Federal government meets 2013 small biz spending goal

The federal government has reached its small business procurement goal for the first time in eight years, according to the Small Business Administration.

In fiscal 2013, the federal government awarded 23.39 percent in federal contracts to small businesses for a total of $83.1 billion, SBA said in a release.

Contract dollars have gone down overall as a result of generally reduced federal spending, but the federal government still awarded small businesses a greater percentage of contracting dollars.

“This is a groundbreaking and proud achievement for the federal government and especially for our small businesses,” said SBA associate administrator for government contracting and business development John Shoraka in a blog.

“When small businesses win federal contracts, it strengthens the American job market and boosts our nation’s economy. When small businesses are able to play an integral role in the federal supply chain, it’s a win-win for America,” he said.

SBA attributed meeting the goal to the Obama administration’s commitment to making small business contracting a priority.