The Significance of the 21 Gun Salute for an SDVOSB Owner
Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses, or SDVOSB, have a substantial amount of opportunities available to them within the federal market.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has made efforts to improve the prime and subcontracting opportunities available to small businesses owned and operated by service-disabled veterans.
These specific initiatives and programs are made to recognize the sacrifices and efforts of veterans at all levels of the government. One of these initiatives is the 21 Gun Salute Initiative.
SDVOSB Programs: What is the 21 Gun Salute Initiative?
The 21 Gun Salute Initiative was established to show gratitude to the injured soldier or veteran who has become a businessperson after active service. This action plan is meant to help the meet and exceed the 3% contracting goal set for the country’s service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
Under the 21 Gun Salute Initiative, there are 7 “guns” and three major subgoals under each topic.
1: Awareness – Under Gun 1, Awareness, there is an effort to (1) increase public awareness, (2) increase internal awareness, and (3) identify SDVO small businesses in order to provide high demand products and services
2: Advocacy – The Advocacy Gun has the following three subgoals: (1) create a Veterans Advisory sub-Committee, (2) advocate for SDVOSB opportunities with a special emphasis on VETS GWAC, and (3) create a pool of advocates among buyers within the GSA
3: Innovation – In order to improve the execution of the initiative, there are efforts to (1) capitalize on best practices for the outreach, (2) target the small businesses for scheduled buys, and (3) create innovations in the financial accreditation of such firms
4: Training – For small businesses, especially those that are only starting out, there are three training subgoals: (1) assist SDVOSB in finding the right markets, (2) establish a mentorship program, and (3) provide training to contracting officers in the government as well
5: Recognition – To increase the incentives to meet the contracting goal, recognition means to (1) nationally recognize SDVOSB supporters, (2) recognize successes among internal GSA Family, and to (3) enhance the service-disabled veteran-owned small business brand
6: Accountability – At all levels of the government, the Initiative and the contracting goal are both important. This means that the (1) senior leaders should be held accountable, (2) that the goals should be measured and enforced to solidify achievement, and (3) that the procurement forecast should be integrated.
7: Partnerships – Lastly, to strengthen the availability and quality of SDVOSB opportunities, there are goals to (1) champion interagency partnerships, (2) partner with veterans organization, and lastly to (3) support business-to-business partnerships.
Know More about Running an SDVOSB with ARCHER JORDAN
As a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, you can access many opportunities in the federal market. But you need a skilled team of professionals to help you identify the right market, and to understand the different regulations that sometimes complicate the bid and contracting process. With ARCHER JORDAN, you can maximize your business opportunities. Contact us today for inquiries about our services.
