The Small Business Administration (SBA) is responsible for ensuring small business government-wide goals are established each fiscal year at or above the statutory levels, and that the reporting agencies’ achievements meet the agency established goals. The OSDBU of each federal government agency negotiates with the SBA to establish mandatory small business goals for their respective agency.
DHS is the largest agency to earn a grade of “A” or “A+” for fifteen years in a row on the annual small business federal procurement scorecard issued by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Our small business accomplishments are a great example of the DHS Unity of Effort in action. Through the collaboration of the contracting officials, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business, small business specialists, and program officials across DHS, we continually aim to identify the right small businesses to support the DHS mission.
According to the DHS Newsroom, in Fiscal Year 2023 DHS awarded 38.21% of total eligible contracting dollars to small businesses, which greatly exceeded the government-wide goal of 23% and the DHS goal of 35.5%. Additionally, for the 12th fiscal year in a row, DHS exceeded its Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) goal, achieving 4.7% compared to the government-wide goal of 3%. These outstanding records further solidify DHS’s standing as a leader in federal procurement and small business contracting.
“America’s small businesses are essential partners in equipping the Department’s workforce with the tools to fulfill our mission of protecting the homeland,” said the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo. “We are proud of DHS’s 15 year record and are committed to ensure that it continues. This year’s “A+” rating achievement is the result of modernizing and streamlining our processes to meet our contracting goals.”
In FY 2023, DHS obligated $9.9 billion, the highest amount in the Department’s history, to small businesses. Over $4.7 billion was awarded to small, disadvantaged businesses– a result of the Department’s increased targeted small business outreach efforts, which include a focus on undeserved vendor communities. Notably, DHS awarded 38.21% of its total eligible contracting dollars to small businesses, greatly exceeding the government-wide prime goal of 23%.
"Our achievements are the result of collaboration between DHS leadership and the acquisition workforce,” said E. Darlene Bullock, DHS Executive Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. “DHS will continue to implement various programs and policies to support small business participation."
For the second time in the Department’s history, DHS exceeded all ten small business prime and subcontracting goals, making it the largest federal agency with this record of achievement. “DHS’s sustained accomplishments on the SBA scorecard for the past 15 years truly highlight the Department’s efforts to partner with small businesses. We are proud of our efforts and look forward to continued excellence in this area,” said Paul Courtney, DHS Chief Procurement Officer.
Small businesses play an instrumental role in strengthening the capabilities of the Department and helping us protect our homeland. DHS is committed to maximizing opportunities for small businesses and will continue to partner with industry to increase diversity in our contractor community.
Use the following resources to learn about DHS’s current Small Business Program Goals and Achievements.