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Quarterly Newsletter (Q4)
(Annual Edition)
November 1, 2024
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On behalf of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), I am pleased to share updates on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) small business activities and successes.
Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 has concluded and it has been another remarkable period for DOE small business growth. As Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm has stated:
At DOE, we believe that small businesses are a core pillar of the economy. Through the billions of dollars we expend each year through contracting, we continue to fortify that important pillar.
The Department earned an “A” grade from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for outstanding achievement—crossing the 10 Billion milestone in prime small business contracting dollars and increasing awards to diverse and underrepresented firms. Additionally, DOE advanced several initiatives to maximize practicable opportunities for small businesses and expand equity. You can read more about the accomplishments in this special end-of-year review edition of the Newsletter. Other topics covered include small business success stories, event summaries, legislative updates, as well as other exciting developments across the Department.
Looking ahead, the OSDBU will be exploring new and creative ways to grow small business outreach and increase access to opportunities to support DOE’s mission. Strategic priorities include enhanced collaboration with agencies and stakeholder advocacy organizations, utilizing new technologies to demystify doing business with DOE, and other program improvements. We look forward to making more great strides in DOE small business initiatives and achievements in FY 2025!
Thank you for advocating for the utilization of small businesses to help advance the DOE’s mission.
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Ron P. Pierce, Director
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
U.S. Department of Energy
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Small Business Achievement
The Department continues to increase opportunities for underrepresented small businesses and make progress in socio-economic achievement. In the fourth quarter of FY 2024, the Department projects increased prime small business awards, including the four socio-economic categories graded by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Below is a preliminary fourth quarter data summary of Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation (FPDS-NG) awards and the change from the same period in FY 2023. Please note that the data has not been finalized.
The Department is outpacing prime awards to Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) by 37% and HUBZone Small Businesses by 47% compared to this same period in FY 2023.
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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.
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DOE Small Business Success Stories
The OSDBU is excited to share recent small business successes from Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) cleanup contractor United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL):
Oak Ridge Honors Small Businesses for Bolstering Cleanup Mission
Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) cleanup contractor UCOR recently recognized six small businesses for their critical support to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) cleanup mission.
“Small businesses are often the unsung heroes behind our progress,” OREM Small Business Program Manager Carol Jennings said. “They provide important services that help us complete projects on schedule and on budget, and they share ownership in our successes.”
Since UCOR began its current contract with OREM in 2022, it has far exceeded DOE’s goal to award 45% of subcontracting dollars to small businesses. During that period, the company awarded 85% of its subcontracted work, totaling $559 million, to small businesses.
Oak Ridge cleanup contractor UCOR recognized six small businesses at a recent annual awards ceremony. Representatives from the winning businesses include, from left: David Stevens and Nick Trzcinski from Aleut Demolition Services; Mark Morgan and Mike Lamon from CTI and Associates; Olivia Rockett and Chad Drummond from Drummond Carpenter; Rebecca Barr from Barr Technical Services; and James Luby and Jason Watson from Premier Contracting and Technical Services.
Each recipient at this year’s event was recognized as a valued partner, especially for outstanding customer service and exceptional responsiveness in supporting cleanup work across DOE’s Oak Ridge Reservation.
Partnerships with subcontractors have enabled UCOR to advance cleanup and several key projects at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
Read the full article on EM's website.
ORNL Awards $27 Million in Contracts to Local Small Businesses
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, recently awarded three new basic ordering agreements (BOAs) valued at $27 million to East Tennessee small businesses.
These small businesses were selected through a rigorous, competitive procurement process to provide staff augmentation support in the areas of information technology, project management, and nuclear, radiological and safety.
- Patriot Talent Solutions, a service-disabled veteran-owned business, has been selected to provide IT services support,
- STRATA-G, LLC, a small business, has been selected to provide support in project and program management and controls, and
- CSL-Edgewater, a small business, has been selected to provide nuclear, radiological, and safety support.
The awards are an important part of ORNL’s commitment to meeting or exceeding its annual small business utilization goals.
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Tawan McCoy, Procurement Officer (above left) and Roy Etheridge, Procurement Team Leader (above right) worked on the recent ORNL BOAs.
Thanks to OREM, UCOR, and ORNL for their continued partnership and commitment to small businesses and for sharing these great success stories!
