Subcontracting Policies & Procedures
Small Business Participation
Key Question: Will small businesses be disadvantaged because they will not know Agile software development and will not be able to submit a proposal for Agile software development contracts?
The opportunity to award to small businesses exists and many small businesses have the expertise and capacity to perform Agile software development. The FAR generally requires agencies to provide maximum practicable opportunities in its acquisitions to small businesses. Agencies have small business goals and they should give strong consideration to those goals when determining acquisition strategy. Agile software development is consistent with this longstanding policy. Many small businesses in this field have the expertise and capacity to perform Agile software development services, and they are as capable as large businesses to perform this type of work. Methods of increasing small business utilization are encouraged, such as mentor-protégé relationships or having subcontracting arrangements to be required and submitted with the respective proposals.