SEWP's additions may help contracting goals

NASA's Solutions for Enterprisewide Procurements contract will add four new 8(a) small businesses this week to its 38 prime contracts, an official said today. Patrick Logan, deputy program manager of the governmentwide SEWP contract, said the small businesses will expand options for agencies as they try to meet their annual small-business contracting goals. Logan said this is an effort to satisfy the Small Business Administration’s push for more contracting with 8(a) small businesses. Currently, there is one 8(a) firm on SEWP IV, the latest version of the contract. The additions are new because SEWP IV, which was awarded in May 2007, does not allow new companies to join as prime contractors. Currently, SEWP has 38 prime contractors, 21 of which are small businesses. The contract has six companies designated as service-disabled  veteran-owned small businesses. Agencies can buy information technology products from SEWP. Meanwhile, agencies have struggled to reach their small-business contracting goals. SBA handed out low scores on its most recent Small Business Procurement Score Card, which the agency released in August 2007. Half of the 24 agencies that were rated received a red score. An agency earns a red score if it misses its goal for awarding a certain overall percentage of contracts to small businesses or if it doesn’t reach companies in at least two out of four socioeconomic categories, such as woman-owned and veteran-owned businesses.