U.S. General Services Administration
Region 2 welcomes service-disabled veteran-owned small business owners
By Amanda Smith
NEW YORK - GSA’s Northeast and Caribbean Region’s Office of Small Business Utilization hosted a capabilities briefing for service-disabled veteran-owned small business on May 3.
The briefing, which took place at Region 2’s headquarters at One World Trade Center, welcomed approximately 15 service-disabled veteran-owned small business owners for the purposes of networking, exchanging information and exploring ways in which they can more easily do business with the federal government.
“I want you all to be even more inspired and encouraged to pursue opportunities with the federal government as GSA strives to be an exceptional partner in the industry, especially with small and innovative companies, “ said GSA Northeast and Caribbean Regional Administrator John A. Sarcone III.
The U.S. General Services Administration sets aside contracts specifically for small businesses, and each year, aims to award at least 3 percent of all contracting dollars to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
“We have a goal for service-disabled veteran-owned small business,” said Janice Bracey, director of Region 2’s Office of Small Business Utilization. “We do contract with small businesses in other categories, however, we are striving to meet and exceed our SDVOSB goal.”
On hand to provide additional resources were Supervisory Contracting Officers Jordana Covrigaru and Megan Reed from GSA’s Public Buildings Service who spoke about procurement methods within PBS and offered advice for businesses looking to bid on GSA contracts.
“Contracting opportunities are the best way for small businesses to get their foot in the door. They provide growth and development opportunities and GSA is proud to offer federal contracts for every stage of business ownership,” Covrigaru said.
The event provided a unique opportunity for Region 2 contracting officers to learn more about the small businesses that were in attendance, as each owner briefly explained their firms and line of work to PBS acquisitions staff.
“The success of the event was two-fold. SDVOSB firms gained first-hand knowledge of the federal procurement process, while the acquisitions staff learned more about the small businesses in attendance and the types of work in which they specialize,” said Joan Ryan, deputy director of the Northeast and Caribbean’s PBS Acquisition Management Division.
The Northeast and Caribbean Region’s Office of Small Business Utilization serves as the point of contact for small businesses in New York, Northern New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and provides support in planning, implementing and coordinating programs to help the region meet its contracting goals.