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 Quarterly Newsletter (Q2)
April 23, 2026
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From the Director
It is my pleasure to provide updates on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) small business activities and successes. We are making great strides in implementing the DOE Small Business Strategic Plan, moving forward key initiatives across all priorities. An important early win has been the modernized Small Business Program Manager (SBPM) Directory, a searchable and downloadable listing of Agencywide points of contact for help doing business with DOE. The new SBPM Directory is more user-friendly and optimized for industry engagement. You can check it out here: https://www.energy.gov/osbp/small-business-program-manager-directory
The Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) will continue to build on the foundational activities of the first six months of the effort while beginning to move toward broader development and implementation of strategies to bring new small business entrants into the DOE marketplace and expand access to opportunities to all qualified small businesses in support of the Department’s growing missions. Stay tuned to hear more on the progress!
On the events front, OSBP is excited to support the National Energy, Technology, Environmental Business Association (ETEBA) National Small Business Summit (May 26-28 in Aurora, CO). More than 20 DOE National Laboratories and Sites will be there for a high-impact event connecting small businesses, large primes, federal partners, and industry leaders advancing DOE and National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) missions. The Summit will feature timely discussions around federal contracting opportunities, small business engagement strategies, mission support priorities, and partnership development. Please register here: https://www.eteba.org/smallbusinesssummit/
The Newsletter also covers DOE small business contracting achievements, legislative updates, and a summary of recent events. We hope you enjoy learning more about important small business developments across the DOE enterprise.
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting DOE’s missions through small business excellence.
Warm regards,
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 Charlie Smith
Director, Office of Small Business Programs
U.S. Department of Energy
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Small Business Achievement
The Department continues to increase small business contracting opportunities. Below is the number of unique federal prime small businesses supporting DOE missions over the past four Fiscal Years. In FY 2026, the Department is projected to keep pace with the previous year’s number of prime small businesses utilized to support DOE’s missions. Please note that the data has not been finalized.
Unique Federal Prime DOE Small Businesses
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EM Reverse Industry Day Insights and Opportunities
 The DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) has hosted Reverse Industry Days (RIDs) for agency acquisition professionals to continue learning about the challenges and opportunities that are important to industry when doing business with the agency. During the events, feedback from industry provided valuable perspectives to enhance the DOE EM business environment.
In the interest of transparency as well as a reflection of DOE EM’s commitment to partnering with industry, DOE EM commits to continue pursuing the following opportunities to the maximum extent practicable. These items are in addition to previous RID commitments.
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Forecast Improvements: Industry continues to seek centralized, more complete forecast information, including subcontracting opportunities.
- EM and the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) will partner together regarding improvements to DOE procurement forecasts, including subcontracting opportunities.
- EM to consider adding a post-award requirement to all major site prime contracts to maintain a public listing of current and upcoming subcontract opportunities. Note that this requirement has been included in recent EM contract awards.
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Tier 2 Strategic Sourcing: The EM program maintains a strong relationship with the Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC), and EM prime contractors have increased their utilization of SCMC from a strategic sourcing perspective.
- EM and SCMC commit to partner to increase (to the extent practicable) the effectiveness, visibility, transparency, and utilization of SCMC for buyers and suppliers.
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Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) and Procurement Efficiency: The overhaul of Federal procurement regulations not only provides an opportunity, but a mandate for increased efficiency.
- As related to new Tier 1 opportunities, EM will pursue innovative techniques, including but not limited to the contents of Part 15 of the RFO. This may, for example, include greater use of oral presentations and other efficient techniques, with careful recognition of not increasing the proposal burden on industry.
- EM will remain as transparent and collaborative as possible. Continued industry engagement will be critical going forward for input on EM procurement operations, including effective communication with Contracting Officers for individual solicitations.
For past presentations, takeaways, and other resources from RIDs, please visit the Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center (EMCBC) website (https://www.emcbc.doe.gov/SEB/RID).
Thanks to EM for their continued partnership and commitment to small businesses and for sharing these great insights!
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DOE Small Business Success Story
 On March 26, 2026, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) hosted its Third Annual Small Business Opportunities Fair, providing attendees with a unique platform to discuss potential business opportunities with SNL and other DOE labs, sites, and plants. The event reached an all-time high, with over 600 attendees, marking a significant milestone in fostering collaboration between small businesses and DOE laboratories.
This year’s fair featured participation from 14 esteemed laboratories, sites, and plants, each hosting a booth to engage with attendees. The participating entities included the Supply Chain Management Center, Nevada National Security Site, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pantex Plant, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Kansas City National Security Campus, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, National Nuclear Security Administration, and DOE Office of Small Business Programs (Principal Deputy Director Tamara Miles pictured top left). Additionally, 12 various national and local small business resource organizations were present, further enriching the networking opportunities available to attendees.
One of the highlights of the fair was two panel discussions involving Sandia and several other DOE laboratories, along with a cybersecurity educational session, all of which were deemed the most successful to date. These sessions covered critical topics relevant to small businesses looking to engage with federal entities. The sessions included a panel discussion on “Opportunities Across DOE Organizations,” featuring DOE OSBP, NNSA, LLNL, SLAC, LANL, and SNL (panelists pictured top right); a panel discussion on “SNL & Government-Wide Contract Vehicles,” involving SCMC, ICPT, and SNL JIT; as well as an educational session on “Cyber Security & SNL Requirements.”
The overwhelming turnout and positive feedback from participants underscore the fair's role as a vital conduit for small businesses seeking to partner with Sandia and the broader DOE community. The event not only facilitated valuable connections but also equipped suppliers with essential knowledge to thrive in the federal contracting landscape. Sandia remains committed to supporting small businesses and enhancing opportunities for collaboration in the future.
Thanks to SNL for their continued partnership and commitment to small businesses and for sharing this great success story!
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Legislative Updates
Below are recent updates from the Small Business Procurement Advisory Council regarding government contracting programs:
1. NDAA FY26 - Signed by the President (Dec. 9, 2025)
- SEC. 1804. - Adjustments to certain acquisition thresholds
- Cost or pricing data threshold/Truthful Cost and Pricing Data (TINA) increased to $10mill starting June 30, 2026
More information can be found here.
2. End of the Electronic Subcontracting Reporting System (eSRS)
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📅Mark Your Calendars
Below are upcoming small business events and training. Please visit the Small Business Events Calendar on the OSBP website for more information.
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