Small firms have received only 10 percent of stimulus work so far - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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percent of contracts funded by the economic stimulu spackage — far below the federal government’ overall goal of 23 percent. “This is simply said Sen. Olympia Snowe, at a May 21 hearing on opportunitiesd for small businesses to win contracts funded bythe $787 billio American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Snowe, the rankinbg Republican on the Senate Smallo Business and Entrepreneurship said there still is time for small businesses to win theire fair share of stimulus work since many contracts fundedx by the law have not beenawarded yet. “Bu I must confess, I’m not encouragesd by the results so Snowe said. Committee Chair Mary D-La.
, said she is “concerned that smal l businesses are being left out of many contractingb opportunities for newinfrastructure projects. In Louisiana, afte r Katrina and Rita recovery money was we learned that many smalkl businesses never even knew about rebuilding Landrieu said the intent of the May 21 hearintgwas “to prevent us from lookin back in five years to ask why Recoverhy Act funding never made its way to small businesses.” Snowe and Landrieuu sent the nation’s governors a letter May 20 that encouraged them to make smalp businesses a priority when states awardd stimulus-funded contracts.
This followed a similar letter sent byKaremn Mills, head of the Small Busineszs Administration. The Office of Management and Budgert has urged federal agencies to issue contracts to small Joseph Jordan, the SBA’s associate administrator for government contractinvg and business development, said small businessezs have been awarded $389 million in stimulus contracts as of May 19. The SBA is workinf with federal agencies to help them meet theitr smallbusiness goals, he noting the share of stimulus dollarse going to small contractors has been increasingv each week. The SBA has offered federal contractint officials help in finding small businesses suitable forstimuluse contracts.
It also has held workshops for small businesses on how to do businessd with the government and how to find stimuluscontracgt opportunities, Jordan said. Information on government contractiny is availableat SBA’s Web www.sba.gov, and contracting opportunities, including stimulus are listed on FedBizOpps.gov. The SBA also is tryinv to help small businesses win subcontracts from largef businesses that are awarded stimulus It has launched a Website www.sba.gov/subnet — that lists stimulus-related subcontracting As of May 22, however, the site listes only 12 subcontracting solicitations. Stimulus work has made a big difference forSSACC Inc.
, a landscaping subcontractor in Pontiac, Ill. Sharon Arnold, the company’s president, said she has been able to rehirr her workers thanksto stimulus-funded highwau projects. In December, she had to lay everyon off. “The stimulus bill has saved my company,” Arnoldc told the Senate committee.