Ra) A Big Opportunity For Small Contractors BE (NAPSA)}Thereis good news for small businesses looking for contracting opportunities. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is working to make sure small businesses get their fair share of contracting opportunities resulting from the 2009 Recovery == Act. The Recovery Act, The SBAAnd Contractors The Recovery Act of 2009 The Recovery Act of 2009 requires all federal agencies requires all the federal agencies involved to provide opportunities to provide opportunities for small for small businesses to compete La 4 businesses to compete for con- for contracts. $25,000 will be posted on the Web site FedBizOpps (www.fbo.gov). Subcontractors can also learn about opportunities directly from primecontractors. These can be identified through the SBA Subcontracting Network at sba.gow/subnet/search/index.cfm. Targeted Assistance Small businesses can also contact the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization in any participating agency procuring services. These offices are designed to assist small businesses with obtaining contracts from agencies and prime contractors. The SBA And The Act The SBA haslong had a commitment to helping small businesses compete in the market place. Its work with the Recovery Act of 2009 is a logical extension of that work. To learn more,visit SBAgov. tracts. To make sure that small businesses are aware of existing opportunities and how to take advantage of them, the SBA is working with its district offices to provide information and guidance. Readiness Required For example, while the Recovery Act is a federal program, the projects funded by the act will, in many cases, be administered at the state or locallevel, with the funds provided directly to state andlocal governments. To be competitive, contractors mus be “contract ready.” This means they must be registered and certified to do business with the state andlocal entities awarding the contracts and familiar with their procedures. Access To Information All federal government contracting opportunities over Note to Editoi ‘his is the seventh in a series of 11 articles from the Small Business Administration on Recovery Act initiatives and how small businesses can get the help they need to survive andthrive.
