Government Accused of Giving Small Business Contracts to Fortune 500 Companies

[The Straight Story]

Government Accused of Giving Small Business Contracts to Fortune 500 Companies
Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The General Services Administration is in trouble with the American Small Business League (ASBL), which is alleging in a lawsuit that federal contracts intended for small companies are being awarded to large corporations. ASBL, which represents 100,000 businesses, contends Washington has never complied with its own rules requiring 23% of contracts go to small businesses. League president Lloyd Chapman says as much as $10 billion a month that should be going toward small businesses is actually going to Fortune 500 companies, like General Dynamics, Xerox, Lockheed, Dell and General Electric.

The General Services Administration has been accused of destroying database records that could prove these violations. It also has been criticized for eliminating a field from its database that required companies to identify themselves as small businesses. Companies that lie about their size can be fined up to $500,000, and executives subject to a prison term of up to 10 years. Such penalties are rarely imposed.

The Small Business Administration insists if large corporations are getting contracts set aside for small companies, it’s simply a mistake and not a matter of fraud.

Another problem is that the public’s perception of small businesses is different from the government’s definition, which includes entities with up to 99 employees. Super-small businesses, those with less than five employees, make up 70% of all small businesses.

http://www.allgov.com/Where_is_the_Money_Going/ViewNews/Government_Accused_of_Giving_Small_Business_Contracts_to_Fortune_500_Companies_100413

[KittyWampus]

1. As an owner/operator of a super-small business, this should tick me off but just seems about parr.

We get hosed from both ends. People running illegal businesses out of their homes & large corporations with the capital to not just dominate but write rules.

[blm]

2. Bush did this for his fascist pals and its up to Obama's WH to correct Bush's DECEIT.

Lockheed and Dell Win Contracts Meant for Small Businesses
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Federal agencies counted Lockheed Martin and its subsidiaries as "small" on 207 contracts worth $143 million. Dell Computer, a Fortune 500 company, was listed as a small business on $89 million in contracts.The Navy claimed that $60 million in work it gave to Digital System Resources, a division of General Dynamics, went to a small firm--a year after agencies were warned that DSR did not qualify.

[SoCalDem]

3. We need new definitions ..

Micro- 1-10
Mini - 11-15
small- 16-50


those should be the primary recipients of "small business" goodies

If a business has more than 50 employees, they are NOT all that small.. Of course, compared to the HUGE conglomerates, they are, but those "whales" should be on their own...sink or swim..