Women-Owned Small Business Set-Aside Program: Is It Working?

Presented By:Rebecca Kehoe, Manager

Watkins Meegan LLC

Nicolette Hendricks, Sr. VP, Organizational Strategies Inc.Owner, Valhalla Holdings LLC

Anna Urman, Small Business Director

Community Business Partnership

Arline Brex, Lead Business Development SpecialistU.S. Small Business Administration

Proprietary and Confidential

Woman Owned Small Business Set-Aside Program Background

On October 7, 2010, the U.S. Small Business Administration published a final rule effective February 4, 2011, aimed at expanding federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs. The WOSB Federal Contract Program authorizes contracting officers to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible WOSBs and EDWOSBs

But the story actually began 10 years earlier . . .

Woman Owned Small Business Set-Aside Program Background

Proprietary and Confidential 3

Our Panel

Rebecca Kehoe, ManagerWatkins Meegan LLC

Nicolette Hendricks, Sr. VP, Organizational Strategies Inc.Owner, Valhalla Holdings LLC Anna Urman, Small Business DirectorCommunity Business Partnership Arline Brex, Lead Business Development SpecialistU.S. Small Business Administration

Involvement in the WOSB Set-Aside Program

Arline Brex Lead Business Development Specialist

U.S. Small Business Administration

Involvement in the WOSB Set-Aside Program

Anna UrmanDirector, Small Business Development Center

Community Business Partnership

Involvement in the WOSB Set-Aside Program

Nicolette HendricksSr. VP, Organizational Strategies Inc.

Owner, Valhalla Holdings LLC(INSERT LOGO AND SLIDES)

Eligibility Requirements

• 51% owned and controlled by one or more women

• Primarily managed by one or more women• Women must be U.S. citizens• Firm must be “small” under primary NAICS

code• EDWOSB must demonstrate economic

disadvantage per final rule

Eligibility Requirements

Panel Questions:Are the WOSB requirements too restrictive or not

restrictive enough?Are the EDWOSB requirements too restrictive or not

restrictive enough?Has SBA made any determinations of ineligibility?Has there been use of 3rd Party Certifiers?

WOSB/EDWOSB Set-Aside Program

Contracting officers may set aside a requirement for WOSBs if: • The NAICS code is in an industry in which SBA has designated

that WOSBs/EDWOSBs are substantially underrepresented. • The contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that two

or more WOSBs/EDWOSBs will submit offers. • The anticipated award price of the contract does not exceed

$6.5 million in the case of manufacturing contracts and $4 million in the case of all other contracts.

• The contracting officer believes the contract can be awarded at a fair and reasonable price.

Proprietary and Confidential 10

Procurement Set-Asides

Panel Questions:• Are you seeing Contracting Officers setting aside

procurements under the WOSB/EDWOSB Program?• What marketing advantages has the Program offered

that were not available prior to the Program• What can be done to encourage more COs to set-aside

more procurements for the Program?• Will new SBA Proposed Rule on misrepresentation of

size or socio-economic status have an impact WOSB Program?

Top 10 Departments Using WOSB

Air Force

Army

Homeland Security

Agriculture

Navy

Veterans Affairs

Health and Human Services

Transportation

Justice

State

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

EDWOSBWOSB

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Top 10 Products / Services Set Aside for WOSB

R -- Prof, a

dm, & m

gmt

Z -- M

ainten

ance

...of re

al propert

y

S -- U

tilities

& housekee

ping serv

ices

71 -- Fu

rniture

U -- Ed

ucation &

train

ing

Y -- C

onstructi

on of stru

ctures

and fa

cilities

P -- Sa

lvage

servi

ces

70 -- inform

ation te

chnology

equipmen

t

J -- M

ainten

ance

, repair

& re

building o

f equipmen

t

59 -- Ele

ctrica

l / ele

ctronic

equip.

05

101520253035404550

46

30

2012 11 11 8 8 8 7

WOSBEDWOSB

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Conclusions

Is the Woman Owned Small Business Set-Aside Program Working?

Or is it too early to tell?

What is the perception on the “front lines?”

Contacts

Watkins Meegan, LLC8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 950 Vienna, VA 22182 www.WatkinsMeegan.com