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Small Business News

Small Business News

News | March 8, 2024

Small Businesses and National Security a Focus at Federal Procurement Institute Conference

By Suzanne Zurn Office of Small Business Programs

Arlington, VA  –  

Mr. David Busigo, Senior Advisor, Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), participated in a panel discussion session focused on the role of small businesses in the Defense Industrial Base and what the DoD is doing for small businesses at the American Bar Association’s (ABA) annual Federal Procurement Institute Conference on March 7 in Annapolis, Md.

Busigo’s message was clear, "We want small businesses to come up with ideas and innovative approaches to address national security challenges." Recognizing the potential of these enterprises, the DoD is keen on fostering an environment where inventive solutions can thrive.

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Mr. Dave Busigo, OSBP Senior Advisor, making a point at the Federal Procurement Institute on March 7.

A key aspect of this commitment is the array of training resources and incentives provided by OSBP through programs such as APEX Accelerators, Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP), Project Spectrum, and the Indian Incentive Program (IIP), all aimed at supporting small businesses. Notably, he highlighted the past success of the Rapid Integrated Scalable Enterprise (RISE) Program (formerly called the Rapid Innovation Fund - RIF) and emphasized the importance of funding the program to ensure that DoD leverages innovative technology.

Addressing the early engagement and acquisition process, Busigo underscored the importance of workforce retraining and adaptability in the ever-evolving acquisition landscape. The goal is to streamline contract processing time and enhance overall efficiency.

Regarding early engagement and the acquisition process, Busigo emphasized the need to retrain the workforce and encourage adaptability in the ever-changing acquisition environment to improve contract processing time.

The session's panel discussion also delved into the challenges faced by small businesses, including regulatory requirements and the impact of strategic sourcing. The complexity arising from proliferating rules can be daunting, while strategic sourcing vehicles inadvertently limit contract opportunities for small businesses.

This was the 30th anniversary of the Federal Procurement Institute Conference hosted by the ABA’s Public Contract Law Section. The event is well known for covering the gamut of significant federal procurement developments, and this year’s panels addressed a variety of emerging issues in the government contract arena with a specific focus on national security in public procurement.

DoD Small Business News

OSBP and NIST Partner for Small Businesses

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on small business matters, and  U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program (MEP) signed a memorandum of agreement on May 02, 2021 to collaborate on strengthening the national security of the small business industrial base.

The new partnership links two DOD organizations with a common mission to assist small businesses and  to achieve shared objectives:

  • Provide training and technical support to small-and-medium U.S. manufacturers engaged or planning to engage with the defense sector.
  • Promote and co-sponsor joint training events beneficial to national security, with an emphasis on cybersecurity for defense manufacturing.
  • Establish direct and consistent relationships at multiple organizational levels within both Parties to document and share complementary assistance best practices.  
  • Develop clear objectives, benchmarks and goals to measure success, added value, and synergy of collaborations between NIST MEP and OUSD(A&S) OSBP.

The OSBP and NIST partnership enables more DOD collaboration and support of small and medium manufacturers (SMMs). They will Collaborate to support the ongoing development and security of the Defense and Industrial Base.

This partnership will combine OSBP’s expertise in leveraging small businesses to close capability gaps for our armed forces with the MEP National Network.  The MEP operational base provides an opportunity for OUSD(A&S) OSBP to serve as a resource for the MEP Program of MEP Centers engages defense sector and defense-relevant manufacturing clients to promote and provide technologies, prototypes and products for National Security missions.