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. 

NASA Vendor Database Online

I hope everyone had a great new year. I know we did here at the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) and cannot wait to get started working hard with small businesses across the country in 2013.

On that note, I’m happy to announce that the NASA VendorData Base (NVDB) is back up and running. For those unfamiliar with this powerful tool, it is a database for both large and small vendors who wish to do business with NASA. The NVDB is accessible to all NASA employees to assist them in conducting thorough market research during the early phase of acquisition planning and is used to decide if the procurement will be a small business set-a-side or full and open.

Through the NVDB, businesses are able to post capability briefs for review, sign up for e-mail notifications regarding Sources Sought Notices, Requests for Information (RFI), and Request for Proposals (RFP). A quarterly newsletter is also sent out to all those with an account.

OSBP uses the database as a tool to reach out to small businesses on a regular basis. Upcoming outreach events, including industry days and conferences, are often announced to members of the NVDB. Other pressing information regarding small business at NASA may be sent out as well.

I highly recommend that any small business interested in doing business with NASA visit https://vendors.nvdb.nasa.gov/ and create an account. And for both new and old members, don’t forget to subscribe to the OSBP emails!

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.