SBA and DoD Create Streamlined Database to Allow More Small Business Access to Billions in Federal Contracts

12/19/2002

From: Tiffani Clements for the Small Business Administration, 202-205-6740; http://www.sba.gov/news/

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Defense reached another e-government milestone by completing the integration of two key federal contractor databases: the Procurement Marketing and Access Network (PRO-Net) and the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). The linkage will further simplify contracting processes for the small businesses that provide over $50 billion in goods and services to federal agencies.

The CCR-PRO-Net linkage allows vendors to input information in both databases simultaneously. Through this single registration effort, a small business can now market its wares, furnish the information an agency will need to do business with it, and further ensure it receives timely payment for the work it performs. It will save new small business registrants approximately 30 minutes during the initial registration process.

"We are taking a big step in simplifying the tools to help small businesses conduct business," said SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto. "By partnering with Defense to integrate PRO-Net and CCR, we are helping to advance the President's goal of a single, user-friendly, integrated acquisition environment."

The CCR-PRO-Net linkage is part of a comprehensive strategic effort by the Bush Administration to create a business partner network in an environment where technologies are applied in ways that reflect the integrated nature of acquisition activities. In this integrated environment, the CCR will rely on PRO-Net as the authoritative source about vendors who are certified in SBA's small business programs -- e.g., 8(a) Business Development and HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Programs and Small Disadvantaged Business status. This will enable CCR to operate in a more cost-effective manner.

PRO-Net is the government's electronic gateway to information by and for small businesses. It serves as both a marketing development tool for small businesses seeking to do business with government agencies and a market research tool for government buyers looking for small businesses that can help to meet their agencies' needs. The system can be used free of charge by small businesses looking to partner with other small companies to handle the larger, more complex contracts. It also has a special section dedicated to subcontracting opportunities at http://web.sba.gov/subnet.

The CCR is a central repository for information about federal contractors that the government needs in order to transact with them. The CCR allows contractors to provide and update information in one lace and agency buyers to obtain the information they need from one site. It is currently used by DoD and several other agencies and is being ramped up to become the primary repository for all agencies so that vendors may avoid the burden of registering separately with each agency with which they do business. The CCR also validates vendor information that finance offices use to make paperless payments through electronic funds transfer.

For more information, please visit the PRO-Net and CCR Web sites at http://pro-net.sba.gov, and http://ccr.gov, respectively.

For more information about all of the SBA's programs for small businesses, call the SBA Answer Desk at 1-800 U ASK SBA or TDD 704-344-6640, or visit the SBA's extensive Web site at http://www.sba.gov.

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