PROCUREMENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER [PTAC] Government Contracting Services Patricia Simpson, MBA Helping Businesses Grow & Succeed State Designated as Florida s Principal Provider of Business Assistance [ 288.001, Fla. Stat.] 1
About PTAC Established in 1985 by the DoD, nationwide Funded by the DoD, SBA, & the state of FL No-cost government consulting services under the umbrella of Florida SBDC Network PTAC - 67 Florida counties http://fptac.org/ UCF PTAC covers central Florida region 2
PTAC s MISSION Educate businesses on government policies federal, state, and local Generate sales & jobs for FL businesses Improve the business climate & economic development in FL 3
PTAC Consulting Obtain Registrations Networking, Marketing Certifications and VA verification Training Seminars Bid Matching Service Proposal Preparation/Contract Performance 4
Why Seek Verification for VA Contracts Qualified veteran business owners who use the preapplication stage increase their chances of approval by at least 70%. As part of the VA s Veterans First Program, contract set-asides are available for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs); however, an applicant must be verified to qualify. Verification is the process by which a veteran is evaluated and determined eligible to be listed in the Vendor Information Pages (VIP) database. The Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) is the office within VA that manages the verification process and verifies VOSBs/SDVOSBs for inclusion in the VA s VetBiz database. 5
Steps to Verification Get registered in: Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Sub-System (BIRLS) IRS-Federal EIN/State/County/City Dun & Bradstreet (D&B): Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS #) System for Award Management (SAM) and Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) Vendor Information Page (VIP) Create a user account at: https://www.vip.vetbiz.gov/
Verification VA verification is not a program for a firm that is just establishing itself. A start-up firm must be established to a certain degree to obtain verification. W-2s for the past two years/tax returns required Letters of detailed explanation Verification is not be pursued in conjunction with writing bylaws or operating agreements. 7
Four Steps to Verification Eligibility Ownership Control Staying Verified
Eligibility The Service Disabled Veteran(s) (SDV) must have a serviceconnected disability that has been determined by the VA or Department of Defense The business must be small under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to the procurement Ideally, business should be at least 2 years old The veteran(s) must unconditionally own at least 51% The veteran(s) must control the management and daily operations The veteran(s) must hold the highest officer position Renewal required every three years 9
Sample Checklist Click to list of required documents for each business type.
Checklist (cont d) 11
Verification Process
VOSB/SDVOSB Help 13
Verification Benefits Participate in programs and respond to business opportunities that are only available to VOSBs/SDVOSBs Priority contracting opportunities under VA's Veterans First Buying Authority. Special consideration for federal contracting opportunities from prime contractors and federal government agencies and mentor protégé opportunities Notices of contracting opportunities. 14
Veterans as Business Owners 3 million: The number of businesses veterans run in the United States 5.7 million: The number of people employed by veterans, which equates to $210 billion in annual payroll and $1.2 trillion in sales 30%: The portion of all American businesses owned by veterans; interestingly, while veterans make up only 8% of the U.S. population, they are twice as likely to own a business as the general population 7%: The number of businesses owned by veterans still open after 10 years; according to the Small Business Administration, compared to one-third of all businesses that survive 10 years or more. Source: Forbes.com, Nov 5, 2014 http://www.forbes.com/sites/mariannehudson/2014/11/05/the-right-stuff-veterans-arebuilding-great-companies/#3bf41780e772 15
Entrepreneurial Skills & Traits More veterans are born with winning entrepreneurial personality traits, which combine well with military training and experience. According to a 2009 study on veterans in the entrepreneurial world, veterans possess greater entrepreneurial personality characteristics than those who are not veterans (Marianne Hudson, Forbes.com, Nov 5, 2014). Early leadership training and leadership growth Working with teams Focus and execution Progress after failure Knowledge seekers True Doers Best Practices (better trained, equipped, and prepared than at any time in the nation s history) Source: Forbes.com, Nov 5, 2014 http://www.forbes.com/sites/mariannehudson/2014/11/05/the-right-stuff-veterans-arebuilding-great-companies/#3bf41780e772 16
Summary Four steps: Eligibility Ownership Control - Staying Verified (three-year renewal) Verification provides a competitive advantage through the Vets First Contracting Program Ideally, two years in business, but firm can submit letters of explanation if under two years Databases to register: Federal/State/Local/City/D&B Verification process is conducted by the VA completion in 60 days, if documents are correct Pre- during, and post-application assistance provided by PTAC consultant at no charge. 17
Useful Resources Contact BIRLS @ 1 800 827-1000. Connect with a live person and ask for assistance. Download Fact Sheet» The Verification Resource Tool helps to navigate the process, understand eligibility and requirements, and gauge readiness and preparedness. Begin a self-assessment» View the guide» to assist with compliance to the regulatory requirements of 38 CFR Part 74 View the documents list» to ascertain the required documents for your business type Visit http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform to obtain a no cost Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS #) from Dun & Bradstreet (tel: 1-866-705-5711). Visit https://www.sam.gov (tel: 1 866 606-8220) to create a user account and register/update your company to start doing business with the federal government and to create your Small Business Administration (SBA) profile. 18
Thank You Patricia Simpson Consultant/Certified CVE Counselor FSBDC at the University of Central Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) Eastern Florida State College 1519 Clearlake Road, Bldg. 3 Rm. 113 Cocoa, FL 32922 Call 321-433-5570 for appointments, Mon-Thurs Patricia.Simpson@ucf.edu
Q&A 20