Small Business Accomplishments

AOC procurement authority is separate from the Competition in Contracting Act and other laws affecting the Executive Branch, and AOC is not authorized by law to use the Small Business Act for set-aside programs or subcontracting plans. However, AOC’s procurement authority does provide discretion in the level of competition required when using small purchase procedures for open market purchases. As a result of this discretion, AOC is interested in directing more business opportunities to the small business community and has created a small business subcontracting program and a small business set-aside program for small purchases $100,000 or less. AOC works collaboratively with the Small Business Administration to implement and operate small business programs at AOC.

AOC has established socio-economic goals through its small business programs for prime contract awards to small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, and HUBZone small business concerns. In FY 2014, as shown in the table below, a goal of 65 percent of all contract awards were to go to small businesses. The percentage of awards to various small business categories within this goal is also shown in the table. AOC exceeded the goals for every category of small business concerns through increased visibility in the small business community, consultations with small business concerns seeking information regarding the AOC’s procurements, on-going data collection efforts on the type of business of AOC vendors, and actively seeking small business concerns for small purchases.

AOC’s other efforts to support local and small businesses include hosting a Small Business Industry Day in February 2014 at the CVC, and recognizing AOC jurisdictions that met or exceeded socio-economic contracting goals through the Architect’s Honor Awards Program. In FY 2014, AOC awarded contracts in excess of $26.8 million to small businesses.

Small Business Program Accomplishments, October 1, 2013 to September 30, 2014, See Full Report, Page 156