The U.S. Defense Department has awarded $18 million to six programs to reduce the energy demand of future expeditionary outposts. The assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs will administer the funds, which are granted programs aimed at developing and rapidly transitioning energy technologies for the combat force. Defense Department-led teams representing the military services and the Department of Energy will receive the money but are seeking support and innovation from small businesses. In March, the military and Small Business Administration will host an information session for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Additional information about the teams can be found at http://energy.defense.gov.

Launch or improve your small business with the SBA app for iPhone.

The program, developed by Palo Alto Software, helps users get free, personal, one-on-one help for starting or growing a small business. All of the advice comes from advisers associated with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

SBA mobile helps users calculate starting costs and determine how much money it will take to get off the ground. In addition, the app provides news, videos and updates from the SBA Titter feed and YouTube channel, and it locates local offices for SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and SBA District offices.

Download the free app from the iTunes App Store.

These sites are not affiliated with AFCEA or SIGNAL Magazine, and we are not responsible for the content or quality of the products offered. When visiting new websites, please use proper Internet security procedures.

At a recent AFCEA International PDC course called “The Business of Winning: Seven Steps in Government Contracting,” instructor Judy Bradt took an unconventional twist on teaching. From global and mobile enterprises, to tireless and wireless initiatives, she turned the topic into poetry. Watch the video here.

Yesterday’s blog coverage was just too short to include the depth of advice the experts at the Small Business Intelligence Forum shared, so here are a few more ideas:

• Savvy SIGNAL Scape reader Ross Andrews, ARC Program Manager, Contractor – BVTI, beat this reporter to the punch on a very important item that should be on every small company’s list if it wants to do business with the intelligence community: register with the Acquisition Resource Center. See his full comment at http://bit.ly/bXmzFM.

• The road to doing business with the DIA can begin at the agency itself, where Sherry Baldwin, director of the agency’s Office of Small Business Programs, has a list of individuals to contact at large prime contracting firms. The office is located at Bolling Air Force Base, Virginia, and Baldwin can reached at Sea0132@dia.mil.

• Each government agency has a goal for working with small businesses that they must strive to meet. Many are close to meeting that goal, but many are not. Seek out those that need to work with more small businesses.

• Know the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.

• The NSA doesn’t advertise its needs under its agency name, and it works with a very small community of companies, but once you’re in, you’re in. Network face-to-face on a regular basis with personnel from other companies and don’t be afraid to market your wares.

• Most members of the IC are interested in a few hot items that include fast and smart query analytics; real-time detection behaviors, security access capabilities; innovative antennas; and new battery technologies.

• Be aware of and attend Industry Days.

• “NGA is very committed to working with small business. You can take that to the bank.” —Sandra Broadnax, small business executive, NGA

• Don’t rely exclusively on the IC for keeping your business afloat. Diversify.

• Stay cautious and grow judiciously.

• Know yourself; know your customers; know the users.

• Seek out the individuals at IC agencies who are involved with acquisition and accounting so that they KNOW who YOU are.

• Listen to an agency’s vision, mission and challenges. Develop a white paper to solve those challenges. Once the agency agrees that your solution may have merit, go to the prime contractor working with the agency and tell it how you can solve the specific IC organization’s problem.

Do you have other suggestions about how to increase business with IC agencies? Don’t be shy…share them here!

It’s sometimes difficult to figure out what’s the bigger secret – intelligence or the acquisition processes of the organizations that gather it. CIA, NSA, DIA plus 13 more agencies are collectively known as the intelligence community (IC), but that’s where most of the similarity ends when it comes to these information hunters and gathers when it comes to purchasing goods, services or “carbon units.” One fact is absolutely true and as open source as is possible: small businesses have advocates in IC agencies that fight tooth and nail in their interest.

Some of these experts presented valuable secrets as well as common sense about how to capture the IC’s business at the AFCEA International Small Business Intelligence Forum. All of the big hitters representing either an IC agencies, a small business and even a large companies agreed that by following certain guidelines, working for work from one of the IC organizations isn’t any more difficult than business development with other government agencies or even other companies.

Their advice in a nutshell? Be prepared, work diligently, meet deadlines, be aware of IC business opportunities and be true to your word. Yes, this all may seem simple, but the IC’s experience with small and large companies alike has been that when just a minority of companies don’t follow these rules, it is even more difficult to promote the idea of turning to small companies for solutions when even just one program manager has a bad experience. Word spreads.

THE SPECIFICS
• This is a $75 billion market. Go after it.
• The ODNI has very little of its own money to spend. The bucks are in the individual agencies.
• How do you navigate the beast? Follow the money. Government agencies want to spend the funds they’ve been granted because if they don’t, next year’s allotment is likely to be less.
• Today, Congress is involved in intelligence funding decisions. Stay informed about what’s going on in the intelligence committees on The Hill.
• Each agency has its own sense of identity and makes purchases based on it. Find out about an agency’s mission, vision and culture.
• “Everyone’s problem is the same: They have a ton of information, but they can’t use it to make a better decision” because they need new ways to sift through it.
• Oversight on the part of the government agencies is a problem and they know it. Often large companies bring small businesses onboard to win a contract but never actually use their services or products. This is an issue that is under increased scrutiny.
• If a small business has the experience described above, report it to the agency’s Small Business Advocate. The company’s or individual’s name won’t be revealed, but the tip will be follow up on and could result in an instant change.
• Get to know the Small Business Advocate at agencies. For example, e-mail Pam Porter at the NSA at smallbusiness@nsa.gov.
• Do business with other companies that are already doing business with the IC.
• “Be ready. Don’t try to impress us; just make sure you can do the work.”—Sandra Broadnax, small business executive, NGA
Have you tried and tried some of these approaches and still not been able to crack the IC acquisition egg? Talk about it here, and look forward to Part 2 of this coverage on tomorrow’s SIGNAL Scape.