Increasing Business with the Department of Defense

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Increasing Business with the Department of Defense

• Lynn Selfridge
• 301 619-2707
• lynn.selfridge_at_us.army.mil

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Todays Discussion

• GSA Contracts/Get It Right
• Other Multiple Award Schedule Contracts
• Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)
• Service Disabled, Veteran Owned Small Business
• Interagency Contracting
• Business Matchmaking

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GSA Federal Supply Schedules Multiple Award
Schedule Program

• GSAs Federal Supply Schedule offers a suite of
  existing contracts with over 6,000 companies and
  more than 4 million commercial products and
  services using simplified and streamlined
  contracts.
• Why these are favored instruments?
• Prescreened contractors with whom terms,
  conditions and prices are prenegotiated.
• Greater flexibility in selecting contractors
• No public notices or other coordination are
  required
• Broad access to contractors and current technology

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Get It Right

• Complete rules for FSS contracts at FAR 8.405
• Emphasis on need for competition in issuing task
  orders gt100,000
• Minimal competition is review of 3 schedules
• BUT, if the order exceeds maximum threshold,
  additional schedules must be reviewed
• Award may be based on best value or price only
• Award approval required for actions gt100,000
• Major change to services priced using hourly
  rates, requiring
• Statement of Work
• Solicitation of FFP quotes from 3 or more
  schedule holders
• Non schedule sources may not compete, but any
  schedule holder may request to participate in the
  competition

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Get It Right

• The rules on BPAs are largely unchanged.
• Competitively established
• After established, authorized users may place
  orders directly against the BPA noncompetitively
• The GAO is aware of this provision is an audit
  far behind?

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Other Multiple Award Contracts

• Born out of the mid-90s acquisition reforms
  simplify acquiring services
• Award multiple ID/IQ contracts for same service
• Fair opportunity competition of all awardees to
  issue a delivery order, unless justified
• Actually requires firms to compete twice
• once for an ID/IQ contract award
• again, for a delivery order

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Other Multiple Award Contracts

• Use of these instruments criticized
• Justification for limiting competition weak
• Awards to small business plummeted due to
  bundling requirements
• bundling is discouraged
• approval levels established
• But, there is little attention given to burden on
  business for repetitive competitions

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Small Business Innovative Research

• Three phase program for federal RD
• 1. competitive proposals obtained
• lt100,000/and not longer than 6 months
• 2. Limited to phase I awardees
• lt750,000/and not longer than 2 years
• 3. Commercialization of phase 1 2
  research

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SBIR for JPEO-CBD

• Joint Science Technology Office for Chemical
  Biological Defense manages Science and Technology
  component of the Chemical and Biological Defense
  Program
• Technologies developed under SBIR program may
  transition to the JPEO-CBD
• JSTO POC Larry.Pollack_at_dtra.mil

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SBIR Benefits

• Considered a safe way to try out high risk RD
• Small business is often more cost effective than
  large business
• Helps new companies establish track record with
  government
• Allows PM to establish a 2nd source for RD

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More SBIR Benefits

• Phase I is competitive
• Mulitple solutions to any problem may be funded
• Continuation in Phase II may be required
• Only Phase I awardees may participate in Phases
  II and III
• Phase II considers commerciality of RD
• Phase III funded by sources besides the SBIR
  program
• Awards may be sole source to the SBIR developer

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Service Disabled, VeteranOwned Small Business

• Executive Order 13360 established 3 goal and
  reserve requirements for SDVOSB firms
• Identification of qualified SDVOSBs is a
  challenge for government and prime contractors
• Emphasis is to increase outreach efforts to meet
  goal

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Leveraging Other Agencies

• DHHS has substantial resources for research in
  chem/bio that could support the DoDs Chemical
  Biological Defense Program
• Large grant program for technology that could
  easily transition to a other programs
• could apply to JPEO-CBD programs
• could result in making resources available for
  other initiatives

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A Tool Business Matchmaking

• A collaboration between the SBA and HP Small
  Business Foundation
• Purpose is to stimulate jobs and small business
  growth
• Assists small businesses in connecting with
  potential federal, state and local government
  buyers
• In three years, Business Matchmaking facilitated
  contract awards in the amount of 26M
• httpwww.businessmatchmaking.com

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Business Matchmaking (continued)

• Sponsors regional face-to-face events
• Appointments with government/corporate customers
  prearranged
• Offers online network
• Education and resources to sell products
  telephonically at prearranged times.
• Five geographical areas in 2005, national in 2006
• All services are free to the small business
• Only requirement is a DUNS number