JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Army small business specialists from throughout the country participated in roundtable discussions July 18-20 at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston as federal agencies finalize their spending strategies in the government’s final quarter of the fiscal year.
Participating in the roundtable were 12 full- and one part-time small business specialists from throughout the Mission and Installation Contracting Command. Joining them are three deputy assistant directors responsible for small business programs oversight at the MICC’s two brigades and two field directorate offices.
In fiscal 2016, the MICC awarded approximately $2.1 billion to small business across the country while meeting goals for the second consecutive year in all five small-business socioeconomic categories. This fiscal year, more than $1.18 billion has been awarded to small business by contracting officers with the command.
“As we enter the final quarter of the fiscal year, bringing together our small business advocates from throughout the command allows us to not only accomplish valuable training face to face but also focus on our command’s priorities, initiatives and goals,” said Mark Massie, assistant director for MICC Small Business Programs.
The training included topics such as the limitations on subcontracting and sources sought, market research, small business outreach efforts, women-owned small business set-asides, program management review toolkit, small business reporting, program goals, communications and the Department of Defense Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration, or AcqDemo, Project appraisal system.
Additionally, the group reviewed various procurement scenarios in the form of case studies for identifying appropriate policy and procedural applications.
The MICC Small Business Programs office consists of procurement analysts who function independently on a daily basis in the interest of small business for contracts awarded by the organization. They ensure small businesses have the maximum opportunity to compete for Army contracts awarded by the MICC on behalf of supported activities.
The MICC is made up of two contracting support brigades and two field directorate offices responsible for 31 subordinate contracting activities across the United States and Puerto Rico.
The command consists of about 1,500 military and civilian members who are responsible for contracting goods and services in support of Soldiers as well as readying trained contracting units for the operating force and contingency environment when called upon.
Headquartered at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, MICC contracts are vital in feeding more than 200,000 Soldiers every day, providing many daily base operations support services at installations, preparing more than 100,000 conventional force members annually, training more than 500,000 students each year, and maintaining more than 14.4 million acres of land and 170,000 structures.