Providing Opportunities for Service-Disabled Veteran Businesses To Increase Their Federal Contracting and Subcontracting

This executive order directs federal agencies to increase contracting opportunities for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans by meeting a 3% participation goal, designating senior officials, developing public strategies, and creating reserved contracts. It also assigns specific duties to the Small Business Administration, General Services Administration, Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Labor departments to support these businesses through training, assistance, and outreach programs.

Federal Register Open PDF 69 FR 62549

Impact dates

Oct 20, 2005
Annual reports to SBA Administrator due

Key directives

Agency heads shall develop and publicly release strategies to increase service-disabled veteran business contracting
Agency heads shall designate a senior-level official responsible for strategy implementation
Agency heads shall report annually to SBA Administrator on implementation
Performance plans for designated official, chief acquisition officer, and director of small and disadvantaged business utilization must include strategy implementation as significant element
Agency strategies must include plans for: exclusive contract reservations, competition facilitation, subcontracting encouragement and monitoring, personnel training, and information dissemination
SBA Administrator shall designate entity to coordinate with VA's Center for Veterans Enterprise for business assistance
GSA Administrator shall establish Government-wide Acquisition Contract reserved for service-disabled veteran businesses
GSA Administrator shall assist service-disabled veteran businesses to be included in Federal Supply Schedules
Secretary of Defense shall direct DAU to develop and make available online training on contracting with service-disabled veteran businesses
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall assist agencies with CVE services and database verification
Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall direct transition programs to educate separating service members on benefits and entrepreneurial opportunities

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Agency heads must designate senior-level officials responsible for strategy development and implementation
Performance plan integration for designated officials begins

Near term (90d)

Agency strategies to be developed and made publicly available
Annual reporting to SBA Administrator begins

Long term

Government-wide Acquisition Contract for service-disabled veteran businesses to be established
Ongoing training programs through DAU, SBA, and transition assistance programs
Sustained monitoring of 3% contracting goal achievement

Risks & tensions

No hard deadlines specified for strategy development or contract establishment, creating implementation uncertainty
Subject to availability of appropriations may limit enforcement and resource allocation
Multi-member commissions have discretionary implementation authority, potentially creating uneven adoption
3% goal is aspirational with no stated enforcement mechanism for non-compliance
Database verification responsibility shared between VA and agencies without clear accountability structure