Small Biz Info!

NASA, Defense, and Coast Guard Drop Minority Goaling
A recent Eblast from the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) included that Federal minority business programs are silently being eliminated. HUD, under the last administration had achieved 40% of its contracting to minority owned firms. Today, that number is a single digit.

NASA, Defense, Coast Guard, and FEMA recently dropped their minority goaling. According to the Acting Chief Procurement Officer for FEMA, "FEMA did not have small business goals for the recovery of Hurricane Irene and they do not maintain information on the percentage of black businesses receiving Government contracts." However, this is the same FEMA that worked with NBCC members to bring in over $3 billion in contacting after Hurricane Katrina.

The American Small Business League has reached out to the NBCC for help in stopping this legislation and the proposed rule to end the Minority Business Goals at the Department of Defense, NASA, and the Coast Guard. According to the American Small Business League this legislation will prevent job creation.

Parties interested in protesting this ruling, can formally lodge comments in the federal register by going to: https://www.ncmahq.org/NewsPublications/LegAlertDetail.cfm?itemnumber=10488. Written comments need to be submitted to the Regulatory Secretariat at one of the addresses shown on their screen on or before November 8, 2011 to be considered in the formation of the final rule.
For more information, contact Mr. Karlos Morgan, Procurement Analyst, at 202-501-2364 for clarification of content and for information pertaining to status or publication schedules, contact the Regulatory Secretary at 202-501-4755. Make sure you cite "FAR Case 2009-016."