Amid a shrinking number of small businesses participating in the defense industrial base, the Defense Department is reaching out for input from small businesses and other industry experts on barriers these companies face in contracting with the Pentagon.
In the past decade there has been a more than 40 percent decrease in the number of small companies in the defense industrial base, DoD said in a Sept. 8 posting in the Federal Register. Citing a survey by the National Defense Industrial Association, it adds that most small companies have been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Department seeks additional insight from the public in understanding the impact of the pandemic, as well as other negative influences, on small businesses in the defense industrial base,” DoD said.
The DoD is seeking responses on 11 topics, including the government’s own “business practices” and regulations that make it difficult or not worthwhile to participate in the defense industrial base, ways to increase its use of small business innovations, the availability of necessary talent, and recommendations to strengthen supply chains, increase competition in the defense industrial base and improve small business participation in procurements.
Responses to the notice will be used to update the DoD Small Business Strategy.
In fiscal year 2020, DoD awarded $80 billion in prime contracts to small businesses, with more than $30 billion awarded to small disadvantaged businesses, the notice said.