Original Date: 01/23/1995
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Sandia is very active in the award of contracts to Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business and Woman Owned Business firms. The following table describes the FY94 awarded contracts showing percentages of commercial procurement:

Amount of Awards (FY 94) % Commercial Procurement

Procurement
Small Business $435,093,758 49.6%
Small Disadvantaged $ 87,446,519 10.0%
Woman Owned $ 65,912,485 7.5%

An extensive outreach program has been established to identify qualified or qualifiable companies in these categories and to assimilate them into Sandia's supplier base. The procurement center is developing a supplier quality database to record and track metrics for price, delivery and product quality and service of each vendor. The outreach program identifies 20 to 26 Trade Fairs and networking activities per year to provide an opportunity for suppliers to meet buyers. Interviews are conducted with all new potential subcontractors who visit Sandia, and introductions are given for technical and buyer contacts. In addition, Sandia conducts six to eight business educational programs with assistance from the local Chamber of Commerce, economic development organizations and other community participants within the year. For example, Sandia awards scholarships to small businesses to attend two-day seminars at the Quality Conference. These conferences are jointly sponsored by Sandia and New Mexico State University. Each conference features well-known industry and academic speakers. Sandia mentors small businesses and offers assistance in Total Quality Management, Proposal Preparation, and Just-In Time Procurement Techniques at minimal fees.

In FY95, Sandia will be implementing a small business set-aside program which will include specific set-aside programs for small disadvantaged businesses, woman owned businesses and businesses that have been certified under section 8(a) of the Small Business Act. They have established challenging goals for purchasing from these groups as well as Center goals to exceed DOE's contract requirements on the Martin Marietta contract. The challenges in the near term include developing and implementing funding for mentor/protege programs and improving means of communication with all groups. Sandia serves on the Board of Directors of community business development organizations to increase awareness and show their commitments to the success of the program.

Sandia National Laboratories have earned recognition for outstanding contributions to small business. Awards include the Small Business Association's Eisenhower Award for Excellence (1993), the Small Business Association Distinguished Prime Contractor Award (1989, 1992) and other numerous awards from both the Association and DOE. The labs have always had an active small business program, and the set-aside program is a new requirement for 1995.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.