A Wide-Ranging Small-Business Program at AFCEA Belvoir Industry Days

The chapter hosted a small-business forum as part of AFCEA Belvoir Industry Days in April. The heavily attended event featured lively discussion on a wide range of topics, from the pros and cons of the U.S. Defense Department and Small Business Administration (SBA) Mentor-Protégé programs to the roles of the U.S. Army, Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) in advocating for the small business industrial base. Tommy Marks, director, Army Small Business Programs, kicked off the forum with a keynote luncheon presentation highlighting last fiscal year's Army small business spending performance and this fiscal year's goals and objectives. "Small business is big business in the Department of the Army," he said. Shannon Jackson, associate director, Defense Department Office of Small Business Programs, discussed defense priorities, small-business spending performance data and goals, the increasing importance of category management, the department's Mentor-Protégé Program and tips for small businesses to get the attention of decision makers. Andrea Armstrong, director, Aberdeen Proving Ground Office of Small Business Programs, noted that for each of the last three years, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) and the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) have collectively spent nearly $2.5 billion with small businesses across all socioeconomic categories. She provided recommendations on preparing for meetings with the APG commanding general, program executive officers (PEOs), program managers (PMs), contracting officers and other APG organizations and individuals. Armstrong also shared details on nearly two dozen upcoming contracting opportunities. Robert Stewart Jr., director of acquisition and technology innovation, OSBP, DTRA, and Donald Shires, DTRA R&D Division head for contracts, discussed the agency's mission, strategic imperatives, priorities and upcoming contract opportunities potentially worth billions of dollars. Finally, Holly Schick, director, All Small Mentor-Protégé Program (ASMPP), SBA, explained the program's benefits, provided insights about what makes a successful ASMPP relationship and described how the program fits into the broader federal mentor-protégé program landscape. For more information on the material presented or to learn about other small-business networking events, contact Eric P. Strauss at eric.strauss@logc2.com, or visit the chapter website at https://belvoir.afceachapters.org.

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