USAID submits this report to Congress pursuant to Section 1691(c) of Public Law 112-239, which amended the Small Business Act, and requires a report to detail, “the training provided by the Director [of the USAID Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization] ...in the most recently completed fiscal year; and the percentage of the budget of the Director used for travel in the most recently completed fiscal year.”
The Small Business Act requires Federal Departments and Agencies to provide training and education for staff who are involved in the procurement process. The law emphasizes that training on small business programs is essential to ensure that acquisition and technical officials understand regulatory requirements fully, and that U.S. small businesses have maximum-practicable opportunities to participate in USAID’s procurements.
For FY 2022, preliminary data indicate that USAID obligated 16.55 percent of its contract dollars to U.S. small businesses, which exceeded the Agency’s goal of 12.50 percent. This equates to about $998 million.