25th Annual Department of State Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award

The Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) mission is to help small U.S. businesses obtain contracts with the Department in compliance with statutory requirements. An important part of that work is outreach to industry, and recognition of successful small businesses providing support to the Department. This is a high visibility event attended by over 150 companies and includes a ceremony recognizing the Department’s Small Business Contractor of the Year who receives an award signed by the Secretary along with runners up that receive the Deputy Secretary’s Award for Excellence.

The Industry Day’s educational program also included an informative panel featuring Jessica Osterberger, Support Services Chief, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) and Kenneth Rogers, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Business Management and Planning, Bureau of Information Resources Management (IRM); the event also provided an opportunity for small business to meet with the Department’s Acquisition Management (AQM) contracting personnel.

The Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year Award, sponsored by the Department, recognizes small business contractors who have displayed exemplary performance, customer service, management, and technical capabilities.  Program offices nominate small business for the award and a 3 person panel of Department officials selects the winner.

2019 celebrates the 25th Annual award and the winner, Indigenous Technologies, LLC. , was nominated by IRM for outstanding project performance and management services provided to IRM that consistently exceeded contract performance standards and increased the effectiveness and efficiency of the Safety and Accountability for Everyone (SAFE) system for real time event reporting and life-saving accountability of post personnel.

The following firms received the Award for Excellence as runners up for this year’s competition:

• Silver Lake Construction, LLC ., nominated by the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) for extraordinary perseverance, outstanding construction service in a challenging environment, and unwavering delivery of superior services throughout the contract performance of FSI, School of Language Studies, Language Testing Unit’s tenant improvement project.
• HCI Management Services, LLC ., nominated by the Bureau of Administration (A) for technical achievements and quality management efforts that have proven consistently superb, exceeded contract performance standards, and delivered extraordinary operational services to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Training Directorate.
• Xfinion, Inc ., nominated the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance for outstanding operational support in surpassing planned information technology milestones to provide the Nuclear Risk Reduction Center with a more secure, efficient, and responsive technology platform.
• Jefferson Consulting Group, LLC. , nominated by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA) for exceptional commitment to procurement excellence and extraordinary customer service, as well as exceeding expectations by providing creative and unique solutions, resulting in productivity and efficiency gains that provide significant value to CA’s Office of Consular System and Technology.
• Alutiiq Pacific, LLC. , nominated by the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO) for outstanding Facility Maintenance and Repair performance required to keep the Diplomatic community abroad safe and secure by providing critical building systems on behalf of OBO and the International Maintenance Assistance Program.
• GraphiTech, Inc. , nominated by CA for exceptional commitment to customer service, quality project management, and for consistently exceeding contract performance standards while providing CA with superb design and project management services for multiple renovation projects at the National Visa Center and the Kentucky Consular Center.