GSA wins award for small-business contracting

The General Services Administration has received the Small Business Administration's Administrator’s Leadership award, which recognizes recipients’ efforts and commitment on behalf of the minority small business community.

GSA received the award because it had the greatest percentage increase of spending with small and disadvantaged businesses from fiscal 2010 to 2011, an SBA spokeswoman said after the event. GSA also had the highest total of actual dollars spent with SDBs among the five agencies with the highest percentage of money going to that category of businesses.

In fiscal 2011, GSA was one of two agencies that received an A+ for its small business contracting efforts.

Last year, GSA awarded 19.2 percent of its contract dollars to SDBs, which is up from 13.42 percent in fiscal 2010. Its goal was 5 percent. More specifically, the agency awarded $669.3 million to SDB in fiscal 2011, albeit a decrease from the $1.088 billion it awarded in 2010.

SBA's small business scorecards.

The award shows the efforts of GSA’s contracting community and agency officials’ commitment to small businesses, Jiyoung Park, Associate Administrator, GSA’s Office of Small Business Utilization, said Oct. 12.

“When it comes to small business contracting, GSA knows the value and savings these companies can provide to not only our agency, but also to others in the federal government,” she said.

GSA’s outreach programs help companies with one-on-one support, mentoring, and procurement assistance. These efforts have helped the firms successfully compete for government contracts.

To be a SDB, the company must meet a size standard and be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by a socially and economically disadvantaged person.