DAHLGREN, Va. – Outreach to businesses continues at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD), despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Aug. 20, NSWCDD held a virtual Small Business Industry Day to get the word out about Dahlgren’s mission and future. More than 750 people registered for the event, representing nearly 550 companies.
“Small Businesses are the backbone of our economy. They are invaluable partners in delivering innovative solutions for the warfighter,” said NSWCDD Commanding Officer Casey Plew.
NSWCDD Deputy Director for Small Business Kris Parker agrees that money obligated to small business contracts helps support Dahlgren’s immediate economy. “We are very successful when it comes to small business participation, in not just the number of contracts we award, but also the dollars obligated to them. That money helps create a vibrant local business base.
Businesses are classified as small under the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). The NAICS code not only identifies the size threshold for the work being performed, but also the type of work. The majority of NSWCDD acquisitions are categorized under the engineering services subset. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS is used by federal agencies to help collect, analyze, and publish statistical data. Nearly 75% of all contracting dollars at NSWCDD awarded during the 2019 fiscal year went to companies within the engineering services subset.
“For companies to qualify as small businesses under the 541330 NAICS engineering services at Dahlgren, businesses must have a gross revenue under $41.5 million over the last five years,” said Parker. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that our small business partners are tiny companies, but that’s not true – the majority of our efforts fall under the ‘Small Business’ category.”
This year, NSWCDD has awarded 16 SeaPort Next Generation task orders, ten of which have been awarded to small businesses. Four of those businesses have never worked with NSWCDD before. Despite the numbers, Parker says there is still work to do.
“A lot of our existing small businesses are about to graduate the program. Now, we need to restart the cycle with new companies. It’s good news because it means the program works,” said Parker.
Small Business Industry Day’s main goal is to get the word out about Dahlgren. According to Parker, the overarching goal is to provide small companies with an overview of the type of work Dahlgren does, as well as where they plan to go in the future.
“Dahlgren is open for business,” said Plew. “We strive to build and foster relationships with our all our industry partners as we support warfighters, warfighting, and develop combat power for the future fleet.”
If you are a small business owner looking to work with NSWC Dahlgren, contact Kris Parker at kristofer.parker@navy.mil, or call (540) 653-4806. For more information on NAVSEA small business programs, please visit www.navsea.navy.mil/BusinessPartnerships.