SBA Exchange Promotional Offer

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched the SBA Exchange Program
— an electronic purchasing tool designed to facilitate small business e-procurement opportunities, and to improve efficiency and accountability of current government procurement processes.

The SBA Exchange is a streamlined electronic tool that allows agencies to award simplified acquisitions up to $100,000 (including micro-purchases) and to make purchase payments electronically with the Government wide commercial purchase card.

To participate, small businesses must obtain an Internet-based Supplier Web Site http://www.SBExchange.gov Through the Supplier Web Site, a small business will receive–

–A fully hosted, supplier branded, e-commerce web site;

–Exposure to federal buying authorities, large federal prime contractors and other large buying officials;

–An electronic catalog;

–A centralized order management system for receiving and processing Internet-based orders from federal, state, Local and commercial buying authorities;

–A management system for tracking new business, creating and submitting quotes and;

–Assistance in managing the new site.

The SBA plans to launch this program nationally on March 30, 2003 when agencies may award transactions through the system.

The annual cost to participate in the SBA Exchange is $1,500.00. Additionally, a transaction fee of 2 percent will be added to all orders. The initial $450.00 discount to the first 2,500: businesses to sign-up ended on December 30, 2002. However, a new special promotion is offered by the service provider. A discount of $300.00 will be offered to the first 1,000 vendors that enter promotional code A100YZ21G when signing up before the end of February.

SBA Exchange is an innovative tool that can facilitate a procurement environment where small business can compete and flourish. I encourage you to visit our website at http://www.SBAExchange.gov for additional information.