Small Businesses Secured 47% of Strategically-Sourced DHS Contracts in FY 2017

Small businesses served as prime contractors for 47 percent of all contracts that the Department of Homeland Security awarded through strategic sourcing procurement vehicles in fiscal year 2017, Signal Magazine reported Wednesday.

DHS Industry Liaison Carla Thomas said that DHS issued a total of 21,250 contracts in 2017 and 8,500 of those agreements went to small businesses.

She added that 17 percent of the small business contracts were given to first-time DHS contractors.

DHS spent $16 billion in the last fiscal year, including $2.5 billion on security and $4 billion on information technology and telecommunications.

The department’s agencies can choose to buy products and services as one entity using 78 strategic sourcing contract vehicles, or address their individual needs through nine procurement activities.

DHS also uses accelerated procurement processes for “innovative” products and services.