New York SBDC Research Network

Two family-owned and operated firms, McLaughlin Research Corporation (MRC), an engineering firm from Connecticut and Sound Roof Systems, Ltd., a roofing contractor from New York, have been named the National Prime Contractor of the Year and National Subcontractor of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These winners, along with other national winners and finalists for the National Small Business Person of the Year, will participate in a recognition ceremony at the US Institute of Peace to kick off National Small Business Week on May 2. SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet will be presenting all awards. In FY15, the federal government awarded 25.75 percent or $90.7 billion of all federal contracts to small businesses which translates to more than 537,000 jobs supporting revenue for the job creators who produce 2 out of 3 net, new private-sector jobs in the U.S. economy. The two small businesses were selected from among ten regional prime contractors and 10

WASHINGTON – Women business owners are invited to learn more about increasing opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the federal contracting arena through free Office Hours Webinars hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration each Tuesday and Thursday through June 26 at 2 p.m. ET. SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program presents an opportunity for small businesses to increase their presence in the federal marketplace. The federal government is the biggest buyer in the world and is a must-have customer for women-owned companies. The hour-long webinars will be led by SBA officials, and will help to answer questions and give valuable insight to women entrepreneurs on doing business in the federal marketplace. WHAT: SBA Office Hours Webinars on Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program WHEN: May 13 – June 26, 2014, each Tuesday and Thursday: • Tuesday, May 13th, 20th, 27th, June 3rd, June 10th, June 17th, and June 24th • Thursday, May 15th, 22nd

From the Small Business Administration : If you’re a small business owner interested in making the federal government one of your next customers, you can benefit greatly from certifying your business first. Many government agencies require that a certain percentage of its work is set aside for small businesses (and woman-owned, veteran-owned and more), so certifying your business can help you successfully compete for government contracts. These resources can help: When and How to Register Your Business as a “Small Business” – Get the scoop on small business certification from this blog post, concerning D-U-N-S number and the System for Award Management (SAM) Am I a Small Business? – Make sure you meet the qualifications for "small" before you certify and register your business. Register for Government Contracting – As you register for government contracting, you'll also be "self-certifying" your business as small. You can also read up

In certain instances, section 5-a of the Tax Law requires businesses that are awarded contracts with New York State to certify that they are registered to collect New York State and local sales and use taxes (sales tax) on sales delivered to locations within New York. The purpose of section 5-a is to ensure that contractors do not get state work unless they, their affiliates, and their subcontractors making sales of tangible personal property or taxable services are registered to collect New York State’s sales tax. This means that certain businesses, including in some cases out-of-state businesses not currently registered to collect New York State sales taxes, will need to register for New York State sales tax purposes. This bulletin explains the general rules related to the certification requirements for contractors and their affiliates and subcontractors. For more detailed information on the contractor certification requirements imposed under section 5-a of the Tax Law, see Publ

From SBA : If you are new to freelancing or thinking of becoming a freelancer, you’ll no doubt have lots of questions, especially about the legal and regulatory paperwork you need to obtain and manage throughout the business year. Freelancing, particularly if you are unincorporated, is one of the least paperwork-intensive forms of business ownership. Nevertheless, you are still a business and you need to be sure you have the right licenses or permits, make estimated tax payments on time, report your earnings each year, and deal with client paperwork such as contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and more. To help you stay on top of your obligations, here’s a breakdown of key legal and regulatory processes, plus important “business-ready” documentation you’ll need when dealing with new clients.

Here is a link to Federal Product Service Codes and Federal Supply Codes . Revised Product Service Codes and Federal supply codes Effective 10/01/2011. The red codes expired 09/30/2011 and the blue codes have been added as of 10/01/2011 Product service codes are used by the United States government to describe the products, services, and research and development purchased by the government. Government procurement specialists and government contractors alike require a solid understanding of these codes in order to produce quality partnerships between buyers and suppliers.

In an effort to create a more level contracting playing field for women-owned small businesses, in late 2010, the SBA announced a rule that would implement the long-awaited Woman-Owned Small Business contracting program. So what is the WOSB Program and how can you take advantage of it? Here’s what you need to know and the steps you need to take to get your business certified to participate. Read More .

The General Services Administration plans to open its Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System database to the general public in April. The FAPIIS database tracks contractor performance for the government, and until now, available only to a select group of government officials, legislators and contractors. Under a provision in the wartime supplemental appropriations bill, GSA is required to disclose all information contained in the database except previous performance evaluations. More HERE .

Many thanks to the people at the Farmingdale SBDC, who passed on information earlier today that free access is available online to the New York State Contract Reporter, "your official source for New York State contracting opportunities". Access is being given to all the SBDCs around the state, as well as to businesses with fewer than 10 employees. The Farmingdale office received an email from a woman affiliated with the NYSCR. Here's the text: "I am pleased to inform you that today, Governor Paterson in conjuction with our Commissioner Marisa Lago, announced that all NYS SBDC centers will be entitled to free access to the NYSCR as well as to NYS businesses that employ 10 or fewer persons . Please log onto the site at: http://www.nyscr.org/ and take out a free trial subscription. ( Click on the "30 Day Trial" link under the heading "Public Links" ). You will need to accept the terms, complete the form and submit to the NYSCR system. You will r