FEMA, Small Business Administration Work Together to Award Hurricane Katrina Recovery Contracts to Small and Minority-Owned Businesses
Release Date: November 3, 2005
Release Number: HQ-05-362
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the opening of competition for 15 contracts with a value up to $100 million each. The five-year contracts will be awarded to local, small and small disadvantaged businesses for temporary housing maintenance and support for Gulf Coast hurricane recovery.
The contracts, which are part of FEMA’s previously announced plans to open contracting opportunities to competitive bidding, will be awarded to small and small disadvantaged businesses registered with the Small Business Administration (SBA) under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. Small Disadvantaged Business as defined by the Small Business Administration – go to www.sba.gov/8abd.
“Local, small and minority-owned businesses are playing a critical role in rebuilding the Gulf Coast,” said Acting FEMA Director David Paulison. “Getting local businesses more heavily involved in the long-term recovery efforts will also contribute to the overall economic recovery of the region.”
FEMA set aside $1.5 billion for maintenance and deactivation of roughly 100,000 temporary housing units, or 6,700 units each contract (eight for small disadvantaged and seven for small business). These indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts will be awarded to local, small and small disadvantaged businesses in order to increase their contribution to the recovery efforts following the Gulf Coast hurricanes. FEMA will review all submitted proposals, working with the SBA to confirm "small business" and Section 8(a) status of the companies, and preference will be given to prime contractors based in the Gulf States.
"Hurricane Katrina has affected thousands of small, local and minority-owned businesses and the SBA welcomes this contracting effort as a demonstration of the Bush Administration's commitment to helping the Gulf region with long-term recovery," said SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto. "Small businesses will be the heart of the economic recovery for the Gulf Coast area, and we're actively working with FEMA to identify small and local businesses that can provide the products and services that are integral to the recovery of this important region."
FEMA expects to award seven small business and eight Section 8(a) contracts by Feb. 1, 2006. All interested companies may go to Rebuilding the Gulf Coast at www.rebuildingthegulfcoast.gov to find the Request for Proposal (RFP), which will be available for downloading no later than Nov. 18, or FedBizOpps at www.fbo.gov. For those without Internet capabilities, written requests for an RFP can be made by faxing Nancy Costello at (202) 646-3846 or e-mailing nancy.costello@dhs.gov.
For more information about FEMA’s efforts, visit www.fema.gov. More information about SBA, visit www.sba.gov.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 03-Nov-2005 22:37:47