The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("ARRA") or the "stimulus bill" passed in February 2009 provides $787 billion stimulus funding (approximately $2,600 for every person in the United States).  The stimulus program does include some tax benefits and expansion of social welfare programs, but the real benefit may be the domestic spending initiatives.  These spending initiatives may create contract or subcontract opportunities for you.

Potential Opportunities.  Some, but by no means all, of the contracting opportunities are:
$650 million to improve educational technology
$250 million for states to analyze student performance
$4 billion for wastewater infrastructure
$2 billion for drinking water infrastructure
$600 million for hazardous waste cleanup at Superfund sites
$300 million for cleanup of leaking underground storage tanks at Brownfield sites
$81 billion in various infrastructure and construction projects
$29 billion at various government facility projects
$15 billion for various infrastructures (wireless internet, state and local transportation, rural drinking water).

What should you do?  The spending will likely occur over the next 2-3 years, so begin to seek out possible opportunities now.  Visit the following web sites:
www.Recovery.gov
www.FedBizOpps.gov
www.recovery.pa.gov
www.dahlkemper.house.gov [3rd District of Pennsylvania]
Contact your trade groups, associations and other organizations that may be able to identify projects that utilize your firm's goods, products or services.  Identify and communicate frequently with likely prime contractor candidates to be positioned for subcontracting opportunities.  Contact your elected officials and apprise them of your interest and ability.  If certification is required, satisfy those requirements now.  If you are a veteran, a disabled veteran, a minority or a woman owned business enterprise, you should anticipate that the funding will include provisions for your business.  Again, if you have not obtained the certification recognizing the status of your business, this should be obtained now.

Why bother?  It's true that companies with high tech expertise, healthcare IT, medical records services or other niche businesses may capture the stimulus spotlight.  However, it is anticipated that 25-30% of the contract value will be awarded on a subcontract basis to small business.  It is also true that many foreign firms are eyeing the stimulus dollars.  However, there is a strong congressional sentiment that the stimulus benefit U.S. companies and employees so there will be a need for foreign contractors to partner and subcontract with U.S. companies.

For additional information, please contact:

David M. Mosier, Esq.
Knox, McLaughlin, Gornall & Sennett, P.C.
120 West Tenth Street
Erie, Pennsylvania 16501-1461
Telephone (814) 459-2800; Fax (814) 453-4530
E-mail: dmosier@kmgslaw.com