Small Business Shout Out
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We are excited to report that The Spears Group was awarded an $895,000 contract with DOE's Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) on September 27, 2024. OSDBU connected The Spears Group with SCEP and shared DOE small business resources to help advance their award pursuit. The Spears Group provides DOE mission support in the areas of public relations and storytelling to help raise awareness of SCEP programs. As a 8(a) small business, the Spears Group specializes in marketing, advertising, public relations and digital strategies. Headquartered in Louisiana, The Spears Group was established in 2008 and has recently expanded opening a second office in South Texas. Thanks to The Spears Group for sharing this small business success story! The Spears Group is a brand new first-time DOE contractor.
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Legislative Updates
Below are recent updates from the Small Business Procurement Advisory Council regarding government contracting programs:
Final Size Standard Methodology (Sept. 12, 2024)
1. Replaces the percentage point difference method with a disparity ratio approach for analyzing Federal contracting in size standards
2. Uses FPDS-NG/SAM data instead of Economic Census data to calculate industry factor percentiles for subindustry “exceptions”
More information:
Federal Register (89 FR 74109)
https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards
SBA Direct Final Rule: Eliminate SDVOSB Self-Certification (Aug. 1, 2024)
- Must be certified by SBA for: 1) agency’s SDVOSB goals and 2) subcontracting plan SDVOSB goals
- Submitting an application by December 22 qualifies until the SBA makes a decision
- Clarified on Aug. 1 to state that “SDVOSBs may continue to self-certify until the grace period ends on December 22, 2024.”
More information:
Federal Register (89 FR 48266)
FAR Final Rule: Order-level Protests (July 30, 2024)
- Provides processes and procedures for filing size and socioeconomic status protests for:
1. Partial set-asides and reserves under multiple-award contracts
2. Orders set aside under unrestricted multiple-award contracts, and
3. Orders placed under multiple-award contracts where representation was requested.
- Protests must be submitted within 5 business days of order award notification.
More information:
Federal Register (89 FR 61333)
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Small Business Events Updates
OSDBU Director Ron Pierce at the COMTO White House briefing.
The Office of Presidential Personnel hosted a briefing on September 25 for the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. OSDBU Director Ron Pierce gave remarks in the briefing on his background and DOE’s small business initiatives to advance the Administration’s Investing in America Agenda to expand equity and build America’s clean energy future. The agenda also included remarks from representatives of the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development covering their backgrounds and various policy areas. Over 100 members representing professionals in the transportation industry attended the briefing.
From left to right: Mark Lochbaum, OSDBU Senior Small Business Advocate; Jim Kelly, SCIVE; and Mary Rogers, Small Business Liaison Officer at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
On August 21, OSDBU partnered with Sandia National Laboratories to host a Mentor-Protégé Program Forum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over 500 people registered for the event exploring new initiatives in the program to increase opportunities and partnerships with small businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to support DOE’s mission. OSDBU Senior Small Business Advocates Mark Lochbaum and Nicola Ohaegbu participated in the event covering in-depth presentations and panel discussions with DOE Labs, Sites, the SBA, and the New Mexico APEX Accelerator. Topics in the agenda included an overview of the SBA and DOE Mentor-Protégé Programs, mentors currently looking for protégés, and incentives for MSIs. Small businesses also had the chance to network with DOE and its partners through business matchmaking sessions and an exhibit hall with a wide range of opportunities in various products and services categories.
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From left to right: OSDBU Senior Small Business Advocate Nicola Ohaegbu and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa at Senator Ernst's Entrepreneur Expo.
OSDBU participated in Senator Ernst's Entrepreneur Expo: A GovCon and Innovation Expo for Iowa’s Small Businesses on August 6. Hosted by Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Expo introduced Iowa’s small businesses to the federal marketplace and provided them with opportunities to engage with federal contracting and innovation-focused programs. OSDBU Senior Small Business Advocate Nicola Ohaegbu took part in a small business networking session with more than 100 attendees to highlight various opportunities supporting the DOE’s mission. The Iowa Expo also included participation from the SBA, and Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) APEX Accelerator.
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📅Mark Your Calendars
Below are upcoming small business events and training. Please visit the Small Business Events Calendar on the OSDBU’s website for more information.
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