Is the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Mentor-Protégé Joint Venture Program Helping or Hurting Small Businesses?
by Krista Sweet, Vice President of Civilian Agencies, PSC
Historically, the federal government has viewed small businesses as the backbone of the American economy—vital for creating jobs, driving innovation, and contributing to local communities. From a competitive standpoint, policies promoting small businesses also help ensure a diverse industrial base and a resilient supply chain. In fiscal year 2023, federal agencies awarded an all-time high of 28.4 percent ($178.6 billion) of federal contract dollars to small businesses. Despite this, the number of small businesses participating in the federal marketplace has continued a 15-year decline.
From 2021-2025, the Biden Administration focused on a range of Executive Orders, policies, rulemaking, and program reforms with the stated goals of (1) making it easier for small businesses to compete and (2) increasing the diversity of small businesses. Some experts believe these efforts are faltering due to the federal government not understanding how industry pursues, bids, and executes contracts, or the decisions that
companies make to grow.
Read the entire article in the Winter 2025 edition of Service Contractor magazine.