Small Business Contracting has developed into a major industry supporting the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. But a strong value added proposition is a requirement for success. As a small business Integrated Intel Solutions continues to add significant value to both customers and teaming partners.
The Role of Small Business in Government Contracting
Contracting for the Federal Government is a major industry and small businesses plays an important part. Small businesses tend to be more innovative and agile, and they can provide goods and services that the Government requires on a cost effective basis. Small businesses contract directly with the Government (usually under set aside programs) or as subcontractors through large prime contractors.
When subcontracting, small businesses are relied on to provide unique technical expertise, knowledge of a particular customer or recruiting capabilities . As a result they can add value to the efforts of a prime contractor.
In addition, as a matter of policy and to further encourage competition specific small business, guidelines have been implemented by successive administrations since the end of World War II. The Small Business Administration (SBA) was created to help small business grow their Federal Contracting business.
New Programs for Small Business
Included in the many SBA programs are loans to small business, contracting set aside programs and monitoring of federal Contract Goals for prime contracting and subcontracting. The programs and goals served to stimulate a robust small business environment that many experts believe benefited Federal Government Agencies as well as small businesses.
Budget Pressure
In the past however, small business participation suffered as a result of a number of factors. Based upon reduced contracting budgets, a general mistrust of the contracting community, increased expansion of government hires and general growth of the federal and state governments, contracting activity was significantly reduced.
As a result,direct contracts to small business were replaced by in sourcing (bringing work back into Federal Agencies to create work for newly hired government employees) and the resulting cancellation of large prime contracts has a disproportionate reducing of the small business work force. When prime contracts were cut, small business suffered.
Administration Guidelines – Small Business in Government Contracting – Policy Issues
Past administrations, perhaps realizing that an innovative and agile small business community was a national asset to be preserved, concluded that small business contracting goals were being missed by a wide margin, A special panel commissioned a review of the problem and develop solutions. The impact of this move proved to rejuvenate the policy of encouraging small business contracting and hopefully will improve the business environment for small business. However, small business status does not guarantee government contracts.
Policy is Not Enough- Small Business Contracting must add Value
There are many small businesses seeking to develop business in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. Those that succeed however,are able to succeed by adding perceived value to the customer and contracting team. A small business must develop a clear and solid value added proposition and market their value to targeted customers and teaming partners. Small business standing is simply not enough to develop business.
Small Business Contracting and the Intelligence Community
Presently, only Intelligence Agencies associated with the Department of Defense (NSA, DIA, NGA and the services) have small business programs and contracting goals. The goals are estimated to be about 23% of all contracting business set aside for small business. Civilian Intelligence Agencies like CIA and NRO do not have small business contracting goals or programs.
How the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is Different from Other Intelligence Agencies
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has proved to be one of the most aggressive agency in developing programs to meet small business goals, although the agency still has its own style of contracting and buying patterns. The NGA faces unique technical demands however and its research and development focus coupled with agency size and increasing flow of raw intelligence, offers excellent contracting opportunity for small business contractors.
Integrated Intel Solutions provides significant value added to customers and teaming partners.
Since 2002, Integrated Intel Solutions has supported IC customers and prime contractors with reliable value added for IT projects. Value added includes:
- Deep domain knowledge
- Stem qualified staff with a high retention level
- Proactive recruiting strategy and execution
- Corporate culture that encourages innovation and rewards success
- An Approach that takes a user-centric approach and advanced engineering to providing actionable intelligence.
- Efficiencies that employ SAFe Agile and iterative development. Project management, planning, analysis, and design are deployed in a way the continuously engages the internal team, subscribers, and operators to reach the solution that best achieves the mission.
- Assurances and tests for custom solutions that balance optimization with operational efficiency. Depending on your needs IIS can administer and manage and provide relevant and timely training support.
- Expertise is applied by enabling the most qualified and certified expertise to apply best practices and standards. Special emphasis is placed on our AWS/C2S (cloud) competencies and our experience with Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Machine Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), ICITE engineering and applications.
Why Integrated Intel Solutions?
It all begins with a deep desire to do meaningful work to serve our great nation. If you want to join forces with a team of trusted advisors and solve interesting and exciting challenges, IIS is the company for you.
