Fiscal Year 2024 DOE Small Business Accomplishments

FY 2024 DOE Small Business Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2024 was another outstanding year for DOE small business and socio-economic successes. The Department earned an eighth "A" grade from the SBA since 2015 for achieving $10 billion in prime contracts and $2 billion in subcontracts, while advancing supplier diversity for underrepresented small businesses. DOE also broadened small business outreach through Opportunity Days at National Laboratories and made great progress in the Mentor-Protégé Program and Acquisition Forecast initiatives.  

Department Earns an “A” Grade from the SBA 

In April 2024, DOE earned an “A” grade on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Small Business Procurement Scorecard from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The Department has earned eight “A” grades from the SBA since 2015. In FY 2023, the DOE awarded more than $10 billion to small businesses in prime contracting opportunities and $2 billion to small businesses in subcontracting opportunities.

DOE continued advancing its initiatives to increase equity in procurement and expand opportunities for underserved communities, awarding over $3 billion in prime awards to small disadvantaged businesses, including minority-owned firms. Additionally, the Department awarded $2 billion to women-owned small businesses.

DOE also achieved significant agency spend to small businesses over and above the SBA small business metrics captured in the Scorecard. The Department obligated additional funds to small businesses, including over $1.4 billion in Financial Assistance Obligations and over $71 million in non-appropriated obligations.

As an assessment tool, the annual Scorecard serves the following purposes: (1) measure how well Federal agencies reach their small business and socio-economic prime contracting and subcontracting goals, (2) provide accurate and transparent contracting data and (3) report agency-specific progress. DOE will receive its FY 2024 Scorecard next year.

DOE Broadens Small Business Outreach

In FY 2024, DOE carried out a wide range of events for diverse and underrepresented small businesses to increase opportunities and partnerships to support the Department’s mission:

On November 16, 2023, OSDBU and the Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) organization hosted a veteran-focused small business event at DOE Forrestal Headquarters covering in-depth information, resources, and a wide range of Inflation Reduction Act opportunities to support the Department’s mission, including advancing the clean energy transition. Featuring remarks from Deputy Secretary David M. Turk and OSDBU Senior Small Business Advocates Nicola Ohaegbu and Blake Clemmer, the event involved panels of DOE program offices (Office of State and Community Energy Programs, Loan Programs Office, and the Office of Energy Justice and Equity), external Federal agencies (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), as well as veterans advocacy and clean energy organizations. The audience included state and local lawmakers who are military veterans. 

OSDBU Director Ron Pierce at the Hispanics in Energy 2024 Energy Legislative Summit.

OSDBU and the Hispanics in Energy organization hosted the Hispanics in Energy 2024 Energy Legislative Summit on February 28-29, 2024 at DOE Forrestal Headquarters. The event included Keynotes from Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm and the former Director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity and Secretarial Advisor on Equity and Chief Diversity Officer, Shalanda Baker; remarks from OSDBU Director Ron Pierce; and panel discussions with Agency and Top-Level Utility and Energy Executive Leaders. Focusing on the theme of Equity for Hispanics in the Clean Energy Transition, the event covered multi-agency energy-related infrastructure funding and development, the state of Hispanic business contracting in the energy sector, and Puerto Rico’s energy resilience.

Representatives from Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, OSDBU, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

As a key FY 2024 initiative, OSDBU partnered with DOE National Laboratories on a series of small business opportunity days to maximize opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned, women-owned, small disadvantaged, and HUBZone small businesses.  

On November 8, 2023, OSDBU and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) hosted the DOE & PNNL Small Business Synergy Day at PNNL in Richland, Washington. Over 300 people attended the veterans small business event focusing on partnerships with the Department’s West Coast Sites. Representatives from OSDBU, PNNL, Idaho National Laboratory, One Hanford, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory were on hand to provide information on doing business with DOE and upcoming procurement opportunities.

OSDBU and the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), managed by Honeywell FM&T, hosted an Opportunity Day on March 5 at the Botts Road Meeting Center for the Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program. Over 40 HUBZone suppliers attended the event providing opportunities for vendors aligned with DOE site needs to meet directly with potential buyers.

On March 27, OSDBU and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) hosted an Opportunity Day for women-owned small businesses at PPPL. More than 75 representatives from women-owned small businesses attended the event. The event included talks on resources, networking over lunch and a vendor exhibit.

OSDBU and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory hosted a combined HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Opportunity Day on April 30 in Stanford, CA. More than 225 small businesses attended the event centering on DOE's IT and cybersecurity requirements and covering a wide range of opportunities.

On June 4 and 5, OSDBU hosted the 2024 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo in Minneapolis. With over 1,000 attendees, the two-day conference focused on the theme of American clean energy powered by small businesses and provided a wide range of opportunities to help advance the DOE’s mission and support the small business community working with the agency. Features of the agenda included a pre-recorded video welcome message from Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, a keynote from Dr. Malik Yoba (acclaimed actor, musician, author, serial entrepreneur, educator, philanthropist, and social justice warrior); and opening remarks from OSDBU Director Ron Pierce. The conference also featured the return of the DOE’s Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) Energy Program for Innovation Clusters (EPIC) Pitch Competition, aka “The Purple Pitch” as well as educational workshops, panel discussions, Live Reverse Auctions for various commodities and services, business matchmaking sessions, presentations from national labs and program offices, and an exhibit hall with over 115 vendors and service providers.

DOE Mentor-Protégé Program and Acquisition Forecast Advancements

During FY 2024, DOE continued developing its Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) by forming and approving seven new MPP agreements in the fourth quarter. Through the Mentor-Protégé Program Working Group (MPPWG), DOE implemented short- and long-term enhancements to attract new mentors and proteges, expand DOE’s small business supplier base, and ultimately increase participation in the program.

Achievements included the creation of a new online reporting tool for Mentors and Protégé to submit their report, a MPP Resource Hub to increase collaboration and information sharing, and sample templates and developmental activities. On August 20, OSDBU and members of the MPPWG held a training in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to discuss the new initiatives created by the working group for internal stakeholders in an effort to implement and promote a greater synergy amongst personnel key to expanding and improving the program. OSDBU chairs the MPPWG and its members include 20+ Small Business Program Manager volunteers from across the enterprise as well as representatives from various DOE headquarter offices.

Established by the OSDBU, Office of Acquisition Management, and the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Acquisition and Project Management, the Acquisition Forecast Improvement Working Group is working towards a new and improved Acquisition Forecast that will be a one-stop shop for the Department's prime and subcontracting opportunities, grants, and other financial assistance. Please stay tuned for more updates in FY 2025!