Spartan Medical Self-Certifies as Nonmanufacturer Rule-Compliant, Continues to Drive Small Business Access to Assist Government Contractors

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Sep 30, 2024, 10:00 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Spartan Medical, Inc., a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business itself, recognizes small businesses power America's economy. Spartan works exclusively with 50+ qualifying small businesses to supply Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) and Department of Defense (DoD) Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) with a broad suite of advanced medical technologies, and in the process directly support over 3,000 American high-tech manufacturing jobs. For that reason, Spartan Medical proudly self-certifies as fully compliant with the Federal Government's Nonmanufacturer Rule. The Nonmanufacturer Rule,ⁱ which requires that a small business exclusively supply products manufactured by other small businesses to itself qualify for small business contracting preferences, is a mandatory—but difficult to evaluate and verify—component of Federal Government contracting. While many large corporations work to circumvent the Nonmanufacturer Rule and provide high-volume, lower-quality items through pass-through companies, Spartan Medical levels the playing field by promoting small business manufacturers to the Federal Government as a source of superior innovation and quality. The results speak for themselves.

Spartan Medical proudly self-certifies as fully compliant with the Federal Government’s Nonmanufacturer Rule.

The Nonmanufacturer Rule Helps Small Businesses Compete for Government Contracts
For example, the VA must spend at least 17.5%ⁱⁱ of contracting dollars with small businesses—and more wherever possible with Veteran-Owned Small Businesses under the Veterans First Contracting Programⁱⁱⁱ. For a purchase to count as a small business sale, the original manufacturer must itself also be a small business, as per the Nonmanufacturer Rule,^iv. All too often, however, large companies can navigate around this Rule by partnering with a small business to "pass through" their products to VA and DoD medical facilities. Determining which small businesses follow the Rule and which ones do not can be difficult for Government Contracting Officers - unless each small business certifies their compliance. Spartan Medical supports this process, and fully embraces the Nonmanufacturer Rule by exclusively supplying products from other small businesses (as dictated by Small Business Administration NAICS Code size standards). Through its self-certification, when a VAMC or DoD MTF orders products from Spartan Medical, not only is it directly supporting a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business, but the VA/DoD can be confident every dollar spent supports small business end-manufacturers.

Spartan Medical Prioritizes Small Business Innovation and Technology
By supporting small businesses, Spartan Medical both drives advanced technologies and supports American jobs. While large companies leverage their market power to squeeze out competition, small businesses compete primarily through innovation and providing higher-quality products. By identifying and assembling an armamentarium of cutting-edge medical devices and biologics—and where a product gap exists, manufacturing products itself—Spartan Medical curates the best of small business innovation for our nation's veteran and military communities. Supporting small businesses also boosts domestic job growth. Small businesses employ over 46% of our nation's workers and have generated more than 55% of our economy's new jobs over the past decade.^v Small business jobs are domestic jobs.^vi

It is broadly agreed that small businesses are critical to economic success, as current proposals seek to expand small business contracting to 33% of every Federal dollar spent.^vii

But these preferences do not provide meaningful support to small businesses without enhanced enforcement of the Nonmanufacturer Rule. As Vince Proffitt, Founder and President of Spartan Medical and former Air Force officer explains, "we are Veterans helping Veterans…and we bring best-in-class med tech to operating rooms and clinics across the VA and DoD. Our incredible market knowledge and experience ensures vetted small business innovation goes to the front of the line in an industry dominated by a handful of mega corps…when we are given an equal chance to compete, our Veterans and Wounded Warriors win, and American jobs stay where they belong." Proffitt added, "by certifying our compliance with the Nonmanufacturer Rule, we're ensuring that VA and DoD medical facilities have the tools they need to enforce the Rule. If this kind of self-certification becomes the standard, the result will be a level playing field, and in that environment I bet on American Small Businesses every time."

About Spartan Medical, Inc.
Spartan Medical is a veteran-owned-and-operated government contractor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Defense, and other federal, state, and local agencies. All senior executives have held leadership positions in both the public and private sector and employ the core strengths of solving complex problems through creative thinking, innovative solutions, and highly skilled flexible teams. Spartan Medical maintains its vanguard position by providing medical facilities with A-to-Z solutions that improve patient care and outcomes, especially for America's military and veteran communities. For ordering, specification, or further information, please contact our Customer Service team at [email protected] or call 888-240-8091.

Media Contact: Sophia Morales, 888-240-8091 [email protected]

^{______________________________________
i}13 CFR 121.406, available online at: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-121/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR0fca5207262de47/section-121.406

ⁱⁱ VA Small Business Subcontracting Plans, available online at: https://www.va.gov/opal/nac/fss/sbsp.asp

ⁱⁱⁱ See VAAR Subpart 819.70, available online at: https://www.acquisition.gov/vaar/subpart-819.70-va-veterans-first-contracting-program

^iv See Note i, above.

^v US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 1, 2024, available online at: https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/small-businesses-contributed-55-percent-of-the-total-net-job-creation-from-2013-to-2023.htm

^vi See FAR 52.225-5 Trade Agreements, available online at: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.225-5

^vii As reported by Forbes, Sept. 6, 2024, available online at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rhettbuttle/2024/09/06/kamala-harris-focus-on-small-business-her-job-creation-plan/

SOURCE Spartan Medical Inc.