November 19, 2004

AGAR ADVISORY

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF PROCUREMENT AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
AGAR ADVISORY NO. 69

The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) HUBZone
Procurement Query & Reporting System (HPQRS)

INTRODUCTION: This Advisory has been prepared to notify you of the SBA’s pilot of its new market research tool, the HUBZone Procurement Query & Reporting System (HPQRS), and the impact that it will have on contracting activities. SBA’s HPQBS is designed to educate agencies regarding the HUBZone Program, provide market research information for specific solicitations, and assist agencies in achievement of the statutory 3 percent HUBZone contracting goal.

PURPOSE: Advise contracting personnel of the process that SBA intends to use to provide information on available, qualified HUBZone sources.

SPECIFIC ISSUES:

SBA will utilize the HPQRS to monitor and analyze procurement opportunities that have been posted to FedBizOps. SBA will only review and analyze requirements that are in excess of $100,000 and have not been designated as a set-aside for HUBZone, 8(a) Business Development, or service disable veteran (SDV) owned businesses.

The SBA will identify HUBZone companies through the Business Partner Network /Central Contractor Registration (BPN/CCR) system that have the required capabilities to perform the work.

Once qualified HUBZone companies have been identified, SBA will send an advisory e-mail notification to the Contracting Officer with a listing of those HUBZone companies that have been determined capable.  The notification will include BPN/CCR profiles, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes, and telephone numbers for each company.

If there are two or more qualified companies, the contracting officer is requested to set-aside the procurement for the HUBZone companies as required by Paragraph (a) and (b) of FAR 19.1305, “HUBZone set aside procedures”, which states:  

(a) A participating agency contracting officer shall set aside acquisitions exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold for competition restricted to HUBZone small business concerns when the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section can be satisfied. The contracting officer shall consider HUBZone set-asides before considering HUBZone sole source awards (see 19.1306) or small business set-asides (see Subpart 19.5).

(b) To set aside an acquisition for competition restricted to HUBZone small business concerns, the contracting officer must have a reasonable expectation that-

(1) Offers will be received from two or more HUBZone small business concerns; and

(2) Award will be made at a fair market price.

The contracting officer will have 10 days to respond to SBA's notification.

QUESTIONS:

If you have questions regarding this advisory, please contact Todd Repass, Chief, PPD via email at Todd.Repass@da.usda.gov or by phone at (202) 690-1060; or send an email to procurement.policy@da.usda.gov.

This advisory is available at http://www.usda.gov/procurement/policy/advisories.html.

EXPIRATION DATE: This advisory will remain in effect until cancelled.

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