SBA: Federal Government Breaks Contracting Record for Women-Owned Small Businesses

WASHINGTON – Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and a member of President Obama’s Cabinet, was joined by Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, Representative Judy Chu (D-CA-27) and Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17) today to announce that the federal government has surpassed its five percent contracting goal for Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) for the first time in history.

“Meeting this goal means five percent is no longer our ceiling but our foundation upon which to build,” said Contreras-Sweet. “A recent SBA-commissioned study revealed women-owned businesses already employ eight million American workers, but when it comes to receiving contracts and capital, women are still under-represented. That’s why the SBA has added 36 new industry categories where women can now compete for set-aside contracts and sole-source awards. This will dramatically expand contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses, paving the way for new jobs and industries to be created.”

Continue reading: https://www.sba.gov/content/sba-federal-government-breaks-contracting-record-women-owned-small-businesses