Women-owned businesses in under-represented industries will have more federal contracting opportunities starting in early 2011.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has released the final rule to increase access to federal contracts for women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) in 83 industries in which WOSBs are under-represented in the federal marketplace. The rule is intended to work toward the SBA's statutory goal of 5 percent of federal contracting dollars going to WOSBs.
"Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest-growing sectors of our nation's economy, and even during the economic downturn of the last few years, have been one of the key job creation engines in communities across the country," said Karen Mills, SBA Administrator. "Federal contracts provide critical opportunities for owners of small firms to take their business to the next level and create good-paying jobs."
The new rule identifies 83 industries—including the building trades, manufacturing and high-technology production—in which WOSBs are under-represented in the federal supply chain and aims to make more opportunities available for WOSBs in these industries.
The NGLCC expressed its support for the rule when it was proposed earlier this year, and encouraged the SBA to work with organizations such as the NGLCC in order to "reach the full breadth of WOSBs," and stressed the chamber's support of the statutory goal of 5 percent of federal contracting dollars going to WOSBs.
"This is an opportunity to further increase the representation of women business owners—including lesbian business owners—in the federal government's supply chain, and we applaud the Obama administration for its efforts to see this important step through," said Victoria Fulkerson, director of corporate relations and supplier diversity at the NGLCC. "We encourage our certified suppliers that are women-owned to take advantage of the federal government's newest effort to reach out to women entrepreneurs."
Looking ahead to future opportunities, the NGLCC expressed its hope that all LGBTBEs would one day be included in the SBA's minority-contracting programs.
"Providing greater opportunities for WOSBs to compete for federal contracts will ensure that women-owned LBT business enterprises will enjoy greater opportunities to do business with the federal government," Fulkerson said.
For more information on the final SBA rule, click here.
