program that is strategically aligned with the Department of Army and AMC command priorities,” Martin said. “We are focused on ensuring small business is involved in supporting the Army’s contract needs and advocating for small businesses within the Department of Army.”
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