Let’s Replace SBA Small Business Goaling Grades with Participation Trophies

For Fiscal Year 2017, SBA’s small business goaling scorecard awarded 21 agencies grades of “A+” or “A” for their small business contracting and subcontracting.  Two agencies received a “B” and a single, lonely agency brought up the rear with a “C.”  Not one agency received a grade below “C,” even agencies that missed most of their small business goals.

It was a “record breaking” performance, to hear SBA tell it.  But these inflated grades do a disservice to the public and government alike.  So long as almost everyone is going to get a top grade anyway, I say we just replace next year’s SBA goaling grades with agency participation trophies.

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Government Misses HUBZone, WOSB Goals–But Gets “A” Grade Anyway

The government missed its Fiscal Year 2016 HUBZone goal by a country mile, and didn’t hit the 5% WOSB goal, either.  But according to the SBA, the government deserves an “A” for its FY 2016 small business achievements.

That’s some rather generous scoring, wouldn’t you say?

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GovConVoices: Women-Owned Small Businesses Still Underrepresented On Government’s Biggest Contracts

Taken as a whole, the Government-wide performance metrics for small business utilization are encouraging.

The Small Business Administration’s FY2015 report card shows that the Government exceeded its prime contracting goals across four of the five socioeconomic categories measured. Moreover, the amount of federal spend going to small businesses reached an all-time high of over 25%.

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SmallGovCon Week In Review: April 4 – 8, 2016

For me, the theme this week has been “rock stars.”  I began the week with my friends at APTAC–the rock stars of procurement counseling.  And last night, I enjoyed 3 1/2 hours of the rock stars of, well, rock stars, as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

Even as the refrain from “Badlands” keeps running through my head (not a bad thing!) I haven’t forgotten that it’s Friday–and that means it’s time for the SmallGovCon Week In Review.  In this week’s edition, Samantha Bee offers a pointed but humorous take on the pace of progress for WOSBs, a contractor is accused of SDVOSB fraud in a $23 million case, the SBA is proposing to consolidate the SBIR and STTR Policy Directives, and much more.

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SmallGovCon Week In Review: February 29-March 4, 2016

Now that the calendar says March, I’m getting ready for March Madness.  The basketball excitement is building here in Lawrence, home of the #1 ranked Jayhawks.  Tomorrow, I’ll be at Allen Fieldhouse for the last home game of the season, and a farewell to senior standout Perry Ellis.

But don’t worry, I won’t let my excitement over March Madness deter me from bringing you our SmallGovCon Week In Review. This week’s collection of government contracts stories brings great news for WOSBs and EDWOSBs, an update on the abrupt cancellation of a major DHS contract, an effort to permit SDVOSBs to obtain disadvantaged status with the Department of Transportation, and much more.

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Government Nears 25% In Small Business Awards; WOSBs & HUBZones Lag

The government awarded 24.99% of prime contracting dollars to small businesses in Fiscal Year 2014, a sharp increase over the 23.39% figure from 2013.

The SBA’s 2014 Small Business Procurement Scorecard, which was released today, shows that the government beat its 23% goal for the second year running.  It wasn’t all good news, though: the government again failed to meet its WOSB and HUBZone goals.

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