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. 

Small Business Outreach

Reaching out to small businesses is one of the most important functions of the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). I continue to stress the importance to small businesses of getting face-to-face interactions with small business specialists and decision makers at the multitude of events that take place throughout the country every year.

As part of the 2012-2013 NASA Small Business Improvement Plan, OSBP instituted an initiative focused on increasing outreach in the following low performing socioeconomic areas: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, Women-Owned, and Historically Underutilized Business Zones. Industry Days are one way we are meeting this goal. Attendees can expect active participation from the hosting Center’s SBSs, Technical Advisor(s), Technical Coordinator(s), and Office of the Chief Technologist representative. Of course, all companies are welcomed to attend as space provides. Upcoming Industry Days include: 

• Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Industry Day at Ames Resarch Center on February 5, 2013 - Register at http://arc022013.eventbrite.com

• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Industry Day at Goddard Space Flight Center on August 13, 2013

An updated calendar can always be found on our website, http://osbp.nasa.gov/calendar-osbp.html. For those who are unable to make it to industry events, OSBP produces a fantastic newsletter that can also be found on our website, at http://osbp.nasa.gov/newsletter.html. As always, the website also hosts a wealth of information that can help small businesses get the most out of their partnerships with NASA. 

Update to NASA's Consolidated Acquisition Forecast

Last year, NASA Procurement introduced an incredible new tool for small businesses, the Consolidated Acquisition Forecast. This powerful Excel spreadsheet took forecasts from each of NASA’s center and put them in one place so that both small and large businesses had a quick, easy and useful way to see upcoming acquisitions at NASA. I’m happy to say that this forecast has quickly become an industry best practice and is only getting better with recent improvements.

Those familiar with the forecast will quickly notice some of the improvements that have been made. These changes stem from suggestions from the Small Business Council and NASA Vendor Database users. Updates include:

·      Updated information as of April 2012

·      A list of expiring contracts to help Centers identify requirements

·      Expanded “Acquisitions by Value” levels for more cost specificity

·      Updated chart formats for usability

·      Removal of the Product Service Codes (PSC)

The Acquistion Forecast can always be found at http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/forecast/index.html or NASA's Office of Procurement and OSBP websites. We’re always looking to improve on ways to reach small businesses. The Acquisition forecast is a great way to view upcoming procurements, but if you have a suggestion on how we can make it even better, feel free to comment. 

2012 NASA Agency Honor Awards

Fiscal Year 2012 has brought some great accomplishments for NASA in the small business area. In August, the NASA Small Business Council (SBC) received a well-deserved Group Achievement Award during the 2012 NASA Agency Honor Awards Ceremony for outstanding performance in executing NASA’s Small Business Program in Fiscal Year 2011.

Displaying the SBC’s commitment to excellence, NASA exceeded its small business goal in FY11 with its highest prime small business metric, 17.7%, since 2006. The Council accomplished countless innovative endeavors for reaching out to small businesses across the country, including establishing several new Small Business Industry Days, Joint Counseling Sessions, and a renewed interest in the use of social media. I felt pride for each and every individual who made this award happen. Congratulations to all.

I am optimistic about Fiscal Year 2013. We face a higher Small Business goal than we have in previous years and there are always new challenges, but I have faith in our Agency acquisition community not only to meet our new goals, but to exceed them once again.