Women-Owned Business
Program requires best faith effort
to increase procurements from women-owned
firms by apprising them of opportunities
to bid on solicitations. A federal
government-wide 5% contracting goal
is established for small women-owned
businesses.
Executive
Order 12138 directs all
federal agencies to take action
to facilitate and strengthen women-owned
business enterprises and to ensure
full participation by women in
the free enterprise system. Although
no set-aside authority exists,
ED makes a special effort to advise
women business owners of contracting
opportunities and to encourage
their participation in USDA procurements.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation
also requires agencies to actively
encourage their prime contractors
to use women-owned small businesses
as subcontractors. Contracts valued
as $100,000 or more include a
clause to achieve this objective. Opportunities
The Department of Agriculture
is committed to expanding opportunities
for Women-Owned Small Businesses
(WOSB), which are growing exponentially
in number, industry categories,
and earning power. USDA encourages
procurement and program offices
to consider women-owned small
businesses for all procurement
opportunities. We continuously
work to raise the visibility of
women-owned businesses in day-to-day
procurement activities and monitor
agencies for achievement of their
women-owned business goals.
The USDA OSDBU Women's Business
Advocate can be reached at 1400
Independence Avenue, SW, Room
1081 South Building, Washington,
DC 20250, Phone: (202) 720-9839,
Fax: (202) 720-3001.. She serves
as liaison to the women-owned
business community.
There are several
organizations and government agencies
collecting research and information
on women business owners in addition
to the facts and statistics you
will find on this website.