Big Impact of Small Businesses Partnering with VA

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, there are an estimated 33,185,550 small businesses in the United States. Forbes also shares that 46.4 percent of U.S. employees are employed by small businesses. To ensure Veterans get the best services from the best businesses, not just the largest, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Information and Technology (OIT) connects these small business owners with VA procurement opportunities. As the largest federal health care and benefits provider in the nation, VA has over 1,300 clinics, 56 regional offices, and 155 national cemeteries devoted to Veteran care, benefits, and memorial services throughout the U.S., all of which rely on the expertise from an extensive network of small business partners.

We regularly partner with small businesses that span multiple demographics, such as those owned by women and service-disabled Veterans. In accordance with U.S. Small Business Administration regulations, we prioritize these socioeconomic categories by prioritizing contract awards to qualified small and underserved businesses through a mechanism known as set-aside contracts. Each year, we set goals to award a percentage of contract funding to six categories of small businesses.

OIT’s Vendor Management Office acts as the “front door” for IT vendors like these seeking to do business with VA. The Vendor Management Office focuses on enterprise-level IT acquisitions, to identify specific vendor capabilities that best align with our strategic goals and initiatives, by collecting, tracking, and analyzing vendor scorecard reports. This office also establishes and maintains strategic relations with vendors, resulting in increased vendor performance, reduced risk, and reduced management oversight.

VA Partners

We’re also continually striving to improve our engagement opportunities with small businesses. OIT works with the Department’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). This office enables small businesses to gain access to economic opportunities by developing policies and programs that improve VA’s market research, increase the opportunities for entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services to the Department’s buyers and maximize the participation of various procurement-ready small businesses that do not have the capacity to compete in larger procurement markets.

For example, its Direct Access Program facilitates contracting opportunities and direct connections to Procurement Decision Makers within Federal agencies and large prime contractors. Uniquely, the program hosts virtual and in-person engagements for small and large businesses to partner, network, and build connections necessary to do business with VA and other federal agencies. Direct Access Events are scheduled business outreach sessions which provide insight into contract forecasts and specific opportunities. You can see upcoming events and access recorded sessions on the Direct Access Events webpage.

Small Business Liaisons are also available to help small and Veteran owned businesses and offer advice on industry-specific procurement opportunities and specialized contract components. These liaisons are also well versed in VA small and Veteran business programs and provide detailed information about VA procurement contracting opportunities, small business program goals, VA small business verification, and much more. More information is available on the OSDBU webpage.

Other Ways to Get Involved

Another way for vendors and innovators interested in working with VA to get involved is the Pathfinder tool. It provides a tailored experience that allows users to navigate VA opportunities, submit ideas, products, and services, and make connections with relevant VA staff members. Pathfinder provides clear pathways to engage with VA and connect small businesses to the right VA stakeholders, improving customer experience and equity.

To prepare to do business with VA, businesses must register in the System for Award Management (SAM) and complete the Small Business profile and relevant information regarding their offerings on that platform. If the company qualifies for any of the socioeconomic set-asides, it can complete those certifications through the SBA.

These advocacy efforts are evidence of our enthusiasm for partnering with small businesses. We understand that small businesses have a unique perspective of the IT industry, including challenges and opportunities specific to the private IT sector. No matter what the small business specialty, we value the input each of our small business partners bring to the table. To this effect, we are constantly innovating our partnership practices to capitalize on the strengths of our small business partners to provide the highest IT system support in service to Veterans.