Outreach Help
For Primes & Gov't
Diverse Biz Help
For DBEs, VetBiz, etc.
Sales & Support
100% US-based
For Primes & Gov't
For DBEs, VetBiz, etc.
100% US-based
The Virginia legislature has recently passed a bill, HB61, which would establish a Small SWaM Business Procurement Enhancement Program in the Commonwealth. The new program would, in addition, codify procedures of the existing Small, Women-owned, and Minority-owned Business (or SWaM) program adopted following prior executive orders from the Governor's office in 2014. The bill has been passed and is waiting for the current Governor Abigail Spanberger to take action on it.
The specific enhancements in the bill include raising the Commonwealth-wide procurement participation target for SWaMs by 3 percent each year until the target reaches 42 percent. This codifies the 42 percent goal from an executive order from Governor Terence McAuliffe originally sent in 2014. The bill additionally specifies a 50 percent participation goal for SWaMs in subcontracting on contracts where the prime is not a SWaM. The bill also establishes a SWaM set-aside program for purchases between $10,000 and $200,000 and and a microbusiness set aside for purchases under $10,000.
The bill also creates the Division of Procurement Enhancement within the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (the latter of which administers the SWaM program), with the goal of coordinating between the various Commonwealth agencies responsible for meeting the goal targets in their purchasing procedures. The bill also requires a disparity study into the experiences of women-owned and minority-owned businesses in doing business with the Commonwealth to be conducted every five years, with next one due by January 1st of 2031.
Read the bill at https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB61/.
Read more about the SWaM program at https://sbsd.virginia.gov/certification-division/faqs/.
