Organizations receiving federal funding for contracts are required by law to offer subcontracting opportunities to businesses in several special classifications: small businesses (SBs), small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), women-owned small business concerns (WOSBs), historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority institutions (MIs), businesses located in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZones), veteran-owned small businesses, and disabled-veteran businesses. This requirement may apply to contracts (not grants) of $500,000 or more. Georgia Tech’s Office of Sponsored Programs assists Principal Investigators with the preparation of small business plans when the sponsor requires them. Perhaps the most frequently encountered difficulty is the sourcing of qualified firms, and we have been able to identify several resources.
On campus, the single most reliable resource is the purchasing department. That office maintains records on numerous vendors. For assistance, contact Paula Britton, Procurement Contracting Officer, at 404.894.3684. Another source is the Small Business Administration’s Pro-Net. Pro-Net is an Internet-based database of information on more than 195,000 small, disadvantaged, 8(a), HUBZone, and women -owned businesses. It is free to federal and state government agencies as well as to those seeking small business contractors, subcontractors and/or partnership opportunities. This site links directly to a list of Certified HUBZone businesses. Businesses profiled on the Pro-Net system can be searched by SIC codes, key words, location, quality certifications, business type, ownership race and gender, EDI capability, and more. The Pro- Net project is a cooperative effort among SBA’s offices of Government Contracting, Minority Enterprise Development, Advocacy, Women’s Business Ownership, Field Operations, Marketing & Customer Service, the Chief Information Officer, and the National Women’s Business Council.
The federal government’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (SADBU) is another means of locating businesses within these special categories. Many government contracting sites have SADBU representatives who are eager to assist in small business plan preparation and in identifying potential small business sources.