The Department of General Services (DGS) announced today the launch of the agency’s Small Business Initiative, a program aimed at increasing the number of small businesses that participate as prime contractors on DGS capital projects. DGS is committed to ensuring District small businesses have the opportunity to build capacity and grow their business by fully participating in government contracting and procurement opportunities. “We know that growing small business is the bedrock of real economic change in the District. This Small Business Initiative is another method in which DGS has identified opportunities to collaborate and build our city’s small business community,” said Director Brian Hanlon.
In an effort to ensure small business have the opportunity to compete and participate as prime contractors, DGS has set- aside solicitations of $3 million and under to be awarded solely to SBEs as prime contractors. These set asides are the results of an extensive research process conducted in 2013 whereby DGS created and distributed the DGS Capacity Survey to identify SBE firms that would qualify to be prime contractors. As a result of that survey and program, it was determined that capital and capital-related projects ranging from $250,000 to $3 million would be identified and included in the new DGS Small Business Initiative.
The Department of General Services has identified approximately a dozen contracts that will be marked as set aside for the Small Business Initiative. The first of these solicitations will be released today, November 19th, and the remaining will become available for SBEs to bid on in the coming weeks.
About The Department of General Services:
The mission of the Department of General Services (DGS) is to elevate the quality of life for the District with superior construction, first-rate maintenance and expert real estate management. By building and maintaining safe and green state-of-the-art facilities which foster economic growth and elevate educational environments, our trusted and skillful employees create modern and vibrant communities across all of the District of Columbia.
