DHS OSDBU Announces Changes to Small Business Supplier Outreach Meetings

Each fiscal year (FY), the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Small and Vulnerable Business Utilization (OSDBU) actually conducts 10 15-minute pre-scheduled meetings with small businesses as part of the Small Business Outreach Program. enterprise. VOS provides a platform for small businesses to discuss their capabilities, learn about DHS procurement, and large business subcontracting and partnership opportunities. Four of these sessions are reserved for women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, disadvantaged groups (including 8(a)), and HUBZone small businesses. These Vendor Outreach Sessions (VOS) are hosted by DHS Small Business Specialists (SBS) from each of the operating contract components and large businesses (“Consultants”). The next DHS VOS is scheduled for October 20, 2022 and is open to all small businesses.see DHS VOS FY 2023 Schedule View or download the calendar and read Small Business Supplier Outreach Conference Carefully instruct.

From October 1, 2022, there will be major changes to the VOS program:

  1. Small businesses will be matched with consultants based on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes or core competencies. VOS meetings are no longer on a “first come, first served” basis.
  2. After being matched by the scheduling system, small businesses must request a meeting with a counselor. Meeting requests can be made within a maximum of three business days after each VOS opens.
  3. Meeting requests will be reviewed and the advisor will determine whether the request meets current capacity needs. Upon acceptance, a meeting confirmation email will be sent to the small business with a link to virtual meeting information.
  4. Small businesses with confirmed meetings will be able to DHS Supplier Outreach Scheduling System.
  5. Small businesses that do not have a confirmation email or confirmation meeting in the dashboard do not have a meeting scheduled and will not be able to participate in VOS for that particular month.
  6. Meeting space is still limited.

Note: All small businesses that have previously registered to participate in VOS must update their profile to fill in the additional required fields. For example, NAICS codes and competency declarations are now required. Some businesses may need to re-register.

Each profile must contain a valid email address compatible with various virtual meeting tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, etc. If you experience connectivity issues using the provided virtual VOS link, expect a conversation over the phone. Some DHS components cannot access some virtual tools. In these cases, Microsoft Teams will be the tool of choice.

There is no fee for VOS.Please report any fee-related inquiries and any questions about the VOS program to OSDBU.VOS@hq.dhs.gov.

Read more at SAM.gov

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