Directing spending dollars to American small businesses is a central goal of federal contracting. In 1953, Congress passed the Small Business Act which declared “the Government should aid, counsel, assist, and protect, insofar as is possible, the interests of small business concerns,” in order to “insure that a fair proportion of the total sales of Government property be made to such enterprises, and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of the Nation”.1 This directive serves to support a healthy and diverse supplier base of small businesses, which are the backbone of the American economy and job creators in communities across the country.
Unison Marketplace supports this initiative by giving Buyers access to thousands of qualified Sellers who meet their small business needs. Buyers come to Unison Marketplace knowing there will be a large and healthy community of small business vendors eager to work with the government. Unison Marketplace has always been geared towards promoting small business utilization and in FY19 over 90% of all contracts on the marketplace were awarded to small businesses!
With a registered Seller base of more than 110,000 companies, the vast majority of which are small businesses, Unison Marketplace is a great way for Buyers to achieve high competition on small business solicitations. The marketplace also helps Sellers access real opportunities in their areas of expertise. Small businesses often offer innovative product and service solutions that Buyers were unaware of. As a result, even when a Buyer posts an opportunity in FY19 with no set-aside requirements, meaning large businesses can compete, 68% of those solicitations were still awarded to small businesses. When given a fair and level playing field, small business Sellers have proven they can compete and win.
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