[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 21 (Monday, May 29, 2000)]
[Pages 1195-1197]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13157--Increasing Opportunities for Women-Owned Small 
Businesses

May 23, 2000

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including the Small Business 
Act, 15 U.S.C. 631, et seq., section 7106 of the Federal Acquisition 
Streamlining Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355), and the Office of Federal 
Procurement Policy, 41 U.S.C. 403, et seq., and in order to strengthen 
the executive branch's commitment to increased opportunities for women-
owned small businesses, it is hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1. Executive Branch Policy. In order to reaffirm and 
strengthen the statutory policy contained in the Small Business Act, 15 
U.S.C. 644(g)(1), it shall be the policy of the executive branch to take 
the steps necessary to meet or exceed the 5 percent Government-wide goal 
for participation in procurement by women-owned small businesses 
(WOSBs). Further, the executive branch shall implement this policy by 
establishing a participation goal for WOSBs of not less than 5 percent 
of the total value of all prime contract awards for each fiscal year and 
of not less than 5 percent of the total value of all subcontract awards 
for each fiscal year.
    Sec. 2. Responsibilities of Federal Departments and Agencies. Each 
department and agency (hereafter referred to collectively as ``agency'') 
that has procurement authority shall develop a long-term comprehensive 
strategy to expand opportunities for WOSBs. Where feasible and 
consistent with the effective and efficient performance of its mission, 
each agency shall establish a goal of achieving a participation rate for 
WOSBs of not less than 5 percent of the total value of all prime 
contract awards for each fiscal year and of not less than 5 percent of 
the total value of all subcontract awards for each fiscal year. The 
agency's plans shall include, where appropriate, methods and programs as 
set forth in section 4 of this order.

[[Page 1196]]

    Sec. 3. Responsibilities of the Small Business Administration. The 
Small Business Administration (SBA) shall establish an Assistant 
Administrator for Women's Procurement within the SBA's Office of 
Government Contracting. This officer shall be responsible for:
(a)         working with each agency to develop and implement policies 
            to achieve the participation goals for WOSBs for the 
            executive branch and individual agencies;
(b)         advising agencies on how to implement strategies that will 
            increase the participation of WOSBs in Federal procurement;
(c)         evaluating, on a semiannual basis, using the Federal 
            Procurement Data System (FPDS), the achievement of prime and 
            subcontract goals and actual prime and subcontract awards to 
            WOSBs for each agency;
(d)         preparing a report, which shall be submitted by the 
            Administrator of the SBA to the President, through the 
            Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise and the 
            Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), on findings 
            based on the FPDS, regarding prime contracts and 
            subcontracts awarded to WOSBs;
(e)         making recommendations and working with Federal agencies to 
            expand participation rates for WOSBs, with a particular 
            emphasis on agencies in which the participation rate for 
            these businesses is less than 5 percent;
(f)         providing a program of training and development seminars and 
            conferences to instruct women on how to participate in the 
            SBA's 8(a) program, the Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) 
            program, the HUBZone program, and other small business 
            contracting programs for which they may be eligible;
(g)         developing and implementing a single uniform Federal 
            Government-wide website, which provides links to other 
            websites within the Federal system concerning acquisition, 
            small businesses, and women-owned businesses, and which 
            provides current procurement information for WOSBs and other 
            small businesses;
(h)         developing an interactive electronic commerce database that 
            allows small businesses to register their businesses and 
            capabilities as potential contractors for Federal agencies, 
            and enables contracting officers to identify and locate 
            potential contractors; and
(i)         working with existing women-owned business organizations, 
            State and local governments, and others in order to promote 
            the sharing of information and the development of more 
            uniform State and local standards for WOSBs that reduce the 
            burden on these firms in competing for procurement 
            opportunities.
    Sec. 4. Other Responsibilities of Federal Agencies. To the extent 
permitted by law, each Federal agency shall work with the SBA to ensure 
maximum participation of WOSBs in the procurement process by taking the 
following steps:
(a)         designating a senior acquisition official who will work with 
            the SBA to identify and promote contracting opportunities 
            for WOSBs;
(b)          requiring contracting officers, to the maximum extent 
            practicable, to include WOSBs in competitive acquisitions;
(c)         prescribing procedures to ensure that acquisition planners, 
            to the maximum extent practicable, structure acquisitions to 
            facilitate competition by and among small businesses, 
            HUBZone small businesses, SDBs, and WOSBs, and providing 
            guidance on structuring acquisitions, including, but not 
            limited to, those expected to result in multiple award 
            contracts, in order to facilitate competition by and among 
            these groups;
(d)         implementing mentor-protege programs, which include women-
            owned small business firms; and
(e)         offering industry-wide as well as industry-specific 
            outreach, training, and technical assistance programs for 
            WOSBs including, where appropriate, the use of Government 
            acquisitions forecasts, in order to assist

[[Page 1197]]

            WOSBs in developing their products, skills, business 
            planning practices, and marketing techniques.
    Sec. 5. Subcontracting Plans. The head of each Federal agency, or 
designated representative, shall work closely with the SBA, OFPP, and 
others to develop procedures to increase compliance by prime contractors 
with subcontracting plans proposed under section 8(d) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(d)) or section 834 of Public Law 101-189, as 
amended (15 U.S.C. 637 note), including subcontracting plans involving 
WOSBs.
    Sec. 6. Action Plans. If a Federal agency fails to meet its annual 
goals in expanding contract opportunities for WOSBs, it shall work with 
the SBA to develop an action plan to increase the likelihood that 
participation goals will be met or exceeded in future years.
    Sec. 7. Compliance. Independent agencies are requested to comply 
with the provisions of this order.
    Sec. 8. Consultation and Advice. In developing the long-term 
comprehensive strategies required by section 2 of this order, Federal 
agencies shall consult with, and seek information and advice from, State 
and local governments, WOSBs, other private-sector partners, and other 
experts.
    Sec. 9. Judicial Review. This order is for internal management 
purposes for the Federal Government. It does not create any right or 
benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a 
party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, its 
employees, or any other person.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
May 23, 2000.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., May 24, 2000]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on May 
25.