WASHINGTON – As part of an initiative to increase contracting with small businesses, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi is recognizing VA staff offices that have excelled in partnering with these companies in contract awards.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in fiscal year 2002 awarded more than $1.95 billion to these businesses.
"VA's partnerships with service-disabled, veteran-owned, women-owned, disadvantaged, and other small businesses help sustain our success in providing the services and supplies that form the foundation of our care network," Principi said.
"Because entrepreneurship has become the path to prosperity for so many Americans, this administration and this department are totally committed to support small businesses of all types," he added.
VA has urged its facilities to increase opportunities for small businesses and in particular, service-disabled and veteran-owned small businesses, through established goals, task force studies and memoranda to its facilities emphasizing the importance of this contracting.
The awards focused on 2002 accomplishments and were sponsored by VA's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, which helps small businesses through training, counseling and assistance.
Categories included contract awards to small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned firms, companies owned by service-disabled veterans, and small disadvantaged businesses under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act.
Another category includes companies that maintain a principal office in a specially designated historically underutilized business zone, or HUBZone, and have obtained certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone.
Principi honored the following winners of "socioeconomic achievement awards" for fiscal year 2002 at a ceremony Dec. 2:
· The Veterans Benefits Administration was recognized for achieving the highest percentage of awards in VA Central Office both for HUBZone small business awards and for general small business awards, and it also received an award for outstanding support of small business programs.
· Awards for "superior support of small business programs" were received by the Martinsburg (W.Va.) VA Medical Center and the Washington (D.C.) VA Medical Center.
· Another "superior support" award-winner was the National Cemetery Administration. In Central Office categories, the National Cemetery Administration was recognized for achieving the highest percentage of small disadvantaged awards and for the highest percentage of veteran-owned small business awards.
· Recognition for "outstanding support" of the small business program was bestowed upon the Baltimore VA Medical Center.
· The Austin (Texas) Division of the VA Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management received two honors in the VA Central Office category. It achieved the highest percentage of small disadvantaged business awards as well as the highest percentage of women-owned business awards.
· The highest percentage of service-disabled veteran-owned business awards in the Central Office category earned recognition for the Fort Detrick (Md.) Division of the VA Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management. It also was recognized for superior support of the small business program.
Multiple awards were presented to the Veterans Health Administration's VA Capitol Health Care Network (Veterans Integrated Service Network 5) based in Baltimore, whose catchment includes health facilities in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and West Virginia.
The Capitol Health Care Network was honored for achieving the highest percentage of awards in the following categories: small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, general small business, and veteran-owned small business.
Numerous other award-winners around the country were recognized at local ceremonies with awards presented by VA officials on behalf of Secretary Principi.
VA's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization works to ensure that a fair proportion of total purchases, contracts and subcontracts for property and services for VA are placed with small businesses. More information about its activities and opportunities for doing business with VA is available on its Web page at http://www.va.gov/osdbu/.
