[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 131 (Thursday, July 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 37096]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18097]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Reinstatement of Small Business Set-Asides for Certain
Acquisitions Under the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration
Program
AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice of reinstatement of small business set-asides under the
Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Director of Defense Procurement has reinstated the use of
small business set-aside procedures for certain construction
acquisitions issued by the Departments of the Army and Navy. Included
in the reinstatement are solicitations issued under Standard Industrial
Category Major Group 15 and Standard Industrial Category Code 1629
(Navy only).
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 17, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Michael Sipple, OUSD (A&T), Director of Defense Procurement,
Contract Policy Administration, Room 3C838, 3060 Defense Pentagon,
Washington, DC 20301-3060, telephone (703) 695-8567.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Federal Procurement Policy
(OFPP) implemented Title VII of Pub. L. 100-656 (15 U.S.C. 644 note) by
issuance of the ``Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program
Test Plan'' on August 31, 1989, amended April 16, 1993. The program was
further implemented in Subpart 19.10 of the Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR) and Subpart 219.10 of the Defense FAR Supplement
(DFARS).
Under the program, small business set-asides were initially
suspended for certain designated industry groups (DIGs). Agencies are
required by paragraphs III.D.2.a and IV.A.4. of the OFPP test plan to
reinstate the use of small business set-asides whenever the small
business awards under any designated industry group falls below 40
percent or whenever small business awards under an Individual Standard
Industrial Classification (SIC) Code within the designated industry
group falls below 35 percent. Reinstatement is to be limited to the
organizational elements (in the case of DoD, the individual military
departments or other components) that failed to meet the small business
participation goals.
For the 12 months ending March 1998, DoD awards in the industries
shown below fell below the 40 percent (SIC Major Group 15) or 35
percent (SIC Code 1629) thresholds. Accordingly, pursuant to DFARS
219.1006(b)(2), the Director of Defense Procurement has directed
reinstatement of small business set aside procedures for solicitations
that involve the industry categories shown below. The reinstatement
applies to solicitations issued by the applicable buying activities on
or after June 17, 1998, or as soon thereafter as practicable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry Applicable to
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Construction:.......................
Major Group 15 (including SIC All Army and Navy Activities.
1521, 1522, 1531, 1541, and
1542).
Major Group 16--SIC, Code 1629 All Navy Activities.
only.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consistent with the OFPP test plan, this reinstatement of set-
asides will be periodically reviewed for continuation. Small business
set-asides were reinstated DoD-wide for the DIG titled ``Architectural
and Engineering Services,'' by memorandum of September 30, 1991. That
reinstatement remains in effect.
Michele P. Peterson,
Executive Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations Council.
[FR Doc. 98-18097 Filed 7-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5000-04-M