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Omaha, NE – FY2022 was a successful year for Nebraska companies involved in Federal Contracting. Contracts awarded to Nebraska small businesses totaled $584.9M. Small business contract awards were 43% of all dollars awarded to Nebraska-based businesses. This success in Nebraska far exceeds the Federal government’s goal of 23% of all federal contract dollars being awarded to small businesses. Likewise, Nebraska exceeded the national goal in four of the five federally recognized socio-economic categories.
In FY2022, Nebraska businesses were awarded the following in total contract dollars by socio-economic category:
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Total $
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$1.33B
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% Of Total NE Dollars
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Small Business
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$584.9M
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43.8%
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8(a) / SDB
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$263.7M
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19.7%
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HUBZone
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$185.1M
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13.9%
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Veteran-Owned Small Business
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$227.1M
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17.0%
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Woman-Owned Small Business
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$31.2M
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2.3%
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Source: FEDMINE.US
“We are proud of the hard work and resilience of Nebraska small businesses to persevere in these hard times to bid, win and execute successfully on federal contracts,” says Lisa Tedesco, Deputy Director of the SBA Nebraska District Office. “We’re especially proud of the fact that Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SBDs) in Nebraska received almost 20% of total contracting dollars awarded in Nebraska. This exceeds the goal of 11% set by the Biden-Harris administration that took effect in FY2022.”
Competing as a small business in the federal government can be a daunting task, so the SBA has developed contracting assistance programs to help ensure that small businesses win at least 23% of all federal contracting dollars each year. Under these programs, small businesses can:
- Win a fair share of federal contracts
- Qualify for exclusive set-aside and sole source contracts
- Partner with established contractors to win contracts
- Get business mentoring and education on how federal contracting works
The SBA has 5 contracting programs that help small businesses be competitive in the federal market. Each program allows only specific businesses to compete for contracts set aside for these programs. More information on each program can be found on SBA’s website.
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program: The Federal Government’s goal is to award at least 5% of all contracting dollars to Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSBs) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSBs). To qualify as a WOSB, the business must be small and be at least 51% owned and controlled by women. To qualify as an EDWOSB the women owners must meet net worth and income requirements.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) program: The Federal Government aims to award at least 3% of all federal contracting dollars for those individuals certified in the SDVOSB program. To qualify, the business must be small, at least 51% owned and controlled by a service-disabled veteran, and that veteran must have a service-connected disability.
8(a) Business Development program: At least 5% of all federal contracting dollars should be awarded through the 8(a) program per the Federal Government contracting goals. This program is specifically for socially and economically disadvantaged business owners who meet personal net worth, assets and net income requirements and are at least 51% owned by an individual(s) who is economically and socially disadvantaged.
HUBZone program: The Federal Government tries to award at least 3% of all federal contracting dollars to Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZones). To obtain a HUBZone certification, a business must be small, have its principal office located in a HUBZone, and have at least 35% of its employees living in a HUBZone. There are multiple HUBZones in Nebraska.
SBA Mentor-Protégé program: This mentorship program is designed to help small businesses learn from an experienced government contractor. Small business protégés can get business development assistance, education, financial assistance, guidance on internal business management systems and more through this formal relationship with a business mentor. This program also allows businesses to take advantage of the other contracting programs through Joint Venture agreements.
Navigating the complex world of contracting can be a challenge for small business owners. The U.S. Small Business Administration partners with the Nebraska Business Development Center’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center (NBDC PTAC), now known as the Apex Accelerator of Nebraska to provide free assistance to business owners interested in pursuing city, state and federal contracts. PTAC counselors are located throughout Nebraska and can help business owners understand the contracting process, obtain certifications, access resources such as Bidmatch to automatically search contracting opportunities, write capability statements, prepare to bid for contracts and much more. For information about free PTAC contracting services please call them at 402-554-6232.
For information on the SBA’s programs, resource partners or services, please contact the Nebraska District Office at 402-221-4691.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more visit www.sba.gov.
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