FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The Treasury Department was honored today by the National Association of Black Procurement Professionals (NABPP) for its support of small, minority and women-owned businesses.

"The Treasury Department is proud to play a leadership role in outreach to small, minority and women-owned businesses." Secretary Rubin said. "We are committed to programs that foster business development and increase opportunities."

The Small Business Development Award is awarded on the basis of small business prime and subcontracting accomplishments during fiscal years 1994 through 1996. The Treasury Department was selected because it exceeded its goals in every category of awarding procurement contracts based on both prime and subcontracts. This award recognizes the Treasury Department for establishing high goals for itself on awarding contracts to small, minority and women-owned businesses and exceeding those goals. The Treasury Department works to increase capital access and participation by small, minority and women-owned businesses in all aspects of Treasury's programs and procurement activities.

Founded in 1988, the NABPP is a Washington, D.C., based non-profit professional society. The members are from federal, state, local governments and private sector businesses. NABPP's mission is to provide training, educational and career development to procurement professionals, and provide business development services to the small business community.

The Treasury Department has various programs to support and assist small businesses.

For more information about the Administration's work on the One America race initiative go to www.whitehouse.gov.