Author Description

Impediments may exist that hamper small-business contracting opportunities. Among the issues examined in the report are federal goals for small business purchases, the unique purchase needs of the Department of Defense, and how they affect opportunities for small businesses. The study also examines contract "bundling," subcontracting in professional services and research and development, opportunities in the Small Business Innovation Research and the Mentor-Protege Programs, electronic payment systems, and whether firms "graduate" from the programs or increase in size from "small" to larger businesses as a result of various small-business preferences, including those for procurement.