(a)
(1) The SBA may assign one or more procurement center representatives to any contracting activity or contract administration office to carry out SBA policies and programs. Assigned SBA procurement center representatives are required to comply with the contracting agency’s directives governing the conduct of contracting personnel and the release of contract information. The SBA must obtain for its procurement center representatives security clearances required by the contracting agency.
(2) If a SBA procurement center representative is not assigned to the procuring activity or contract administration office, contact the SBA Office of Government Contracting Area Office serving the area in which the procuring activity is located for assistance in carrying out SBA policies and programs. See http://www.sba.gov/GC/pcr.html for the location of the SBA office servicing the activity.
(b) Upon their request and subject to applicable acquisition and security regulations, contracting officers shall give SBA procurement center representatives (or, if a procurement center representative is not assigned, see paragraph (a) of this section) access to all reasonably obtainable contract information that is directly pertinent to their official duties.
(c) The duties assigned by SBA to its procurement center representatives include the following:
(1) Reviewing proposed acquisitions to recommend -
(i) The setting aside of selected acquisitions not unilaterally set aside by the contracting officer,
(ii) New qualified small, veteran-owned small, service-disabled veteran-owned small, HUBZone small, small disadvantaged and women-owned small business sources, and
(iii) Breakout of components for competitive acquisitions.
(2) Reviewing proposed acquisition packages provided in accordance with 19.202-1(e). If the SBA procurement center representative (or, if a procurement center representative is not assigned, see paragraph (a) of this section) believes that the acquisition, as proposed, makes it unlikely that small businesses can compete for the prime contract, the representative shall recommend any alternate contracting method that the representative reasonably believes will increase small business prime contracting opportunities. The recommendation shall be made to the contracting officer within 15 days after receipt of the package.
(3) Recommending concerns for inclusion on a list of concerns to be solicited in a specific acquisition.
(4) Appealing to the chief of the contracting office any contracting officer’s determination not to solicit a concern recommended by the SBA for a particular acquisition, when not doing so results in no small business being solicited.
(5) Conducting periodic reviews of the contracting activity to which assigned to ascertain whether it is complying with the small business policies in this regulation.
(6) Sponsoring and participating in conferences and training designed to increase small business participation in the contracting activities of the office.
