HispanicBusiness

PRO-Net, Contractor Registration Merge
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has simplified doing business with the government through its Procurement Marketing and Access Network (PRO-Net) database. SBA has partnered with the Defense Department to integrate PRO-Net and the DoD’s Central Contractor Registration (CCR) system. This will streamline contracting by helping create a single, user-friendly acquisition system.

The PRO-Net system has become a major marketing tool for small companies seeking to do business with the federal government and prime contractors. It is also an important research tool for government contracting officers and commercial buyers seeking small-business sources. Moreover, it is the authoritative source of certification information for minority 8(a) businesses and HUBZone enterprises.

The integration of CCR and PRO-Net will allow firms to automatically register in both databases at the same time. By fall 2003, all federal contractors will need to register with CCR because the government will start making all payments to vendors electronically via the CCR account. In other words, all firms doing business with the federal government will need CCR registration to get paid.

Coast Guard Fishes for New Fleet
Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS), a joint venture established by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, has won an $11 billion contract to upgrade the Coast Guard’s fleet of ships and aircraft. The contract includes another $5.9 billion for operating, maintenance, and sustainment costs, for a total value of $16.95 billion.

Known as the Deepwater Program, the ICGS award is the largest in Coast Guard history and marks the first time the agency has bundled procurement of several types of ships, aircraft, and other gear into one contract. The package includes 91 ships, 35 fixed-wing aircraft, 34 helicopters, 76 unmanned surveillance aircraft, and the upgrade of 49 existing ships. The contract may last 30 years.

"As America’s first line of defense for maritime homeland security, it is critical that the Coast Guard be able to identify and intercept targets of interest as far from U.S. shores as possible," says Deputy Secretary of Transportation Michael P. Jackson.



RedWire Firm Markets Hispanic Health
The Media Network proves that a Hispanic- and woman-owned firm can make it in the huge federal contracting marketplace. The company provides public relations, advertising, and social marketing services to such agencies as the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services, and Department of Energy.

According to CEO Nhora Barrera, the company specializes in health campaigns to the Hispanic community. Media include television, brochures, public service announcements, Web sites, and Spanish-language "fotonovelas." The Maryland-based company is a member of RedWire, a nationwide online directory of Hispanic firms.

High-Flying CEO Wins Air Force Contract IITC, the number 232 company on the Hispanic Business 500® and a member of RedWire, has won a $14.5 million contract from the Air Force. Denver-based IITC will handle hazardous materials, pollution prevention, and technical management at the Wright-Patterson Base in Ohio. The contract covers one year, with four additional one-year options.

"This is actually a continuation of environmental support provided by IITC since 1997," says CEO Francisco Garcia, winner of the 2002 Hispanic Business Magazine EOY® (Entrepreneur of the Year) Award in the Services & Finance category. "It speaks to the level of service IITC provides to be awarded a contract for potentially another five years."



Commerce Takes Emerging Business Trophy
The Department of Commerce has received the first Federal Government Award for work in helping minority- and woman-owned companies. The award was presented by the Emerging Business Forum (EBF), an organization that seeks to provide minority entrepreneurs better access to capital, business partners, customers, and mentors.

In granting the award, the EBF praised work by the Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration to assist historically disadvantaged companies and distressed communities. For information on the EBF, visit www.EmergingBusinessForum.org.