Forging Ahead
White House labors to put procurement projects into entrepreneurs' hands.
Officials aren't working hard enough to persuade contractors to subcontract with smaller firms, according to recent guidelines drafted by the White House aimed at boosting small-business participation in federal procurement projects. Although recent SBA data shows subcontracts to small businesses accounted for $61.2 billion out of a $197.5 billion federal procurement pie, the gentle nudge from Deidre Lee, administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), is a welcome one for small business.
Lee is encouraging federal procurement officers to adopt four best practices: 1) to establish award programs that recognize prime contractors who promote opportunities for small business as subcontractors, 2) to evaluate subcontracting plans, 3) to use past performance techniques, and 4) to use aggressive goaling techniques. These are only guidelines, however; there's currently no mechanism in place to ensure these practices are used.
Memorial Day Subscription Sale- Unlock this subscriber exclusive article and more for 20% off today.
Access all Entrepreneur content with no ads, unlock discounts, and get exclusive advice only available to our subscribers. Plus, our magazine delivered straight to your door.
Get a year subscription today for 20% off. Just use code SAVE20 at checkout.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
James Dyson Created 5,127 Versions of a Product That Failed Before Finally Succeeding. His Tenacity Reveals a Secret of Entrepreneurship.
-
7 Meaningful Ways Your Business Can Honor Memorial Day
-
Breast Implants Left This Founder With Debilitating Symptoms, So She Launched an Intimate-Apparel Line That Goes Beyond Buzzwords
-
Kids in the Hall's Bruce McCulloch Says TikTok Is the New Punk Rock
-
'I Am Not a Diversity Quota,' Says the Founder Disrupting the Dessert Category
-
Memorial Day Is a Time for Remembrance, So What's With All the Mattress Sales?
-
Pharrell Williams, Contemporary Artist Nina Chanel Abney and Brand-Builder Shaun Neff Announce Launch of Game-Changing NFT Platform