Small Businesses Get 76% of GSA Katrina Contracts
Since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast one year ago today, 76 percent of the GSA’s contracting dollars in response to the worst natural disaster in U.S. history have gone to small businesses. Additionally, GSA continues to reach out to small businesses, helping them prepare to respond to the next disaster.
“We don’t just pay lip service to the notion of doing business with small businesses,” GSA Administrator Lurita Doan said. “Since Katrina hit, the majority of those contracting opportunities have gone to small businesses. We have shown ourselves to be their champion.”
One of the methods by which GSA simplified the process of finding federal contracting opportunities for small businesses is through its web site, gsa.gov. A Disaster and Emergency Operations Vendor Profile form is now online and asks businesses to list the products and services they have on hand to deliver in the event of emergency for relief, clean up and restoration.
The Disaster and Emergency Operations Vendor Profile form puts small businesses on the government’s radar so they do not miss out on federal contract opportunities in a time of disaster. More than 1,500 small businesses have used the online form to identify themselves for this purpose since going live in July. Businesses interested in filling out a profile must first register on the Central Contractor Registry.
“This is positive thing for everyone involved,” said Felipe Mendoza, Associate Administrator of the Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU). “Small businesses gain visibility, and contractors can easily identify where to go for the products and services they need. And most importantly it allows us to respond as quickly as possible in an emergency to help those in need.”
Of the more than $630 million in contracts GSA awarded in response to Hurricane Katrina, $478 million went to small business, with more than $37 million going to firms classified as small disadvantaged businesses.
GSA’s Office of Small Business Utilization serves as an advocate for small; small disadvantaged; Section 8(a); woman-owned; HUBZone; veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran owned businesses as well as federally recognized Native American tribes and tribal organizations.
Small Business Utilization >
Vendor Profile Form >
Central Contractor Registration >
Index of Feature Stories
