NWBC (National Women's Business Council) Practices Guide: Contracting with Women. A Study Conducted and Issued in Compliance with Public Law 105-135

摘要

In 1997, Congress directed the National Women's Business Council (Council) to identify and analyze public and private sector procurement practices that have been successful in increasing opportunities for women-owned firms as prime and subcontractors. The product of this inquiry, included in this guide, builds on a decade of Council inquiry into the challenges and opportunities for women seeking access to markets for their goods and services. Since its inception in 1988, the Council has focused its efforts on increasing competitive contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses. The Council's 1998 Annual Report concluded that the increase in the number of contracts women-owned firms received from 1987--1998 was not commensurate with the tremendous growth in the number, size and scope of the women's business sector. Women-owned businesses were awarded a mere 2.5% of federal government contracts in fiscal year 1997 and lagged behind their male counterparts by 20% in doing business in the private sector. Yet, there are pockets of progress and stories to tell. In the past few years, we have seen a greater awareness of women as suppliers and vendors and a concomitant increase in the number and size of awards going to today's fastest growing business sector: women-owned businesses.