Is there a preference to veteran-owned businesses in awarding contracts on federal-funded projects?

By Anonymous on Friday, January 18, 2002 - 04:28 pm:

There is no "preference" or set-aside program that I am aware of.

By RonGCPA on Friday, January 18, 2002 - 06:52 pm:

Cindy -

I agree there is no specific set-aside which you can confirm at several sites, including the SBA. I think the controlling provisions are at:

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/15/644.html

Generally, veteran owned businesses would be grouped with other small businesses.

Their is a specific goaling requirement for service-disabled veteran owned business (3%). There is interesting testimony on this at:

http://www.vva.org/LegIss/62001tes.htm

Hopefully others can provide more specifics on this issue.

By bob antonio on Friday, January 18, 2002 - 06:58 pm:

The programs of the federal government are embedded in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Parts 19 and 22. Maybe other Parts too.

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/19.htm#P0_0

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/far/22.htm#P0_0

The FAR can be reached from here.

http://www.wifcon.com/regsfar.htm

You may find some more heldpful information from the Department of Veterans Affairs site "Center for Veterans Enterprise."

http://www.vetbiz.gov/

The Small Business Administration provides "The Veterans Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Act of 1999" on its site. Check Title V which says

"TITLE V - PROCUREMENT ASSISTANCE SECs. 501 and 502 includes veteran small businesses within Federal contracting and subcontracting goals for small business owners and within goals for the participation of small businesses in Federal procurement contracts. It requires the head of each Federal agency to establish agency goals for the participation, by small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, in that agency's procurement contracts."

http://www.sba.gov/VETS/lawsummary.html

Finally,wifcon's "Small Business" page will include small business proponents whom I suspect are to fulfill the above law.

http://www.wifcon.com/osdbu.htm

This should help you on your way.

By Larry Edwards on Tuesday, January 22, 2002 - 03:59 pm:

Look at item V in FAC 2001-01:

http://farsite.hill.af.mil/reghtml/changes/fac/fac2001-01.htm

By CMERCY on Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 08:48 am:

Do you have a question?

By Anonymous on Thursday, February 07, 2002 - 03:28 pm:

We are "encouraged" to increase our procurement awards to veteran-owned small businesses (vosbs) and service disabled/veteran owned small businesses (sd/vosbs). Those two categories were added to FAR clause 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns which is included in Government solicitation/contracts over the simplified acquisition threshold.

Each Government activity with a procurement mission has assigned various Small Business Program goals (now called "targets" if you work for DoD) they are to "attempt to attain" for each fiscal year. There is a 3% goal that the Government is to attempt to attain for placing awards to sdvosbs.

For subcontracting efforts, when a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required, the offeror must submit vosb and sd/vosb goal in their plan.