The following press release was published in early June 2012, right after the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA). The big news here for small business was that the act includes all of the separate small business provisions in one place, making it much easier to get them passed in one fell swoop. Since this bill had to go through in order for the Defense Department to operate, this was the fastest and easiest way to get these small business bills passed.
Unfortunately, the Senate equivalent of this act does not have any of these provisions (a highly anti-jobs and anti-small business approach). Luckily, there is a process whereby the two versions are reconciled, and small business can still win if the provisions are included in this reconciled version.
The reason this is news today is because the reconciliation process is coming up, and you can make a difference in the outcome by discussing the situation with your senator and letting him or her know how much you care about these small business issues.
Here’s the press release from the MTA (Mid-Tier Advocacy Group):
MTA Urges Senate Leaders to Pass Defense Legislation that includes “The Advanced Small Business Pilot” and Other Subcontracting Provisions
- Raise from 23% to 25% the amount of federal contracts to small and minority businesses and subcontracts from 35.9% to 40%
- Make it easier for Small Business Directors to advocate for small businesses and participate in the contracting process
- Stop large businesses from winning contracts using small companies as fronts
- Expand mentorship programs in federal agencies
- Overhaul appeals process for contract bundling
Washington, DC – June 4, 2012 – Mid Tier Advocacy (MTA) applauds the efforts of the House of Representatives for passing the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) last month. “Our coalition strongly supports the subcontracting provisions that received bi-partisan support by House members which recognizes the contributions that small and mid-sized firms make to the federal government and the economy. Amidst those provisions is a demonstration pilot which will provide a much needed growth path for emerging small business, which otherwise find it difficult to survive, says Tonya Speed, Executive Director of MTA. “Given that about 70% of government contracts are awarded by the Department of Defense, these sub-contracting improvements will help create jobs by providing increased opportunities for small and mid-tier business.”
MTA supports increasing goals for small business and unbundling contracts as a means to reduce cost to the federal government, while creating thousands of jobs for highly skilled workers, many of whom are returning veterans.
We encourage Senate Leaders to include these important subcontracting provisions that will create jobs, reduce cost, foster growth and increase diversity within the federal procurement data base.
About Mid-Tier Advocacy (MTA): MTA is a non-partisan coalition that consists of “premier companies” that are either small or mid-sized. These dedicated entrepreneurs are committed to being engaged in the policies affecting the sustainability and survivability of small business.
