The mission of the Department of State (DOS) is to create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community.  It promotes and protects the interests of Americans by:

• Managing diplomatic relations with other nations and international institutions.
• Promoting peace and stability in regions of vital interest.
• Promoting U.S. business interests abroad.
• Providing services to Americans living or traveling overseas.

The Department of State purchases in excess of $1 billion annually in goods and services to support its global mission.

The mission of the Department of State’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) ensures that all legislatively specified categories of small businesses in our prime contracts and subcontracts are effectively utilized to the maximum extent possible.  Every Department employee who has a role in the acquisition process, whether as an “end user” or a contracting officer, has a responsibility to support the Department’s efforts.

What We Do:

• Champion U.S. small business interests in the Department’s acquisition process.

• Provide to the small business community training and counseling about doing business with the Department of State in order to expand the base of small business firms selling to he Department.

• Provide training and counseling to our internal customers about contracting with small businesses.  Assist internal customers in identifying resources that result in increased opportunities for small businesses.

The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) locates qualified small businesses in all legislatively specified categories in a variety of ways.  We maintain close liaison with local offices of the Small Business Administration and frequently use the Dynamic Small Business Search capability of the Contractor Central Registration (CCR) database to identify potential sources. We also use the Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Business Registry (VetBiz)  database when looking for small businesses owned by service-disable veterans.  We participate in various Federal procurement conferences around the country, sponsored by members of Congress, trade associations, chambers of commerce, and other Federal, state and local agencies. We also provide one-to-one counseling to small businesses upon request. Since the Department’s mission is international, we do not maintain domestic regional offices or appoint regional small business specialists. The OSDBU is headquartered in Rosslyn, Virginia and has sole oversight for the Department’s small business advocacy program worldwide.

The Department’s OSDBU screens all new acquisitions over the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $100,000), processed by our domestic acquisitions offices, to determine their suitability for preferential procurement action (small business 8(a), HUBZone and, veteran-owned serviced disabled set-asides). We also screen acquisitions for task or delivery orders against multiple award contracts if they are expected to exceed $2 million.  In this way, we continually strive to assure that small businesses maintain a fair share of the Department’s acquisition spending.

The Dynamic Small Business Search is not a bidders’ mailing list application. DOS’s OSDBU promotes its use extensively to contracting officers, purchasing agents and end-users as a tool to locate vendor sources. The Department of State does not maintain separate vendor database system in order to alleviate for small businesses the burden of registering in multiple federal databases.  Instead, we use the web-based CCR and VetBiz databases maintained by other agencies.  We encourage vendors to market to domestic acquisition and program officials with whom hey seek to do business.

We cannot over-emphasize the need to maintain current, accurate information in the CCR database.  Since the General Services Administration’s Federal Procurement Data System-Next General (FPDS-NG) interfaces with CCR, federal agencies only receive credit for the socioeconomic categories that firms enter into CCR.  The contracting officer cannot change information uploaded from CCR into FPDS-NG.

 For competitive acquisitions over the simplified acquisition threshold, mailing lists are created from responses to individual FebBizOpps advertisements. Vendors can access FedBizOpps on the Internet at no cost. 

As part of a Government-wide initiative mandated by the Office of Management and Budget, all Federal contractors must register with the Department of Defense's Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. All firms interested in doing business with the U.S. Department of State must register.  Implementation of CCR furthers E-Government progress and streamlines the process of competing for and being paid under Federal contracts.

If there are questions concerning the Department’s OSDBU program, please contact ; Greg Mayberry, (703) 875-6823, Margaret Williams (703) 875-6824,  Willie Taylor (703) 875-4240, Trish Culbreth (703) 875-6881 or Judy Thomas (703) 516-1953. For matters related to overseas A&E or construction services, contact Louis Pruitt at (703) 875-6586.

Sincerely,

Gregory N. Mayberry
Operations Director
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization