FAIRNESS IN SET-ASIDE PROCUREMENT COALITION (FSAPC)
The coalition first came together in June 2005 as a loose alliance of 14 minority and small business advocacy groups¹ to support a
‘size protest’ test case (SIZ-2005-05-09-22) against a large business which had allegedly been committing fraud by misrepresenting
its affiliation to win ‘set-aside contracts’. The test case was brought up by Raul Espinosa, CEO of FitNet, a purchasing/consulting
group in Florida. Its main purpose was to demonstrate that the current ‘size protest system’ does not deliver justice when one wins
the case. Espinosa kept the alliance together so it could influence public procurements by identifying anti-small business regulations
and practices and by proposing initiatives and solutions to end procurement abuse of small and minority businesses.
¹http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/10/prweb302024.htm
The FSAPC has been credited with conceiving such initiatives as the ‘Free Universal Access’ (FUA); the ‘Contracting Abuse
Resolution Board’ (CARB) and the ‘Small Business Set-Aside Alliance’ (SBSAA). Additionally, FSAPC has launched educational
efforts – at both the federal and state level - to educate the procurement community about the abuses committed under the
camouflage of ‘brand-name or equal’ procurements. At the urging of leading advocates in the small and minority communities, the
FSAP has agreed to represent ALL the ‘procurement priorities’ of 20 national organizations including all the minority national
chambers of commerce (including women); ASBL and most of the minority trade groups involved with government contracting.
These organizations, combined, represent the interest of more than 10 million businesses. FSAPC intends to expand its influence
by also addressing set-aside procurements at the state and municipal levels (including schools and universities).
The purpose of the FSAPC is to bring attention to contracting abuse on set-aside solicitations; to educate the
procurement community about issues of concern and to make recommendations that strengthen ‘set-aside
programs’ so that they can achieve their intended results.