Doing Business with Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS

The federal government supports and shapes national policies and programs that can significantly impact equity, inclusion, and diversity. It is estimated that minorities are overrepresented in the prison population and underrepresented in cultural institutions. The office of the President, through Executive Order 13985, has established a new bill to address these issues by exploring how to support minority communities within the federal government. Several government agencies, such as HHS and DHS, were given the mandate to support this program.

Join the conversation of the Virginia MBDA Business Center as we discuss how to do business with Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Our panelists, Darlene Bullock and Shannon Jackson discuss how to do business with their particular agency and how small businesses can access government contracts. They will share any important insights, tools, and training resources to help our MBE community with what they need to know. 

Tune in!

Here’s What You’ll Get In This Episode

[00:25] Episode intro and a quick bio of today’s guests

[08:25] Meet Darlene Bullock & an overview of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

[15:48] Shannon from Health and Human Services (HHS) & strive to help small businesses

[21:34] How DHS is implementing the President’s Executive Order 13985 

[27:57] How HHS is advancing racial equity & support for underserved communities 

[34:34] As an MBE, how can you get engaged with DHS and HHS for contracts

[41:37] Empowering the HHS workforce to implement the subcontract goals

[44:13] SBIR programs and their importance to small businesses

[46:22] Contracting classes by Darlene and why she created them

[49:31] What should be done to improve more small business entrants in the federal space 

[53:38]  How to enforce subcontracting goals contained in major prime contracts

[58:55] Ending the show and call to action

Notable Quotes

• HHS has the third largest budget allocation from the US  federal government.
• Without the support of Congress on a bill, it doesn’t matter who the president is. Things will never work.
• Speed should never take precedence over need.
• When you know better, do better.
• If people don’t know what to do, they’ll keep doing what they’ve been doing.

Connect with HHS and DHS

• https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/
• https://osdbu.hhs.gov/
• Click below to download the handouts: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oa9jkmothj…