In 2011, only 3.98% of all government contracts were
awarded to women-owned businesses – a decrease from 2010, even though federal law
mandates a 5% government-wide procurement goal for women-owned small businesses.
In addition, the SBA Goaling Report shows that the federal government failed to
reach the small business goal of 23% in FY 2011, falling short at 21.7%, also a
decrease from 2010.
1) Improve
the Women-Owned Small Businesses Procurement Program
With the implementation of the Women-Owned Small Business
(WOSB) Federal Contract Program complete, WIPP urges all agencies to fully utilize
the program to award prime contracts to women-owned firms.
WIPP applauds the removal of the dollar caps on these
contracts by the 112th Congress. WIPP supports a further improvement in the WOSB
procurement program by granting sole source authority to contracting officers utilizing
the WOSB program.
2) Increase
Goals for Small Business Contracting
While the government has never met its small business
goal of 23%, increasing small business participation in federal contracting is often
more efficient and offers the best value. WIPP supports increasing the small business
contracting goal to 25% and the subcontracting goal to 40%. Participation in the
public sector provides small firms an injection of capital to the nation's most
prolific job creators.
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