The Department of Defense has released a notice in the Federal Register asking small businesses to share insights on the barriers they face in contracting with DOD.
DOD said Wednesday it will use industry feedback to inform the development of its small business strategy and seek ways how to utilize small companies’ capabilities to further build up domestic supply chains, improve competition and advance equity and inclusion in the department’s procurement efforts.
The Pentagon is seeking insights on various topics, including government business practices that might deter small companies from providing goods and services in support of DOD requirements; business practices and regulations that strain the relationship between small businesses and DOD; use of past performance data during source selection and information collection processes; and contracting timelines and the impact of such timelines on small businesses, according to the notice.
Public comments are due Oct. 25th.
The request for comments came a week after Kathleen Hicks, deputy DOD secretary and a 2021 Wash100 Award winner, announced that the department is committed to looking at administration barriers facing small companies seeking to do business with the Pentagon and will initiate measures to address those challenges where it can.
