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Government Contracting

For Women-Owned

Small Businesses

Erin Andrew Assistant Administrator U.S. Small Business AdministrationKristie Arslan Executive Director Women

Impacting Public Policy

SBA’s Contracting Resources for Women-Owned

Businesses

Erin Andrew

Assistant Administrator

SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership

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Women-Owned Firms Continue to Grow

Women-owned business generate over $1.3 trillion ($2.7 trillion*) in revenues

and employ nearly 7.8 million (16 million*) people

• Between 1997 and 2013, the number of women-owned firms

grew by 59%

• Despite these findings, women-owned businesses employ just

6% of the nation’s workforce and contribute less than 4% of

business revenues

• Women entrepreneurs are found in higher concentrations

among retail sales and services industries and are more likely

to be organized as proprietorships

• 30% of enterprises in the U.S. are women-owned

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Ensuring Small Firms Get Government Contracts

- $90B portfolio of loan guarantees through 5,000

lenders

- $2.6B in growth capital via Small Business Investment

Companies (SBIC)

- Ensuring 23% of federal contracts go to small firms

- $100B annually

- 5% to women-owned firms

- 5% to small disadvantaged businesses

- 3% to HUBZone companies

- 3% to service-disabled veteran-owned firms

- Free and low cost counseling and training to 1million

entrepreneurs per year

- 107 Women’s Business Centers; 68 field and

regional offices; 1,000 Small Business

Development Centers; 12,000 SCORE volunteers

Capital

Contracting

Counseling

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Women Have Additional Opportunities Through the WOSB

Contracting Program

General Program Details:

• The WOSB Program went into effect in 2011 and since then SBA has held a number

of training and outreach events to assist small businesses and contracting officers

with understanding the program and its requirements.

Eligibility Requirements for the Program:

• A small business that is at least 51% percent unconditionally and directly owned and

controlled by one or more women who are United States citizens.

• A woman must manage the day-to-day operations, make long-term decisions for the

business, hold the highest officer position in the business and work at the business

full-time during normal working hours.

• There is no minimum amount of time that you must be in business to be eligible, but

there are requirements for managerial experience.

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The WOSB Contracting Program Provides Opportunities to

Meet the 5% Goal

Women’s Performance in the WOSB Contracting Program

• In FY 13, 4.32% percent of small business eligible contracting dollars were awarded to woman-owned small businesses, which is approximately $15.4 billion. SBA is currently working on the reports for FY14 and hopes to see the trend of contracting dollars awarded to women grow toward the 5% mandate.

Additional Resources

• For additional information visit www.sba.gov/wosb

• Upload the appropriate documents in the WOSB Program Repository, sometimes referred to as the General Login System or “GLS” at https://eweb.sba.gov/gls/dsp_login.cfm.

Other Things to Think About

• Access to Markets includes exporting opportunities for women

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Kristie Arslan, WIPP Executive Director

Leads the organization in its efforts to

inform and advocate for women

business owners on economic policy

and current legislative initiatives that

impact business health and growth.

SPEAKER

www.WIPP.org©2015 WIPP All Rights Reserved

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CHANGES TO THE WOSB PROGRAM

Legislation was passed and signed into law (P.L. 113-291) in December 2014 which made needed changes to the WOSB program

Changes to the WOSB Procurement Program Sole Source Authority

Certification Changes

Expedited study by SBA of eligible industries

To see the legislation text and more information visit WIPP’s Procurement Page:http://www.wipp.org/?page=Procurement

www.WIPP.org

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Contracts up to $4 million for most industry codes and

$6.5 million for manufacturing can be sole sourced

Contracting officer does not have a reasonable

expectation that 2 or more WOSBs will submit offers

Limited to any small business concern owned and

controlled by women

Applies to economically disadvantaged WOSBs as well

as substantially underrepresented industries

SOLE SOURCE EXPLAINED

www.WIPP.org

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Will replace self certification

Entities that can certify: federal agency, a state

government, the SBA or national certifying entity

approved by SBA

CERTIFICATION CHANGES

www.WIPP.org

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SBA generates proposed rule to implement statute

Internal federal agency review

SBA proposes rule for public comment

Comments reviewed by SBA

Final rule proposed –additional comment period

FAR Council adopts

NEXT STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

www.WIPP.org

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Opportunities:

When sole source authority is implemented, it will provide women

business owners access to more contracts.

The expedited disparity study may expand the eligible industries

for the WOSB program, opening new contracting opportunities

Challenges:

Certification requirement (no longer allowing self-certification) for

the WOSB program will add time and cost to business owners

interested in participating in the WOSB program

OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES FOR

WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS

www.WIPP.org

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1. Understanding government procurement jargon

2. Registration -what's needed as a government

contractor

3. Certifications-an effective business development tool

4. Purchase Process

5. Purchase Vehicles

6. Finding contracting opportunities

7. Finding your target market; who buys what you sell

IS THE FEDERAL MARKET RIGHT FOR

YOUR BUSINESS?

www.WIPP.org

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Recognize the differences in federal contracting

Ensure your business infrastructure is ready to take on

work and requirements of a government contract

Build relationships

Mitigate risk

Separate yourself from competition

EDUCATE YOURSELF & GET HELP!

TACTICS FOR SUCCESS IN GOVERNMENT

CONTRACTING

www.WIPP.org

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ChallengeHER: http://www.wipp.org/?ChallengeHER

Events and workshops across the U.S. providing women entrepreneurs with

knowledge and connections to help them successfully compete in the

government marketplace.

Give Me 5: http://www.giveme5.com/

Named after the 5% federal contracting goal for women-owned businesses,

provides a wealth of online education on government contracting.

SBA Education: www.sba.gov

WIPP Federal Contracting Certificate Program

Step by step program to prepare women business owners with doing business

with the federal government. Upon completion of the program, women

business owners earn a listing in the WIPP’s WOSB Directory of Qualified

Contractors.

CONTRACTING RESOURCES TO ASSIST YOU

www.WIPP.org

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QUESTIONS

Please contact WIPP at procurement@wipp.org

with questions or information requests.

www.BusinessFwd.org

www.SBA.govwww.WIPP.org