INDIANA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)’s release of the Fiscal Year 2022 Small Business Federal Procurement Scorecard shows a record-breaking 26.5% of federal contracting dollars awarded to American small businesses. This historic level amounts to a $162.9 billion investment in the small business economy – an $8.7 billion increase from the previous fiscal year.
“Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we have championed initiatives to fuel our nation’s historic economic growth, while also reducing barriers and ensuring fair competition in federal contracting,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “The Biden Administration continues to raise the bar, reaching a record high level of contract spending with small businesses, supporting over one million good-paying jobs in manufacturing, construction, research & development, and other vital industries.”
“The SBA has worked closely with the White House and our partner agencies to enact policy changes that level the playing field for all contracting entrepreneurs through a more equitable federal procurement system and buying strategy promised by the President,” said SBA Great Lakes Regional Administrator Geri Aglipay. “I’m proud of the hard work our small business advocates across the federal government and our SBA partner organizations have done to reach these results.”
According to data compiled by the SBA, 21.87% of the purchases made by the U.S. government in the Great Lakes Region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin were from small business owners. In Indiana, $989 million in federal contracting dollars were spent buying products and services from Indiana’s small businesses.
The value of federal contracting is illustrated locally by Camacho Equipment & Janitorial Supply, Inc., a Hispanic-owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) headquartered in Greenfield. Camacho Janitorial currently has 243 locations in three states throughout the nation and employs over 130 full-time employees.
President & CEO Jesse Camacho participated in one of SBA’s premier contracting programs, the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program, and leveraged his 8(a) certification earning over $10 million in 8(a) set-asides, sole contracts, and joint ventures with multiple agencies including GSA, the Department of Defense, DEA, DOJ, Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and TSA. After graduating from the program and as a result of their work with the U.S. government, Camacho Janitorial continued maximizing their contracts with federal agencies and applied what they learned to diversify their portfolio securing $7.5 million in lucrative private sector, city, and state contracts in 2022. Because of his continued success in the contracting arena, Camacho was named the SBA’s 2023 Great Lakes Region 8(a) Graduate of Year, winning over the best nominees in the Great Lakes region which includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
“Working with the SBA supported our company vision to experience national growth as the contractor of choice for customers wanting our services while being a positive leader and influence for the local community and adhering to the highest quality standards of our industry,” Camacho says. “Federal contracting goals are important because, not only does the SBA strive to create diversity in the business world, but the SBA also ensures that diversity exists for future generations to build on, establishing a presence that supports even more opportunity for small businesses to be created, grow, and thrive, ensuring a healthy and competitive business environment.”
In its efforts to help small businesses secure federal contracts, the SBA promotes its programs to procuring federal agencies and small businesses, frequently holding training sessions across the country to educate contracting officers on the requirements for SBA’s 8(a) Business Development, Historically Underutilized Business Zone, women-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small business contracting programs. It also works closely with other national and local organizations on contracting outreach. For more information on SBA Federal Contracting programs and assistance, check out the federal contracting section of the SBA website at Small Business Administration (sba.gov). To learn how the SBA Indiana District Office can help you achieve your small business dreams, visit Indiana | U.S. Small Business Administration (sba.gov). You can also follow us on Twitter @SBA_Indiana.
