Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, TX –
More than 150 business representatives from the San Antonio
metropolitan area met with Army contracting officials March 2 to hear about
upcoming contracting opportunities during the Mission and Installation
Contracting Command fiscal 2016 acquisition forecasting open house at Fort Sam
Houston.
MICC contracting officers from Fort Sam Houston and the
small business specialist briefed their upcoming acquisition needs of Army
units assigned to Fort Sam Houston for the fiscal year.
This open house is one of many events the command conducts
each year to support small businesses throughout the United States.
“By sharing the Army’s acquisition needs, we assist our
customers in acquiring what they need while informing small businesses of every
upcoming requirement we have available,” said Ray Harris, MICC-Fort Sam Houston
director.
“While we have a business relationship, what we do together
is much bigger than just a business relationship. There is a Soldier or Soldier’s family member
at the end of each of our transactions.
Everyone in this room knows a Soldier, was a Soldier or has a relative
who is a Soldier,” Harris said. “By making small business owners aware of what
our needs are and being completely transparent, we will continue to acquire the
best possible equipment and services for our Soldiers.”
The MICC contracting office at Fort Sam Houston purchases
range from professional consulting, advertising, food, and communication
services.
In fiscal 2015, the MICC-Fort Sam Houston obligated more
than $551 million on more than 1,300 contracting actions for the installation.
Of that amount, $211.9 million on more than 900 contracting actions went to
small businesses.
Last year, the office awarded 69 percent of its contracting
actions to small businesses. Of that percentage, 46.9 percent went to small
disadvantaged businesses, 8.9 percent went to service disabled veteran owned
small businesses, 16.7 percent to women owned small business and 10.1 percent
went to HUBZone small businesses. The average award was $397,000.
“Events like this open house allow small businesses to plan
and strategize for requirements for which they would like to compete,” said
Deanna Ochoa, MICC-Fort Sam Houston small business specialist. “Small
businesses can market themselves as prime contractors, subcontractors or look
for teaming arrangements depending on the complexity of requirements. It is an
opportunity for us to meet face to face. They hear firsthand from us about
those requirements we plan for procurement.”
The MICC-Fort Sam Houston contracting office is subordinate
to the 412th Contracting Support Brigade, that along with two other brigades
and a field directorate office, form the MICC.
In fiscal 2015, MICC, headquartered on Fort Sam Houston,
executed more than 36,000 contract actions valued at $5.2 billion in support of
Soldiers and their families with approximately $2.25 billion of that being
awarded to American small business in one of five socioeconomic categories.
Fiscal year 2015 marked the first time the command exceeded its small business
socioeconomic goals.