SLAC Small Business Program
SLAC supports small businesses
Learn about SLAC’s Small Business Program, designed to help small, diverse suppliers partner with us. Below you'll find information, resources, partnership opportunities, and answers to common questions.
SLAC's Small Business Program
SLAC is committed to providing small and diverse businesses with contract opportunities to supply goods and services to support the lab’s operations. As a Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory, SLAC encourages small business concerns to do business with SLAC.
Our commitment
Contracting opportunities for small businesses remain crucial to SLAC’s socio-economic goals.
Each year, SLAC’s Procurement Organization sets small business spending goals and pursues initiatives to support these objectives.
Our objectives
1. Support small and diverse suppliers in providing goods and services that assist SLAC’s organizational mission.
2. Build upon existing small business outreach programs.
3. Find new ways to support the small business community.
Small Business Spend Report
In fiscal year 2024, SLAC’s procurement obligations to small businesses totaled more than $139 million, or over 70 percent of SLAC’s total procurement spending.
FY2025 Target
Our FY2025 small business goal is 50% of our total procurement obligations. As the data from prior years shows, we have continued to exceed our targets and demonstrate commitment to community and innovation.
The table below shows the percentage of investment achieved for the past four years and our targets and actuals.
Fast Fact
Small businesses are essential to our economy.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses generate nearly half of U.S. economic activity.
Moreover, small businesses created nearly two-thirds of all American jobs in the past two decades.
Nicole Colley, Operations Strategy Manager, SCM“Small businesses are vital to the U.S. economy and the research conducted at SLAC.
As a U.S. Department of Energy National Lab, SLAC is committed to ensuring all businesses have an equal opportunity to compete and receive contracts. Supporting small businesses through SLAC’s procurement process is essential to the lab’s mission, benefiting science and advancing humanity. That is our commitment.”
Mentor-Protégé Program
SLAC is proud to be a mentor organization participating in the Department of Energy Mentor/Protégé Program (DOE MPP). This program fosters business relationships between DOE prime contractors and small businesses to increase the number of small businesses supporting prime and subcontracts.
Through the DOE MPP, SLAC establishes Mentor-Protégé agreements with qualifying small businesses. If you’re interested in applying, watch the video below to learn about the program’s background, its benefits for both proteges and mentors, eligibility requirements, and how to participate.
SLAC MPP Program Benefits
Participating in the program enhances the protégé’s capabilities while building the commercial and federal organizational infrastructure needed to compete in both commercial and federal markets.
DOE’s OSDBU Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP)
About The Program
SLAC Mentor-Protégé Partnerships
The Mentor-Protégé Program Model allows DOE prime contractors to provide crucial development support for protege businesses helping them to establish solid, successful, and lasting partnerships.
MPP Details
Applicants interested in applying to work with SLAC in the DOE MMP must meet the following program requirements:
- Must be certified as an 8(A) business:
- Small Disadvantaged Businesses
- Women-Owned Small Businesses
- Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
- HUBZone Small Businesses
- Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) or Minority Education Institutions
- Must be certified as a small business with a NAICS Code for the goods or services offered
- Must be in business for a minimum of two years before applying
- Must have at least two employees
- Must be eligible for work under a government contract
- Must have previously completed a federal contract
- Demonstrate business ownership, management commitment, and involvement
Potential protégé companies who wish to apply should contact Nicole Colley, Operations Strategy Manager, SCM.
Upcoming outreach events
See SLAC’s upcoming small business outreach events below.
FAQs
If you are registered as a small business with the U.S. SBA and want to become a SLAC small business supplier, please complete and submit the Prospective Supplier Information or Construction Pre-qualification Form.
NOTE
Completing these forms does not guarantee solicitations or awards will be granted to your business or its inclusion in SLAC's pre-approved supplier database.
SLAC gives prospective suppliers a reasonable opportunity to become familiar with our procurement requirements and have several channels to obtain support.
If you have additional questions, please contact Nicole Colley, Operations Strategy Manager, SCM.
SLAC and the U.S. SBA classify small business concerns as those that meet the following criteria:
- Is organized for profit
- Has a place of business in the U.S.
- Operates primarily within the U.S. or makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor
- Is independently owned and operated and is not dominant in its field on a national basis
SLAC’s policy provides opportunities to small business concerns that are:
- HUBZone small business concerns
- Small disadvantaged business concerns
- Women-owned
- Veteran-owned
- Service-disabled veteran-owned
SOURCE: U.S. Department of State
If you want to learn how to register as a small business, please visit the U.S. SBA for more information.
