WASHINGTON, July 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Tuesday, July 18,  U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman joined National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy NASA Administrator Pam Melroy, and small business leaders who work with NASA to announce the results of the FY2022 Small Business Federal Procurement Scorecard at the NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The annual scorecard is an assessment tool to measure how well federal agencies fulfill their small business prime contracting and subcontracting goals. Throughout the fiscal year, the SBA works with each federal agency to set individual prime and subcontracting goals, then assigns scorecard grades based on those goals.

Highlighted in this scorecard announcement is the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued prioritization of inclusivity and equity in its contracting goals, including specific targets for small, disadvantaged businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. President Biden’s statement on record procurement from small business can be found here.

At the event, Administrator Guzman highlighted the successes of the past year, with the Biden-Harris Administration exceeding its 23% small business contracting goal in 2022, awarding 26.5% in federal contract dollars to small businesses across the federal government. This amounted to a $162.9 billion investment in the small business economy – an $8.7 billion increase from the previous fiscal year. This record-high level of contract spending with small businesses supported over one million good-paying jobs in crucial industries.

Administrator Guzman announced that due to the high levels of contracting and surpassing of target goals, 10 federal agencies earned an “A+” grade for their agencies’ achievements in small business contracting, and an additional ten agencies, including NASA, received an “A” grade. NASA invested more than $3.6 billion directly in small businesses, with $3.4 billion subcontracted to small businesses.

“Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we have championed initiatives to fuel our nation’s historic economic growth, also reducing barriers and ensuring fair competition,” said Administrator Guzman. “The Biden Administration continues to raise the bar, reaching a historic all-time high in contract spending levels with small businesses, supporting over one million good-paying jobs in manufacturing, construction, research & development, and other vital industries.” 

“We’re excited to receive yet another “A” in this year’s Small Business Administration’s scorecard. NASA is investing in America by partnering with small businesses around the country and in every single state,” said Administrator Nelson. “Small businesses are integral to everything we do, from finding the first galaxies to investigating Mars and the universe to sending a new generation of explorers to the Moon through Artemis. Together, every advancement and achievement we make is for humanity.”

Event participants included:

• Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, SBA – 27^th Administrator 
• Administrator Bill Nelson, Administrator, NASA – 14^th Administrator  
• Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, NASA 
• Associate Administrator for Small Business Programs Glenn Delgado, NASA
• Timothy Richardson, FDSS-III Program Manager, OPR LLC 
• Ed Aguayo, President, Newton LLC 
• Ashok Jha, President, Adnet 
• Larry Stubblefield, “Acting” Associate Administrator, Office of Government Contracting and Business Development 

For follow-up interview requests for Administrator Guzman, please contact Rebecca Galanti at rebecca.galanti@sba.govmailto:mila.myles@sba.gov.

Photos available on request: press_office@sba.gov

Release Date: July 18, 2023                              Contact: rebecca.galanti@sba.gov
Release Number: RO23-19                                Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs & Instagram

Christine Saah Nazer
U.S. Small Business Administration
202-756-0304
Christine.saahnazer@sba.gov