The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) celebrated significant funding growth in FY2023 for small businesses, as announced during a Q4 2023 industry summit. The event, attended by small businesses and key stakeholders, witnessed the AFRL Small Business Office achieving a record with total small business awards amounting to $2.12 billion. Notably, Small, Disadvantaged Businesses received $546 million, constituting 11.72% of the total awards. The AFRL also highlighted records set by Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses ($123 million), Women-Owned Small Businesses ($329 million), and HUBZone businesses ($34 million). The HUBZone program, promoting growth in underutilized business zones, aligns with the US Small Business Administration's goal of 3% federal contract dollars to HUBZone-certified companies, while the AFRL's success focuses on global supply chain resilience amid Ukraine crisis.
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) celebrated significant funding growth in FY2023 for small businesses, as announced during a Q4 2023 industry summit. The event, attended by small businesses and key stakeholders, witnessed the AFRL Small Business Office achieving a record with total small business awards amounting to $2.12 billion. Notably, Small, Disadvantaged Businesses received $546 million, constituting 11.72% of the total awards. The AFRL also highlighted records set by Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses ($123 million), Women-Owned Small Businesses ($329 million), and HUBZone businesses ($34 million). The HUBZone program, promoting growth in underutilized business zones, aligns with the US Small Business Administration's goal of 3% federal contract dollars to HUBZone-certified companies, while the AFRL's success focuses on global supply chain resilience amid Ukraine crisis.