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Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is an advocacy and advisory office responsible for promoting the use of small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), women-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and HUBZone small businesses within the U.S. Department of Commerce's acquisition process. This involves promoting small business prime and subcontracting opportunities in accordance with Federal laws, regulations, and policies and the utilization of products from the National Industries for the Blind and services provided by SourceAmerica.

The goals of the OSDBU are to institutionalize the use of small businesses and to fully integrate them into Commerce's competitive base of contractors. The OSDBU itself is not a procurement office but serves as a liaison between the small business community and Commerce procurement offices. The Small Business Act of 1953, as amended by Public Law 95-507, established the OSDBU.

The OSDBU focuses on the following:

  • Increasing contract and subcontract awards to small businesses
  • Sharing information via the Internet
  • Identifying potential small businesses for use by Commerce, its bureaus, and prime contractors
  • Negotiating Commerce contract goals with the Small Business Administration in an effort to continually increase awards to small business
  • Publishing the annual 'Forecast of Contract Opportunities', which lists upcoming procurements
  • Reviewing procurement requisitions to maximize small business participation
  • Monitoring small business legislation
  • Establishing partnerships with internal customers and industry to obtain feedback, improve customer service, achieve goals, and disseminate information
  • Creating awareness of the benefits of working with small businesses through in-reach/marketing and training, and;
  • Giving special recognition and awards to individuals and bureaus that have made outstanding contributions to the success of Commerce's Small Business Program.

Leadership

  • Virna Winters, VWinters@doc.gov, Acting Director, OSDBU
  • Yvonne Vines, Business Industry Specialist

Additional Information

Small Business

Subcontracting

Report Forms

    Related Content

    OSDBU: Small Business Report Forms

    The forms listed below are used to collect data regarding small business concerns used in contracts that require subcontracting plans, data on the participation of small disadvantaged business concerns, set-aside justifications, and related information. On contracts requiring subcontracting plans, Federal Contracting Officers and Prime Contractors must complete and submit the SF294 and SF295...

    OSDBU: Subcontracting

    Any business concern, other than a small business, responding to a solicitation or an invitation to bid to perform a contract that is expected to exceed $650,000 (or $1 million for construction) and that has subcontracting possibilities must submit a subcontracting plan. The business concern must agree in the contract that small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran...

    OSDBU: Small Business

    A firm, including affiliates that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field in which it is competing for government contracts, and in conformity with specific industry criteria defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The Small Business Administration has established a size standard for most industries in the economy. About one-fourth of industries have a size...