One on one counseling is a
fantastic way for small business representatives to get some key information
regarding doing business with NASA; however, before signing up for a counseling
session, I highly recommend that all those interested first visit our website, www.osbp.nasa.gov. The site contains an abundance of information,
including a step-by-step guide on how to do business with NASA.
If you still feel like
one-on-one counseling would provide some additional benefit, there a few ways
to go about it. I mentioned our outreach events in a previous post. Most
Industry Day events provide a block of time for counseling sessions. Signing up
for these sessions is a great way to get some guidance from a NASA Small
Business representative.
Make sure to do your
homework! Research the agency to see if you are able to support a specific
requirement before making any appointment. Have a detailed list of requirements
that you are interested in, many of which can be found on NASA’s Acquisition
Forecast at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/forecast/. Contact the referenced POCs and prime contractor small
business liaison officers (SBLOs) if you are interested in subcontracting
opportunities.
As I’m sure many small
business owners are aware, NASA’s procurement is decentralized, with each of
its Centers having their own procurement office and small business specialist
(SBS). Being one of the best teams in the federal government, many of our
center SBS’s are working hard, but if you have a specific question that’d you
like answered, feel free to reach out to a center near you. Contact information
for our Center SBS’s can be found at http://osbp.nasa.gov/map.html.
As always, we here at the
Headquarters Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) will be happy to point
you in the right direction if you have a particular question you’d liked
answered. Feel free to call at (202) 358-2088 or reach out to us via smallbusiness@nasa.gov.