service-disabled-veteran-owned-small-business

Service disabled veteran owned small business – SDVOSB

The United States of America honors the extraordinary service rendered to the United States by veterans with disabilities incurred or aggravated in the line of duty during active service with the armed forces.

On December 16, 2003 the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-183) was enacted amending the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et. seq.) to establish a procurement program for Small Business Concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. On May 5, 2004 the Small Business Administration published implementation guidance providing the key linkage to transform the vision of Public Law 108-183 into reality

To achieve these objectives US government agencies were tasked to effectively implement section 15(g) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(g)), which provides that the President of the United States must establish a goal of not less than three percent for participation by service disabled veteran owned businesses in Federal contracting, and section 36 of that Act (15 U.S.C. 657f), which gives agency contracting officers the authority to reserve certain procurements for service disabled veteran owned businesses. This means that the President has mandated that three percent of all government contracting must be made available to service disabled veteran owned small business.

As a result of these laws over seven billion dollars was awarded to veterans with service connected disabilities in 2005. It is estimated that our government will let a greater amount of contracts to service disabled veterans than in the past and allocations will increase in 2009.

In accordance with 13 C.F.R. 125.15(b), service disabled owned small businesses may enter into joint venture agreements with other companies for the purpose of performing service disabled veteran owned business contracts. This allows Clarity Government Services to joint venture with other world-class business to execute contracts.

Federal officials pledged on March 12, 2009, that economic stimulus funds will reach veteran owned small businesses. Representatives from five agencies testified before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting that they have strategies for making sure 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money flows to veteran-owned small businesses.

“As the Department of Defense expends the funds provided by the Recovery Act, we will continue to pursue strategies that will give the maximum practicable opportunities to all small business, and give vigorous attention to providing opportunities for service disabled veteran owned small businesses,” said Linda Oliver, acting director of Defense’s Office of Small Business Programs.

Other witnesses noted that many small business opportunities could come in the form of subcontracting.

Representative Glenn Nye, D-VA., chairman of the subcommittee, noted that a high percentage of the $111 billion in Recovery Act public works contracts is expected to go to industries where veteran entrepreneurs traditionally have had a strong presence, including engineering, telecommunications, project management and construction.

“Today we are putting government agencies on notice: We will not accept the tired excuse that the need to move hastily and the sheer volume of contracts resulted in an ‘inadvertent oversight’ of veteran owned businesses,” Nye said.

A service disabled veteran owned small business must be majority owned and controlled by a service disabled veteran. A veteran is a person who served on active duty with the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines or Coast Guard and was released under honorable. People who were called to active duty, as well as reservists or National Guardsmen who retired or were injured while in training status, also qualify as veterans. Both Clarity Principals are Veterans, and one is also a service disabled veteran.

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