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About the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization

The Small Business Act, as amended by Public Laws 95-507 and 100-507, created the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). By statute, every Federal agency is required to have an OSDBU, which reports directly to the head of the agency. The primary responsibility of the OSDBU is to ensure the fair treatment of small, small disadvantaged, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned and HUBZone small businesses and to ensure they have an opportunity to compete and win a fair amount of the agency's contract dollars. HUD is committed to ensuring that these businesses can participate fully in HUD direct and indirect contracting.

Goals and Accomplishments

The Federal government has a mandatory goal of contracting 23% of its prime contracts with small businesses. Within this goal, there is a goal of 13% for contracting with Small Disadvantaged Businesses; 5% goal for contracting with Women-Owned Small Businesses and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses; and a 3% goal for contracting with HUBZone Small Businesses.

Recent HUD small business contracting goals and accomplishments.

Ombudsman

A letter to the heads of all Federal agencies, from the Director of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) defines the role of the OSDBU as ombudsman for small business. A summary of this and other authorities governing the operation of the OSDBU are included in the Small Business Policies pages.

Contracting Support

Showing the Way: The Official Guide to HUD’s Small Business Programs provides information about HUD procurement, Procurement Opportunity Programs, marketing tips and other information of value to the small business community.

Small businesses can also access the subcontracting opportunities page to view subcontracting opportunities.

Outreach

A major OSDBU initiative is outreach to the small business community. The OSDBU staff:

  • Respond to basic questions and provide information on HUD contracting opportunities
  • Attend and exhibit at small business conferences, make presentations on small business contracting opportunities and provides one-on-one guidance to conference participants.
  • Maintain a dialogue with trade associations, small business associations and relevant chambers of commerce to inform them of upcoming procurement opportunities and events that affect small businesses.
  • Host events and promote relevant conferences and workshops on its OSDBU Events Calendar so that interested parties may attend.

Regulatory Compliance

The OSDBU also serves as the Department's central point-of-contact for small business compliance assistance, as required by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA). The SBREFA requires federal agencies:

  • Publish compliance guides for all rules with a significant small business impact. These guides must explain in plain language how the firms can comply with the regulations.
  • Help with the implementation of regulations and directives the Department administers.

Learn more about HUD's SBREFA program. For information on the Small Business Administration's implementation of the program nationally, visit the SBA Office of the National Ombudsman.

Grant Recipients and Other Programs

The OSDBU also wants to ensure that small businesses, minority businesses and women-owned businesses are aware of the contracting opportunities available that result from funds the Department grants to state and local government agencies and public housing authorities. These agencies receive up to $10 billion in funds annually which may be subsequently contracted out. The OSDBU staff can provide information on these funds and how to market to these agencies.

Information on:

Contact the HUD OSDBU Staff.