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Capitalizing on Small Business
for Innovation and Agility


Efficiently maintaining a fleet of nearly 300 ships, systems and support infrastructure requires partnerships with large and small business industry partners; often by contracting for the following services:

  • Design and integration
  • Maintenance and repair
  • Modernization and conversion
  • Technical, industrial and logistic support
  • Engineering and professional services
  • Research and Development 

Within these broad categories lie many opportunities for participation in commercial enterprises.

PRIME/SUB-CONTRACTORS  Due to the huge volume of contracts managed, NAVSEA uses a prime/subcontracting strategy to most efficiently serve the defense needs of the country and the men and women in uniform.  Major contracts are awarded to large and small prime contractors. Thousands of related contracts for labor, manufacturing, supply and other needs are coordinated through agreements between the prime and its partners through subcontracting agreements. Primes are often mandated to complete a portion of their prime contracts using small businesses. Small businesses can find information on prime contractors outreach events, notices of sources sought, and solicitations for subcontracting work on the SBA subcontracting database SUBNet https://eweb1.sba.gov/subnet/.

BETA.SAM.GOV Qualified vendors can search this online site to monitor and retrieve current procurement opportunities and general contracting information. This is the single government point-of-entry for federal procurement opportunities greater than $25,000. For information on how to get started, visit https://beta.sam.gov/

SEAPORT NEXT GENERATION (SeaPort-NxG)  is the Navy Virtual SYSCOM Commanders' (NAVAIR, NAVSEA, NAVSUP and  SPAWAR) integrated approach to contracting for support services. SeaPort-NxG’s electronic procurement of Technical, Engineering, and other professional services represent a key strategy to meeting NAVSEA’s contracting needs. SeaPort-NxG preapproves a large & diverse community of contractors. Once approved, contractors bid on work, individually or in teams. Details on admission to SeaPort-e are available on its website, https://www.seaport.navy.mil/

NAVSEA LONG RANGE ACQUISITION ESTIMATE (LRAE) is now available. This forecast creates a demand signal of anticipated business needs and makes early planning possible to a wide range of current and potential industry partners.  It also contributes to better support of NAVSEA’s requirements and fosters increased competition which benefits both NAVSEA and new business partners. The LRAF is available in two parts; one for headquarters and another for the enterprise.  For more information visit https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Business-Partnerships/LRAE/

SBIR  The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program strengthens opportunities for innovative small businesses using federally funded research. The program stimulates technological innovation, uses small businesses to meet federal research needs, and enables participation by socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. Additionally, the program facilitates the transition of the resulting research in to the commercial sector, a strategy that increases competition, productivity and economic growth.  For more information, select here

STTR  The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is a sister program to SBIR that requires the small business to partner with a University, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), or a qualified non-profit research institution. The STTR standards require the small business to serve as the prime contractor and perform at least 40 percent of the work, with the research partner performing at least 30 percent of the work. The remaining work may be done either the small business, the research partner, or by a third party.

SMALL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES  The Navy buys more than $12 billion in goods and services each year from its small businesses partners.  At NAVSEA alone, small business invoices annually total more than $3 billion. Interested businesses are encouraged to visit the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs www.acq.osd.mil/osbp and the Navy's Office of Small Business Programs www.secnav.navy.mil/smallbusiness/ websites.

For businesses unfamiliar with federal contracting, the following 10-step tutorial provides step-by-step guidance: https://www.secnav.navy.mil/smallbusiness/Pages/DBWD.aspx

NAVSEA also relies on the technical innovations of America’s small business entrepreneur. NAVSEA invites technical proposals from high-tech small businesses to help solve tough technical engineering and scientific challenges, either individually through the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program or in cooperation with a research university through the Small Business Technology Transfer program https://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir.

More than half of NAVSEA’s small business opportunities are awarded through the surface and undersea warfare centers. A number of these technical facilities are in close proximity to Washington, District of Columbia at Dahlgren, Virginia.; West Bethesda, Maryland.; and Indian Head, Maryland., but similar opportunities are available at other warfare centers across the country: Newport, Rhode Island; Panama City, Florida; Crane, Indiana; Port Hueneme, California; Corona, California; and Keyport, Washington.

NAVSEA can also assist small businesses, including veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, small disadvantaged, and women-owned small business enterprises in marketing their products and services to NAVSEA.

CONTACT US Small business representatives may contact NAVSEA's Director of Small Business Programs at NAVSEA_SMALL_BIZ.fct@navy.mil or 202-781-2061 for more information about doing business with NAVSEA.

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