OFFICE OF
SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS
 
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DIA's Office of Small Business Programs is committed to increasing acquisition opportunities to small businesses. We understand how forming partnerships with the private sector enhance the DIA mission and support U.S. growth. Their contributions to our national economy in terms of innovation, job creation, efficiency, increased competition, reduced prices and quality sources of supply warrant the inclusion to the greatest extent possible when making Federal contract award decisions.

The OSBP serves as the Agency's focal point for issues and practices concerning small business utilization. The office promotes the use of small, disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. In addition, OSBP provide assistance to small businesses by participating in and conducting outreach activities to ensure a fair portion of DIA's total acquisitions are awarded to small businesses pursuant to public law.

Small businesses will be given an equitable opportunity to compete for all contracts that they can perform, consistent with the best interests of the Government.

MISSION

Provide small businesses maximum practicable opportunities to participate in the contracting process at the prime and subcontracting level.

We serves as the Agency’s focal point for issues and practices concerning small business utilization. We promote the use of small, disadvantaged, women-owned, HUBZone, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned small business. In addition, we provide assistance to small businesses by participating in and conducting outreach activities to ensure a fair portion of DIA's total acquisitions are awarded to small businesses.

VISION

Establish the Office of Small Business Programs as a center of excellence within the DoD and Intelligence Community in assisting and leveraging small businesses.

CONTACTING OSBP
 


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RESOURCES & PRESENTATIONS
 
SMALL BUSINESS UTILIZATION

The Federal Government has statutory contracting goals to award a percentage of its contracting dollars to small businesses. The president of the United States shall annually establish Government-wide goals for procurement contracts awarded to small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and small business concerns owned and controlled by women. Notwithstanding the Government-wide goal, each agency shall have an annual goal that represent, for that agency, the maximum practicable opportunity for small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, and small business concerns owned and controlled by women to participate in the performance of contracts let by such agency. The Small Business Administration approves the final goals set by the Department of Defense, and the DoD then provides goals to each agency. The prime contract award goals for DIA is as follows:

Prime Contract Award Goals

 
  FY18 Goals FY19 Goals FY20 Goals FY21 Goals
Small Business 26.0% 26.0% 30.0% 30.0%
SDB 5.0% 5.0% 5.0% 5.0%
WOSB 5.0% 5.0% 5.0% 5.0%
SDVOSB 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0%
HUBZone 3.0% 3.0% 3.0% 3.0%
 

DIA has met all of their goals since fiscal year 2017, with the exception of HUBZone small business goals. The Agency is actively working with the HUBZone community to increase opportunities and welcome suggestions on potential ways to increase HUBZone prime contract awards.

SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS & 8(A) PROGRAM

A small disadvantaged business means a small business that is at least 51% unconditionally owned by one or more individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged, or a publicly owned company that has 51% of its stock owned by such individuals and that has its management and daily business controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Individual groups falling into this category are:

  • Black Americans.
  • Hispanic Americans.
  • Native Americans.
  • Asian-Pacific Americans.
  • Subcontinent-Asian Americans.

Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637 (a)) established a program that authorizes the Small Business Administration to enter into contracts with other agencies and subcontract the work to eligible firms — known as 8(a) contractors.

SBA has delegated this authority to some Federal agencies through the execution of a partnership agreement. The Department of Defense has a partnership agreement in place.

The partnership agreement eliminated the tri-part contract. However, the offering and acceptance is still required. Offering letters are written and processed by OSBP. Provide the small business office with the applicable information needed to prepare the offering letter. Requirements with an anticipated price including options, not exceeding $6.5M for manufacturing or $4M for all others, may be awarded sole source. Awards above these thresholds must be completed and they must be made at a fair and reasonable price.

Note: Requirements that have been accepted in the 8(a) program shall remain in the program unless SBA agrees to release the requirement from the program.

MENTOR PROTÉGÉ PROGRAM

DIA’s OSBP participates in the Department of Defense Pilot Mentor Protege Program. Mentors and proteges are solely responsible for finding their counterparts. Legislatively, DoD Office of Small Business programs participation in the teaming of partnering mentors and proteges is prohibited. Therefore, OSBP strongly encourages firms to explore existing business relationships in an effort to establish a mentor-protege relationship.

Communication, compatibility and commitment are key to a successful agreement. DIA is interested in mentor-protege teaming agreements that offer opportunities to enhance industry capabilities aligned against DIA’s strategic mission areas.

DIA MPP core mission areas are:

  • All Source Intelligence (HUMINT/CI).
  • MASINT.
  • Science and Technology.
  • Information Technology (Cybersecurity/Information Assurance).
  • Languages.
  • Modeling & Simulation.
  • Emerging Technologies/Capabilities.

There are three types of MPP agreements:

  • Reimbursable: Reimbursement for reasonable, allocable and allowable expenses to be reimbursed to the mentor through a contract.
  • Credit: Costs incurred under a credit agreement are not directly reimbursed, but are applied under Federal Agency subcontracting plan 19.703 toward SDB subcontracting goals in different multiples based on assistance provided. This is an opportunity for mentors struggling in meeting subcontracting goals on DIA contracts.
  • Hybrid MP Agreements: Utilizes some credit and some reimbursement instead of exclusively one or the other.

Current Mentors:

  • Allegheny Science & Technology.
  • Cyberspace Solutions.
  • General Dynamics Information Technology.
  • Global Resources Solutions.
  • Parsons.
  • Invictus International Consulting.
  • ManTech Advanced Systems International.

Current Protégés

  • Advanced Decision Vectors.
  • Assured Consulting Solutions.
  • BlueHawk.
  • Blue Sky Innovative Solutions.
  • NetSecurity.
  • Reveal Global Consulting.
  • Preting Consulting.
  • Targeted Approach.
  • Willbrook Solutions.
  • Cognitive.

DIA’s MPP solicitation can be found on https://beta.sam.gov/.

Additional resources: https://business.defense.gov/Programs/Mentor-Protege-Program/.

DIA MPP point of contact: mpp@dodiis.mil.