Pilot program will help small businesses compete for large contracts
SBA is offering $5 million in grants to established companies willing to shepherd smaller ventures through the procurement process.
The Small Business Administration plans to award up to $5 million in grant funding as part of a pilot program to assist undersized firms competing for large contracts, the agency announced on Tuesday.
The Small Business Teaming Pilot program, established under the 2010 Small Business Jobs Act, provides grants to well-established national companies or organizations capable of training and guiding small business contractors. The assistance, which can be in the form of a joint venture, or a prime and subcontractor relationship, is expected to focus on customer relations and outreach, team relations, performance measurement and quality assurance.
Grant recipients also will be expected to help small business locate other firms that would be interested in teaming with them to compete for larger contract opportunities. The grantee would assist the small business teams in identifying appropriate contracts and preparing and submitting bids and offers.
"The Small Business Jobs Act provides critical resources to help small businesses continue to drive economic recovery and create jobs," SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. "The teaming pilot program will help put contract dollars into the hands of small businesses, create job opportunities through the teaming arrangements, help drive innovation and promote economic growth for our nation's economy."
SBA expects to make 10 to 20 grant awards of $250,000 to $500,000 for fiscal 2011. Awards will be made for a base project period of one year, with four optional 12-month extensions. Applicants must be part of a private entity -- either for-profit or nonprofit -- that is at least three years old, and they must have experience working with small business issues on a national level.
The organizations SBA selects will be required to coordinate their assistance with the agency's district offices and other federal, state, local and tribal government small business development programs.
The pilot program is one of several provisions in the Small Business Act designed to assist small firms in winning contracts. Other programs help businesses gain access to capital, expand exporting opportunities and re-establish parity among the small business contracting subcategories.
Grant proposals must be submitted through the federal website Grants.gov by Feb. 25. Additional information on the pilot program is available on SBA's site.