FPA Praises SBA Move to Eliminate GSA Exemption
The Exemptions have Diverted $640B Away from Small and Disadvantaged Businesses Over the Last Decade (1)
Jacksonville, FL, April 06, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The Fairness in Procurement Alliance (FPA) coalition - representing a constituency of ten (10) million small businesses - rejoiced with news reports (1) that SBA was finally moving to eliminate the GSA Exemption on the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) by mandating "set-asides" on the GSA Schedules. The SBA comments, widely reported by the media, came during the 2010 Jobs Act Tour.
The Federal Government is required to spend 23% of all federal contracts with small businesses, but the Government has never met its statutory requirements. SBA has also confirmed that the Feds will again fail to reach the Congressional mandate in FY2010.
FPA has been complaining, for years, that the GSA Exemptions, were "inconsistent with applicable laws," but Government Regulators have done nothing to change the rules. FPA already succeeded at getting the "Foreign Exemption" targeted for removal (2) through the Office of Advocacy R3 Initiative. According to Raul Espinosa, FPA founder and spokesperson, “The latest SBA comments vindicate our watchdog activities to bring down one of the key barrier to contracting with small and minority businesses.”
The removal of the GSA and Foreign Exemptions had been one of the recommendations FPA had offered President Obama (3), when he first announced the Administration’s outreach efforts to bring more small and minorities to contract with the government. Thanks to Congressional transparency and the support of advocacy and trade groups (4), FPA has keep the subject on the news.
Espinosa noted, “The exemptions have permitted LARGE businesses to extend an unlawful monopoly over government contracting; have allowed Agencies to circumvent the statutory rights of small businesses and have prevented small businesses a fair chance to compete for contracts which – by statute – must be reserved for them.”
FPA operates a procurement think tank at the University of North Florida (UNF). Its work has resulted on The Umbrella Initiative (5) whose mission is “to double the number of small businesses contracting with the government by the year 2020.” The "Let’s Do Business Florida"(6) event, scheduled for June 16-17th in Fort Lauderdale, FL will highlight The Umbrella Initiative efforts at showing small and minority businesses how to team and pursue larger contracts at the State and Federal Level.
(1) Exemptions Divert $64B in contracts per year.- http://bit.ly/gfkQoV
(2) SBA reported to move to eliminate Exemption. - http://bit.ly/ifOa0y
(3) Office of Advocacy Targets "Foreign Exemption" for Removal. - http://bit.ly/gXaTeN
(4) FPA Think Tank Recommendations to President Obama. - http://bit.ly/Think_Tank_Recomendations
(5) Elected Officials and Prominent Advocates Oppose FAR Exemptions. - http://bit.ly/eNOYUl
(6) Short video Presentation on the Umbrella Initiative. - http://bit.ly/igLKcM
(7) Brochure and Agenda for the "Let’s Do Business Florida" event, http://bit.ly/igLKcM
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The Federal Government is required to spend 23% of all federal contracts with small businesses, but the Government has never met its statutory requirements. SBA has also confirmed that the Feds will again fail to reach the Congressional mandate in FY2010.
FPA has been complaining, for years, that the GSA Exemptions, were "inconsistent with applicable laws," but Government Regulators have done nothing to change the rules. FPA already succeeded at getting the "Foreign Exemption" targeted for removal (2) through the Office of Advocacy R3 Initiative. According to Raul Espinosa, FPA founder and spokesperson, “The latest SBA comments vindicate our watchdog activities to bring down one of the key barrier to contracting with small and minority businesses.”
The removal of the GSA and Foreign Exemptions had been one of the recommendations FPA had offered President Obama (3), when he first announced the Administration’s outreach efforts to bring more small and minorities to contract with the government. Thanks to Congressional transparency and the support of advocacy and trade groups (4), FPA has keep the subject on the news.
Espinosa noted, “The exemptions have permitted LARGE businesses to extend an unlawful monopoly over government contracting; have allowed Agencies to circumvent the statutory rights of small businesses and have prevented small businesses a fair chance to compete for contracts which – by statute – must be reserved for them.”
FPA operates a procurement think tank at the University of North Florida (UNF). Its work has resulted on The Umbrella Initiative (5) whose mission is “to double the number of small businesses contracting with the government by the year 2020.” The "Let’s Do Business Florida"(6) event, scheduled for June 16-17th in Fort Lauderdale, FL will highlight The Umbrella Initiative efforts at showing small and minority businesses how to team and pursue larger contracts at the State and Federal Level.
(1) Exemptions Divert $64B in contracts per year.- http://bit.ly/gfkQoV
(2) SBA reported to move to eliminate Exemption. - http://bit.ly/ifOa0y
(3) Office of Advocacy Targets "Foreign Exemption" for Removal. - http://bit.ly/gXaTeN
(4) FPA Think Tank Recommendations to President Obama. - http://bit.ly/Think_Tank_Recomendations
(5) Elected Officials and Prominent Advocates Oppose FAR Exemptions. - http://bit.ly/eNOYUl
(6) Short video Presentation on the Umbrella Initiative. - http://bit.ly/igLKcM
(7) Brochure and Agenda for the "Let’s Do Business Florida" event, http://bit.ly/igLKcM
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Contact
Fairness in Procurement Alliance (FPA)
Raul Espinosa
904-347-4726
http://www.docstoc.com/profile/FPA
Raul Espinosa
904-347-4726
http://www.docstoc.com/profile/FPA
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