Chapter 7 - Promoting the Commonwealth's Socio-Economic Initiatives

VITA will work with the Commonwealth’s DSBSD certified small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans and micro-businesses to increase their participation in IT solicitations and to increase the number of IT contracts awarded to these suppliers. VITA’s procurement guidelines provide for increasing SWaM participation on VITA’s small procurements by implementing a set aside program for micro-businesses and small businesses. VITA will promote greater representation of small businesses on all IT contracts through actively recruiting SWaM, small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans and micro-businesses to bid on statewide cooperative procurement agreements and/or all contracts. As required by the Code of Virginia, VITA will post solicitations on eVA to enable small businesses to prepare potential bids or proposals. 

1.  Initiatives. VITA will support and encourage the participation of small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans and micro-businesses through utilization of the following initiatives:

A.  Identification and outreach to potential small IT businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans and micro-businesses. VITA will assist these businesses with DSBSD certification, eVA registration and provide education on VITA’s procurement procedures.

B.  All VITA solicitations will promote the use of partnerships with small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans and micro-businesses and the use of SWaM subcontractors in providing IT goods and services to the Commonwealth.

C.  VITA will provide procurement outreach and educational opportunities for Swam businesses. Such opportunities will include, but not be limited to the following:  

1. 1. Coordinate with DSBSD and the Department of General Services (DGS) for SWaM-related seminars and/or fairs for consistent, statewide communications; 
   2. Host and participate in IT related procurement fairs and educational opportunities; 
   3. Meet with SWaM-supplier organizations for input and perspective; 
   4. Participate in a SWaM procurement advisory committee comprised of IT SWaM businesses to assist VITA in enhancing opportunities for IT SWaM businesses as needed; 
   5. Engage and educate internal sourcing consultants and purchasing specialists regarding SWaM policies and practices; 
   6. Update and maintain externally accessible web site for SWAMs; 
   7. Maintain a SWaM email address and other communications channels (i.e., mail and phone) for direct, SWaM-related purchasing and contracting inquiries to VITA; 
   8. Identify and publicize VITA’s future contracting needs and procurement planning to assist small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans and micro-businesses suppliers in preparing to participate in upcoming VITA procurements; 
   9. Develop appropriate contract terms related to use of SWaM and Swam subcontract spend reporting. 

VITA’s procurement professionals play an integral role in improving the participation of these businesses in the Commonwealth’s IT procurement processes. In order to facilitate an increase in access and participation by this business community in VITA’s procurements, VITA will post subcontract opportunities and provide directions on how such businesses can qualify or compete for them. VITA will assist these suppliers in identifying the business opportunity, any qualification or prequalification requirements for subcontractors and where to obtain technical data needed to successfully respond to the subcontract opportunity. 

VITA will work with the Commonwealth’s small IT businesses to increase participation in solicitations and to increase the number of contracts awarded. VITA’s procurement guidelines will provide for increasing small business participation on VITA’s small procurements (up to $100,000) through a set-aside program for small businesses and for the implementation of other small business enhancement tools. VITA will promote greater representation of small businesses on all IT contracts through actively recruiting small businesses, including those owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans and micro-businesses to bid on all statewide joint and cooperative procurements. In compliance with § 2.2-4302.2 of the Code of Virginia, VITA will post upcoming solicitations on the eVA “Future Procurements” page to enable small businesses to prepare potential bids or proposals. 

A supplier which is a small business, but which is not yet certified with DSBSD must receive certification prior to award: http://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/. DSBSD-certified businesses that are women-, minority- and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses and micro-businesses shall also be considered small businesses when they have received DSBSD small business certification.