Women's Procurement Program Wins Victory

VICTORY - SBA ANNOUNCES FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WOMEN'S PROCUREMENT PROGRAM


For Immediate Release

Contact: Marybeth Grass

Pitch Public Relations

Marybeth@PitchPublicRelations.com

Phone: 480.263.1557

Washington, D.C. - October 7, 2010 - Count Me in for Women’s Economic Independence applauds the release of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s The Final Rule, which will implement the Women’s Procurement Program, enacted into law in 2000.

"With this ruling, more women are poised to get from micro to millions, stimulate job growth and fuel the economy,” said Nell Merlino, CEO and Founder of Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence.

When enacted, contracting officers will have the ability to restrict competition to women-owned small businesses if the procurement falls within one of the eighty-three (83) North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.

“For eleven long years, we have anxiously awaited final implementation of the Women’s Procurement Program. Thanks to Administrator Karen Mills and her team, the program is finally underway,” said Barbara Kasoff, President of Women Impacting Public Policy. “WIPP’s efforts led the way to ensure that women contractors have the opportunity to receive their fair share of contracting dollars. We believe that increased federal contracting opportunities will give women business owners a chance at growing their business,” added Kasoff.

Since 2008, WIPP’s Give Me 5 Program (www.GiveMe5.com) has helped increase the number of women-owned businesses registered on the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) by over 30 percent. The CCR is the government database that was used to determine the number of eligible industries in the new program. Along with advocacy for passage and implementation of the Program, WIPP’s educational initiatives have worked to build the pool of women-owned businesses ready to bid on federal contracts.

Important to the program’s success is a change made in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which restored “parity” among all of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) small business contracting programs. The program will be considered equal to any other small business-contracting program. This issue is highlighted in WIPP’s Economic Blueprint: The Women Business Owners’ Platform for Growth, unveiled during the WIPP 2010 Annual Leadership Conference. The Blueprint serves as WIPP’s voice regarding challenges unique to small businesses that require action by our elected officials.

Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) is a national nonpartisan group with over half-a-million members. WIPP is the collective voice in Washington, D.C., for 51 national women and small business organizations. WIPP advocates for and on behalf of women in business in the legislative process of our nation, creating economic opportunities for members and building alliances with other small business organizations. Visit www.wipp.org

Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence is the leading national not-for-profit provider of resources, business education and community support for women entrepreneurs seeking to grow micro businesses to million dollar enterprises. To achieve this, Make Mine a Million $ Business was launched to challenge women entrepreneurs to reach $1 million in annual revenues in the next decade. Reaching this goal would create more than 4 million new jobs and $700 billion in economic activity. Through pioneering multi-platform programs, Count Me In unleashes the full capacity of women’s entrepreneurial spirit and the striking power of women’s economic potential. This is not just another economic development program. Count Me In is fueling a mindset and a movement that promises to change the landscape of the U.S. marketplace and benefit all Americans and their families.

To find out more, visit www.makemineamillion.org.