Since the procurement process starts with the establishment of a requirement, the actions of the cognizant technical officers can affect the opportunity of small business to participate equitably; therefore, each cognizant technical officer shall, during the formulation of activities which will require contractual implementation:
(a) Consult with SDB on the availability and capabilities of small business firms to permit making a tentative set-aside determination where appropriate; and
(b) Provide sufficient procurement lead time in the activity implementation schedule to allow potential small business participation.
