Small Biz Bulletin
January 8, 2021
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Message from Special Secretary Rhee
Small Businesses Make a Big Impact
Earlier this week, Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford made an important announcement at the Board of Public Works meeting. Governor Larry Hogan, through the first Executive Order issued in the new year, is enhancing Maryland's Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program by requiring all units under the authority of the governor to reserve procurements valued between $50,000 and $500,000 to the SBR. This race- and gender-neutral program creates a unique marketplace for state-funded contracts. Small businesses compete against other small businesses with the winner performing as a prime contractor. During the announcement, the lieutenant governor expressed his belief that the small business community will play an important role in our economic recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing small business participation in state procurements will certainly make a positive impact by putting more state-funded contracts directly into the hands of Maryland's small businesses. I want to applaud the Hogan-Rutherford Administration for their commitment to the small business space. This is a transformative action, possibly making Maryland the only state with this type of procurement action. If you are not already in the SBR Program, now is the time to enroll. We are hosting an SBR training session on January 26th. See the story below for complete information (Small Business Prime Contractors Wanted!).
Executive Order 01.01.2021.01
Jimmy Rhee
Special Secretary
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For Your Business
Small Business Prime Contractors Wanted!
Over $400 million dollars is paid to small business prime contractors through Maryland's Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program. Are you ready and able to perform as a prime contractor? This race- and gender-neutral procurement program offers opportunities on state-funded contracts. In the January session of our Technical Training Classroom webinar series, we will take an in-depth look at the statutes governing the program, the online process for joining the program, and the pipeline for identifying SBR opportunities. Your instructor is Lisa Mitchell Sennaar, SBR Compliance Manager. Please join us online on Tuesday, January 26 at
2 pm. There is no cost to attend, but advance registration is required.
Prime Contracting in the Small Business Reserve (SBR) Program
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Maryland General Assembly
The 90-day session of the Maryland General Assembly gets underway on January 13, 2021. The 47 senators and 141 delegates of this legislative body will consider thousands of pieces of proposed legislation and pass the state's annual capital and operating budgets. Many of the decisions they make will affect your business. While the 442nd Session of the Maryland General Assembly will look different as the pandemic continues, you can still stay connected to the process and proactively advocate on the issues that impact you personally and professionally. Bookmark the Maryland General Assembly website to find your representatives, track proposed legislation, and even watch proceedings in both chambers.
Maryland General Assembly
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Better Together
We are happy to be part of the Governor's Coordinating Offices, a group of eight offices unified by Governor Larry Hogan to connect Marylanders with needed resources statewide. Over the past year, our combined offices achieved many milestones, including the distribution of hundreds of thousands of crucial PPE items to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic; facilitating more than 15,000 volunteers to serve more than 50,000 volunteer hours and in several COVID-19 workgroups; serving more than 20,000 small businesses; assisting more than 130,000 crime victims and the law enforcement and nonprofit organizations who support them; and spearheading innovative collaboration across state agencies that sought to improve the customer experience given the new realities of 2020. Independently, each office is amazing -- and together, we are helping make Maryland a better place to live, work, raise a family, and own a business. Please visit our websites to see how we can assist you in 2021.
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Maryland COVID-19 Resources
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