jlboygenius t1_j5opuii wrote on January 24, 2023 at 2:44 PM

somebody's gonna meet their HBCU/MI small business goals this year.

FYI, in case people don't work in contracting. Many large government contractors have to submit a small business plan for how they are going to spread out the money to subcontractors.

Small business, women owned, veteran owned, service disabled veteran owned, Alaskan native, and Historically black colleges and universities are categories.

I HIGHLY doubt this is the first government military research work they have done. Likely it's been as a sub to someone else.

cleverSkies t1_j5oqrop wrote on January 24, 2023 at 2:51 PM

Sounds like they are the lead institution for an academic center of excellence. This is not contracting work. These COEs are extremely competitive and difficult to win.

jlboygenius t1_j5oufax wrote on January 24, 2023 at 3:16 PM

seems like the HBCU small business goals are working then. The goal is to help small business get work and learn from the big boys so they can go out on their own. And also so that the $ are spread out and don't just go to the big contractors.

Mateorabi t1_j5p47h9 wrote on January 24, 2023 at 4:19 PM

Done correctly they’re great. But often they get a token “owner” to partner with them JUST to get those set asides. Or the company is just a middle man who adds 10% overhead with no value added—a straw purchaser who takes an extra cut making the material cost higher for no reason.

jlboygenius t1_j5p58xk wrote on January 24, 2023 at 4:26 PM

oh 100%. I know of Alaskan Native corporations that are based in NoVA. They use the alaskan name and give the profits back to the alaskan native tribe. As long as the company meets its agreed payments, they do basically whatever they want. no one from the tribe works at the company, they just lend out their name.

I also had a software company suggest that we just buy through an alaskan native since then the contract could be executed in days. If we went through the vendor it would have to be a real bid/compete process.

gator_fl t1_j5sdyc8 wrote on January 25, 2023 at 5:41 AM

A couple of years ago, went to a hotel and surprised by the number of luxury cars parked there with Alaska plates. Like Bentleys and such.

Was a small conference for ANCs.

gator_fl t1_j5sekn8 wrote on January 25, 2023 at 5:48 AM

Yup! Biden administration has not been shy about their HBCU goals.

It's not the first. Article notes the first where they will be leading a research center (1 of 15).