Counseling for Small Businesses

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.