JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Small business professionals from across the Mission and Installation Contracting Command combined efforts in fiscal 2023 to exceed contracting goals across all socioeconomic categories for the ninth consecutive year.
Contract actions awarded by MICC contracting professionals to American small businesses totaled approximately $2.98 billion, more than half the value of the command’s $5.64 billion in actions for the fiscal year.
The Army along with other U.S. government agencies set goals for awarding contracts to small businesses.
“The MICC’s goal achievements translate directly to successes by small businesses, which are the lifeblood of our economy and account for more than 60% of all new jobs created,” said Luis Trinidad, director of the MICC Office of Small Business Programs. “This reflects the hard work, dedication and commitment to small business displayed by our small business professionals and contracting personnel on a continuous basis.”
Trinidad explained that the MICC’s assigned small business goals were increased across the board in fiscal 2023. The largest of these increases were in the small, disadvantaged business goal, which increased by 17%, and the historically under-utilized business zone goal, or HUBZone, which increased by 34%.
“Our small business professionals worked closely with MICC offices and assisted with market research to support the use of small business and socioeconomic set asides to the maximum extent possible, resulting in 60.34% of our small business eligible obligations, or approximately $2.98 billion, going to small businesses,” Trinidad said.
He added that achieving the increased fiscal 2023 HUBZone goal was particularly challenging, but an influx of Facility Investment Plan, or FIP, construction projects in support of Fort Campbell contract requirements allowed the MICC to exceed its goal. The MICC small business director credits the strong support for the late push to achieve that goal to Stephen Heath, the deputy to the commander for MICC-Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Heath led the MICC-Fort Campbell team in executing the most HUBZone contract dollars in all of DOD and accounted for 20% of the Army Materiel Command’s HUBZone contract spend. Chief among the HUBZone awards was a $495 million construction multiple award task order contract in fiscal 2023 leveraging the FIP.
Initiated in 2020, the Army aligns focused infrastructure improvements encompassing military construction, restoration and modernization needs with senior leader priorities and funding as part of the FIP process. Led by AMC, the Installation Management Command serves as host for an FIP wargame analysis and revalidation process aimed at strengthening installation readiness for the Army of 2030.
The MICC achieved 12.46% of its 10% goal for HUBZone small business awards, which accounted for 59.09% of contribution toward AMC’s goal in the socioeconomic subcategory. The Small Business Administration’s HUBZone program allows eligible businesses to compete for set-aside contracts when they meet qualifications including size standards, ownership, principal office location and employee living locations.
Thaddeus Martin, the director of the AMC Office of Small Business Programs, said partnering with small businesses is a valuable strategy for the Army as it promotes economic development, fosters innovation and helps ensure a diverse supplier base.
“Helping drive those partnerships are small business professionals throughout the enterprise, including the Mission and Installation Contracting Command, which contributes significantly toward our AMC small business goals,” Martin said. “Through diligence, persistence and a strong commitment to quality and compliance, MICC small business professionals actively sought out opportunities and demonstrated the value small businesses can play in the vital role of supporting the Army's mission.”
Heather Scherer, a small business analyst with the MICC Office of Small Business Programs, said small business professionals from across the command combined to achieve 60.34% against its 51.1% small business goal. The command also achieved 37.83% against a goal of 35.5% for small disadvantaged business; 11.6% against its 10.5% goal for service-disabled veteran-owned small business; and 14.36% against its 11% goal for woman-owned small business.
Trinidad insists that such successes rely on the valuable relationships built between MICC small business professionals, contracting officers and contract specialists throughout the command as well as the support by their commanders and directors.
“We have a great group of small business professionals who are passionate and love what they do. They get involved early in the acquisition process and work jointly with our supported customers and contracting professionals to influence the acquisition strategy and ensure small business compliance,” he said.
He added that support extends to industry representatives interested in doing business with the MICC. This past fiscal year, MICC small business professionals provided small business coordination support on more than 2,700 contract actions, met with 679 small business representatives, and participated in 35 outreach events.
Additionally, the MICC-wide Advanced Planning Brief to Industry in March 2023 afforded command acquisition professionals an opportunity to brief more than 160 mission partner contract requirements as part of its efforts to maintain transparency with industry. Trinidad said the nationwide virtual event drew more than 1,400 registrants and earned a 98% satisfaction rate from survey respondents.
Acquisition professionals from throughout the MICC executed 24,329 contract actions throughout fiscal 2023 ensuring installation readiness requirements across the Army while also meeting the needs of Soldiers and their families.