The New England Region’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization serves as GSA’s regional liaison and advocate for small businesses within Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. As an advocate for small business owners, it is the mission of the OSDBU to promote increased access to GSA’s nationwide procurement opportunities.
GSA, like all federal agencies, has procurement preference goals for contracting with small businesses. Procurement preference goals are a performance measure that GSA strives to achieve through its various programs.
The Procurement Preference Goal categories are:
- Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB)
- 8(a) Business Development (8(a) BD)
- Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB)
- Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone)
- Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
The OSDBU promotes programs and activities for small business owners that provide access to GSA and other federal agencies by:
- Working with GSA contracting officers to highlight small businesses for specific contracts
- Partnering with federal, state and local agencies to assist potential vendors
- Providing information and guidance regarding the Agency’s Procurement Forecast and Contracting Opportunities
- Participating in GSA events such as networking sessions, forums, events, conferences, workshops and trade shows
- Assistance for small businesses
U.S. General Services Administration