2025 Federal Directory of
Small Business Specialists 

Who are Small Business Specialists?

To augment the efforts of the DoD OSBP, most DoD Agencies have small business professionals (formerly known as small business specialists) at their procurement and contract management offices to assist both government personnel and small businesses in the DoD acquisition process.

Small business professionals provide information and guidance on defense procurement programs, policy and regulation, and identification of prime contract and subcontracting opportunities that you can win.

For example, if you want information about doing business with DHS, you can contact the OSDBU small business advocates. Small business professionals are available to provide advice to small business owners on individual procurement opportunities and how to do business with each individual component in the Department of Homeland Security.

For example, specialists can invite business owners to industry engagement activities and initiate communications between agencies and industry. 

What do Small Business Specialists Do?

Typically, Small Business Specialists are the first point of contact between businesses and agencies. Their primary responsibilities include:

1. Conducting small business industry outreach on behalf of their agency
2. Collecting information on the pool of eligible small businesses that can support the agency's mission
3. Identifying the qualifications of prospective vendors
4. Giving their input on available small businesses to Contracting Officers during the market research phase
5. Offering advice during the formulation of the agency's acquisition strategy.

Which federal agencies are looking for Small Business Vendors?

All federal agencies need a constant supply chain of industry partners to help them achieve mission critical activity. Small business specialists are the typical point of entry to help guide you in the right direction.

3 Federal Agency Relationships You Need for Government Contracting 

In an earlier blog about How Small Businesses Develop Agency Relationships for Government Contracting Sales, Neil McDonnell talks about this in depth.

If you really want to grow your business and increase your federal revenue, you have to start  developing relationships with the people who can advise and guide you through their agency.  

Think of them as Focuses of Receptivity. They’re willing to take your call and answer your questions. If you appear to be a fit for their agency, then these folks will even make introductions for you. 

Focuses of receptivity will want to know you’ve done your homework before calling them but are happy to help clarify any confusing areas. 

The job of the Small Business Specialist is to help small businesses learn more about their agency, and to help their internal customers find procurement-ready small businesses like yours.

OSDBU and Offices of Small Business Programs

In most agencies, you will find an OSDBU or office of small business utilization created to help small businesses like yours. In the DoD, you might hear them called Offices of Small Business Programs.

The OSDBU can help you navigate their agency if you’re running into a roadblock, but you need to know the difference between these roles.

The OSDBU manages agency policy and serves in a leadership role over the small business professionals in their agency. They don’t really (as part of their day-to-day job) have anything to do with a particular opportunity.

It is the small business specialist who tracks the individual opportunities and communicates with both the program office and the contracting office on a regular basis.