Updates to CCR Searching/Information Capabilities - Dynamic Small Business Search & 8(a) Joint Venture Credits

By Andy Alexander

Thanks to Dwight Johnson, SBA in  Omaha,  NE for this information.

1.  CCR has added a quick market search at http://dsbs.sba.gov/dsbs/search/dsp_quicksearch.cfm for easier access to HUBZone, 8(a), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Woman-owned, Veteran owned and Service Disabled Veteran-owned business profiles. Please advise your contracting staff and take advantage of this streamlined search system.

Goals are consistently missed for HZ, Women, and SDVs, so there is a new emphasis on this goal achievement at SBA. We require solid market research to demonstrate why projects are not set-aside for these groups. We do not expect a set-aside for women-owned businesses in the near future, however.

2. Access to numbers of employees and revenue again on CCR. Having this information improves the quality of your research. We are slowly working to make this information accessible to you again, as some of you know. Staff will to to the SBA General Login System at https://eweb.sba.gov/gls/dsp_login.cfm. To use the system, one must apply for "DSBS/Pro-Net Privileged Searcher" user status.  Details will be forthcoming on procedures for doing this.

3. Agencies working with 8(a) joint ventures will now receive SDB or 8(a) credit for doing so, per changes in the CCR described below. Unfortunately, such changes have not been made for SDV or HZ joint ventures.

SBA continues to encourage small businesses to compete on larger procurements through the use of JVs, and we want to be sure contracting officers know how all types of JVs work. Sometimes contracting staff assume that SBA approves JVs for small business, HZ and SDV, but we do not. We continue to provide 90 minute on-line training on JVs and do so upon request.