Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

The Department of the Interior's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) advises the Secretary of the Interior on all matters related to small business and collaborate with leadership throughout the Department to maximize opportunities for small businesses in our acquisitions.  The OSDBU implement's policies, procedures, and training programs for the Department to emphasize our commitment to contracting with small businesses. Our mission also includes outreach to small and disadvantaged business communities, including Indian economic enterprises, small disadvantaged, women-owned, veteran-owned, service disabled veteran owned, and small businesses located in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZone) areas.

What's New at OSDBU

The U.S Department of the Interior Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) In-Person Industry Day

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) and the Office of Grants Management, are hosting a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) In-Person Industry Day on Thursday, March 2, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. local time (Mountain Standard Time) at the Bureau of Land Management Training Center, 9828 North 31st Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85051-2517.

The BIL Industry Day will include a presentation from nine DOI Bureaus and Offices who will share information on Fiscal Year 2023/2024 BIL related contracting and financial assistance opportunities, followed by each Bureau/Office hosting a breakout room where participants can ask questions, and engage directly with DOI Bureaus/Office representatives. This event is FREE to attend, please register at: https://forms.office.com/g/MmY9uDVur8

The Small Business Administration Awards DOI an "A+" in Annual FY 2021 Small Business Scorecard

The Small Business Administration announced that the federal government exceeded its small business federal contracting goal, awarding 27.2 percent or $154.2 billion in federal contract dollars to small businesses, an $8 billion increase from the previous fiscal year. The share of contracts going to small businesses equates to 27.2 percent of total federal contracting funds. Combined with $72 billion in subprime contracting goals, this historic spend has supported over one million jobs in the American economy. 

Overall, the federal government exceeded its goal of 23 percent in prime contract dollars and earned an “A” on this year’s Government-wide Fiscal Year 2021 Small Business Procurement Scorecard.  Eleven federal agencies earned an “A+” for their agencies’ achievements in small business contracting, and an additional ten agencies received an “A” grade. SBA sets contracting goals for each agency and works with government buyers to ensure that they prioritize small businesses.

The Department of the Interior contributed to achieving this goal, and received an "A+" overall on the FY 2021 Federal Procurement Scorecard.  DOI celebrates having received an “A” or “A+” on our small business scorecard for thirteen consecutive years. For FY 2021 the Department awarded more than 60 percent of its procurement dollars to small business which equates to approximately $2.5 billion in products and services to support DOI’s programs, and represents over 60% of contract obligations. Small businesses play a significant role in advancing the Department's goals and supports Interior's contributions to the Nation's economy. At DOI, we are committed to maximizing opportunities for small businesses and advancing equity through all of our operations whenever we purchase products and services, and will continue to build on our strong track record in enhancing our program to ensure continued opportunities for all small and disadvantaged businesses.

The Department of the Interior full FY21 scorecard from The Small Business Administration, can be viewed at: https://www.sba.gov/agency-scorecards/scorecard.html?agency=DOI&year=2021

DOI is Seeking Information about Small Business Vendors interested in Doing Business with DOI

A positive experience with the Department of the Interior's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is paramount to ensuring the services and resources we provide meet the needs of small business vendors.  In 2022, the DOI OSDBU developed a Draft Small Business Vendor Journey Map. The purpose of the Journey Map is used to inform the OSDBU's continued engagement with small businesses vendors interested in Federal contracting, improve communication and capitalize new innovative methods to reaching small business vendors with the capabilities to compete on DOI acquisitions, and ensure our products/services meet the unique needs of Small Business Vendors. The Journey Map is also intended to be a tool to help small businesses find relevant DOI-specific resources that are tailored to their needs.  The Draft Small Business Vendor Journey Map is a continual work in progress, intended to be refined as more information becomes available and evolve as technology, processes, and the businesses we work with evolve. As we launch this effort, we hope you will take a moment to tell us about your business by clicking here and provide feedback on this journey map by clicking here.

Non Discrimination Notice to U.S. Department of the Interior Contractor, Subcontractors, and Lessors