ARTICLE

April 2004

Small Business Division Reviews First Year

by Tyrone Taylor and Ben Stone

A year ago, the National Defense Industrial Association refocused its efforts to represent the interests of its small business members by creating the Small Business Division. Its mission is to focus specifically on issues affecting small business defense contractors. During its first year, the division concentrated its efforts on:

• Identifying and solidifying a core group of active small businesses within NDIA’s membership.
• Assisting in the development of programs and activities that provide information on and access to contracting opportunities.
• Advocating sound business-utilization policies within the federal government.

Each year, NDIA publishes its top issues, identifying policy areas important to the continued health of the defense industrial base. In both 2003 and 2004, NDIA’s top issues have included policy recommendations specific to the small business community.

In 2003, NDIA supported the administration’s strategy for increasing small-business contracting opportunities in the Department of Defense through improvements to proven vehicles, such as the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research programs, as well as new programs, such as the Army Venture Capital Demonstration Program.

In 2004, the association will continue to advocate balanced acquisition policies and programs that focus on increasing small-business access to contracts. A significant hurdle to small businesses, for example, is commercialization of technology and issues dealing with intellectual property. NDIA continues to support efforts within DOD and the Department of Homeland Security to address these issues and to incentivize industry to support small business innovation and participation in the federal marketplace.

In 2003, the division initiated a series of breakfast meetings, bringing together small businesses, prime contractors and the government purchaser. Each event was designed to provide NDIA small-business members with information on existing contracting opportunities; prime contractors with access to a captive audience of subcontractors, and the government purchaser with a more complete product or service.

The first event—held in February 2003—focused on opportunities with the Transportation Security Administration, and its contracts with Accenture and Unisys to develop the human-resource management and baggage-screening systems.

In June, the division hosted the U.S. Navy Program Executive Office for Submarines, the Office of Naval Research, Northrop Grumman and DRS Technologies. Participants were briefed on technology requirements of the Virginia-class attack nuclear submarine.

The most recent breakfast, held this past December, featured the U.S. Army Computer Emergency Response Team and Northrop Grumman/TASC. ACERT provided small businesses with an overview of the organization’s mission requirements and a detailed description of existing software requirements. Details of these events are posted on the division Web site.

Participation in the division’s activities reflects the NDIA’s broad industrial membership. Each event has drawn between 50 and 80 small-business representatives from across the United States. The division’s executive committee, which serves as its guiding body, is made up of representatives from small-business manufacturing concerns, service providers, high-tech research corporations, consulting companies, private law firms and former federal small-business utilization officers.

While the division has focused primarily on business opportunities, the executive committee also has been involved in NDIA’s educational and advocacy efforts, including briefings for the House Small Business Committee and the Pentagon’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.

Drawing on the broad resources of NDIA and its affiliates, the division is in the process of identifying ways to develop strategic partnerships with organizations such as Women In Defense and the Business Roundtable. Both of these organizations represent significant sectors of the defense industrial base and share common policy issues with the small business community.

The division will hold its first national conference July 19-21 at the Hyatt Regency Islandia Hotel in San Diego. The conference theme is “Beyond the Basics: The Next Step to Success.” Plans are underway for plenary-session speakers focusing on the role of small business in the defense industrial base, concurrent breakouts on a variety of specific topics and one-on-one “matchmaking” sessions. There also will be a small exhibit area. Michael Wynne, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, will be invited as the keynote speaker.

The division hopes the conference will attract 400 attendees, from large and small companies, academia, and the government. NDIA’s San Diego Chapter is playing a key role in both the planning and execution of this conference. Additional information on this meeting can be found at http://register.ndia.org/interview/register.ndia?~Brochure~4140.

In its future activities, the division will continue to focus its efforts on identifying small-business opportunities on existing and future contracts. It will seek out strategic relationships with the investment community, continue to cultivate existing relationships with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and Congress, and promote policies that enable effective utilization of small businesses within the defense industrial base.

The division constantly is seeking out individuals and ideas that will help it provide better service to NDIA’s small-business members. If you would like to become involved or offer suggestions, please contact Division Chair Tyrone Taylor (ttaylor@capitol-advisors.com) or Ben Stone at NDIA (bstone@ndia.org).

Back To Top