Top Three DOE Small Business Accomplishments in 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is excited to share DOE’s notable successes in maximizing opportunities for small businesses.  The Department continues to expand small business partnerships with underserved communities to support DOE’s mission, including advancing the clean energy transition.  Learn about three DOE small business accomplishments this year:    

1. DOE Earns an “A” Grade from the SBA
 

In July, the Department received its FY 2022 Small Business Procurement Scorecard from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), earning an “A” grade for small business and socio-economic achievements.  DOE has achieved seven “A” grades from the SBA since 2015.  The Department awarded a total of $10.7B to small businesses through prime and subcontracting opportunities, an increase of a billion dollars from the previous year.  DOE also increased awards to small businesses from diverse backgrounds, awarding over $2.8B to small disadvantaged businesses and more than $2.1B to women-owned small businesses.  The Department achieved 21.26% in prime small business contracting, exceeding its goal of 13.08%; in subcontracting, DOE achieved 49.70%, exceeding its goal of 49%.  The Department will receive its FY 2023 Small Business Procurement Scorecard next year.

2. 2023 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo

On July 11-12, the OSDBU hosted its flagship event, the 2023 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo, for the first time in four years.  More than 1,200 people attended the two-day event in New Orleans that focused on the theme of American clean energy powered by small businesses and covered small business resources, best practices for success, and a wide range of opportunities.  The event featured keynotes from the Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy; and Wendell Pierce, the renowned actor, author, small business owner, and brother of OSDBU Director Ron Pierce.  Additionally, the agenda included welcome remarks from Director Pierce, a brand-new clean-tech startup competition (The Big Easy EPIC Pitch Competition in the Gator Swamp) in collaboration with the Office of Technology Transitions and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, educational workshops and panel discussions, one-on-one business matchmaking sessions, and an exhibit hall with more than 100 exhibitors.

3. DOE Small Business Opportunity Days at the National Labs
 

In 2023, the OSDBU partnered with the National Laboratories to host a series of small business opportunity days to maximize opportunities for service-disabled veteran-owned, women-owned, small disadvantaged, and HUBZone small businesses.  On March 28, the OSDBU, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory hosted the Women-Owned Small Business Opportunity Day.  For the next event in the series, the OSDBU and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) hosted the HUBZone and SDB Small Business Opportunity Day on May 3 at NETL in Morgantown, West Virginia.  The third opportunity day, hosted by the OSDBU and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), took place on November 8 at PNNL in Richland, Washington and focused on veteran-owned small businesses.  DOE has awarded more than $20 million dollars from these events and the OSDBU will continue collaborating with National Laboratories on Small Business Opportunity Days to provide in-depth information, resources, and a wide range of opportunities to support the Department’s mission.

A special thanks to all small businesses working with the Department as well as DOE stakeholders utilizing small businesses to support DOE’s mission.  In 2023, the Department made significant increases in awards to small businesses, including underrepresented firms, and the future continues to look bright.  Through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, DOE is proud to partner with small businesses to advance the clean energy economy.  Please join the DOE OSDBU for the 2024 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo on June 4-5, 2024, in Minneapolis!  The conference website and registration will be launched in January 2024.