The Department of Defense (DoD) is proud to join with our interagency partners and the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) in celebrating National Small Business Week, April 30 to May 6, 2023. The occasion provides DoD the opportunity to acknowledge the major contributions small businesses make to the national defense supply chain.
For more than 50 years, National Small Business Week has recognized the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. President Biden, in his National Small Business Week proclamation, stated that the nation will “celebrate the backbone of our economy and the glue of our communities: our small businesses, which help make our nation strong.”
Small businesses have played a major role in securing our nation, as manufacturing companies with 20 or fewer employees comprise more than 70 percent of the Defense Industrial Base. DoD Office of Small Business Programs continues to encourage small companies to do business with DoD through the APEX Accelerator (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Center) program. APEX Accelerators provide the education and training necessary to ensure that all businesses become capable of participating in federal, state, and local government contracts.
“There are more than 33 million small businesses in the United States contributing to our nation’s economy,” Director of the Office of Small Business Programs Farooq Mitha said. “Small businesses act as job creators, innovators, and support the DoD’s mission. They are crucial to national security. I encourage those interested in working with DoD to contact your local APEX Accelerator, which can identify and help a wide range of businesses enter and participate in the defense supply chain.”
Any company wishing to do business with DoD can learn more by visiting the OSBP website at https://business.defense.gov, or by visiting the APEX Accelerator website at https://www.apexaccelerators.us.
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