Small Businesses, DoD Wants to Hear From You

It’s no secret that Uncle Sam is the world’s single largest purchaser of goods and services. And the Department of Defense purchases the most, among federal agencies. DoD is, in other words, the Big Kahuna among federal purchasers.

All this purchasing power comes with a catch: DoD has a plethora of rules and regulations that govern how DoD will purchase these items, and from whom. Though small businesses play a vital part in DoD’s purchasing regime, small business contractors know all-too-well the barriers they face in working with DoD.

Thankfully, DoD isn’t oblivious to these concerns, and it wants to hear more about them.

DoD recognizes that small businesses play a vital role in its supply chain—small businesses “allow the U.S. to maintain its technological superiority, military readiness, and warfighting advantages” and “maintain supply chain resilience.” And though DoD awards billions of dollars in contracts to small businesses annually, it is nonetheless concerned about the decrease in the number of small businesses within its supply chain over the last decade.

So, to help mitigate risks to its supply chain, and in furtherance of President Biden’s goal of expanding and securing the supply chain, DoD has issued a request for comment to small businesses about the barriers small businesses face in working with DoD.

Specifically, DoD would like feedback on:

i. Government business practices that might inhibit or deter small businesses’ from producing and/or providing goods, services, and materials for DoD requirements, to the detriment of the small business sector and in turn the defense industrial base;

ii. Regulations and business practices which may strain rather than strengthen the relationship between the Department and small businesses;

iii. The impact of the Department’s major programs to support small business participation in the defense industrial base, specifically, the Mentor-Protégé Program, Indian Incentive Program, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers, the Rapid Innovation Fund, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR);

iv. The use of past performance information during the periods of source selection, ongoing performance, and collection of information;

v. Increasing the Department’s utilization of small business innovations;

vi. The Department’s efforts to assist small businesses that seek to do business with the government, including experiences in working with the Department’s contracting workforce;

vii. Contracting timelines and the impact of those timelines on small businesses;

viii. The availability of skilled labor and other personnel to sustain a competitive small business ecosystem;

ix. Research, development, and demonstration priorities to support production and an advanced manufacturing base for the Department’s requirements;

x. Policy recommendations or suggested executive, legislative, regulatory action to foster more resilient supply chains, greater competition in the defense industrial base, and/or more small business participation during the procurement process; and

xi. Any additional comments from small businesses relevant to the assessment of supply chain resilience.

So, small businesses, here’s your chance. If you work with DoD, take advantage of the opportunity to submit comments on barriers you’ve faced, or ideas for how to make small business contracting easier with the Department.

Comments can be made through regulations.gov (search “DoD-2021-OS-0077,” and hit the “comment” button), until October 25, 2021.

Don’t miss this important chance to help shape small business contracting. And, if you have any questions about contracting with DoD, please reach out.