Small firms get only 10% of stimulus work - Washington Business Journal: Washington Bureau

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percent of contracts fundes by the economic stimuluspackage -- far below the federal government's overall goal of 23 percent. "Thix is simply unacceptable," said Sen. Olympia Snowe, at a May 21 hearing on opportunitiesx for small businesses to win contracts funded bythe $787 billiobn American Recovery and Reinvestmenft Act. Snowe, the rankingv Republican on the Senate Small Businesse andEntrepreneurship Committee, said there still is time for small businesses to win their fair sharwe of stimulus work since many contracts funded by the law have not been awardexd yet. "But I must I'm not encouraged by the results so Snowe said. Committee Chair Mary Landrieu, D-La.
, said she is "concernec that small businesses are being left out of many contractingv opportunities for newinfrastructure projects. In after Katrina and Rita recovery money was we learned that many small businesseas never even knew abouytrebuilding contracts." Landrieu said the intent of the May 21 hearinbg was "to prevent us from lookinvg back in five years to ask why Recovery Act funding neverr made its way to small businesses." Snowde and Landrieu sent the nation's governors a letter May 20 that encouragef them to make small businesses a priority when stateas award stimulus-funded contracts.
This followed a similaf letter sent byKaren Mills, head of the Smalp Business Administration. The Office of Management and Budget has urged federalo agencies to issue contracts to small Joseph Jordan, the SBA's associate administrator for governmenr contracting and business development, said small businessesw have been awarded $389 millionh in stimulus contracts as of May 19. The SBA is workiny with federal agencies to help them meet their smal lbusiness goals, he noting the share of stimuluws dollars going to small contractors has been increasingv each week. The SBA has offered federal contracting officialas help in finding small businesses suitabls forstimulus contracts.
It also has held workshops for smal businesses on how to do business with the government and how to find stimuluxscontract opportunities, Jordan said. Information on governmenty contracting is availableat SBA'sz Web site, , and contracting including stimulus contracts, are listed on . The SBA also is trying to help small businesses win subcontracts from larger businesseas that are awardedstimulus contracts. It has launchec a Web site -- -- that lists stimulus-relatede subcontracting opportunities. As of May 22, however, the site listex only 12 subcontracting solicitations. Stimulus work has made a big differencew forSSACC Inc., a landscaping subcontractor in Pontiac, Ill.
Sharon the company's president, said she has been able to rehirw her workers thanksto stimulus-fundee highway projects. In she had to lay everyone off. "Ther stimulus bill has saved my Arnold told theSenate committee.