In Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded and obligated its largest-amount ever directly to U.S.-based small businesses.  The Agency awarded approximately $790 million to small businesses out of a total portfolio of $5.4 billion in prime contracts. This translates to approximately 14.60 percent of prime awards, which exceeds USAID's FY 2019 Small Business Goal of 12.50 percent.  Dollars to small businesses increased by more than $100 million from FY 2018. 
  
USAID also exceeded its Small Disadvantaged Business goal for the tenth  consecutive fiscal year.  The Agency awarded $387.6 million, or 7.17 percent.  For the first time since FY 2014, the Agency exceeded its Women-Owned Small Business goal of 5 percent by awarding approximately $297.7 million, or 5.50 percent.  There were notable increases in the remaining socio-economic program areas.  The Agency increased awards and obligations to small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones, and to service-disabled veteran owned small businesses.       
  
In October 2018, USAID expanded its internal U.S. Small Business Goaling Program to 29 overseas Missions, which procure and implement the majority of USAID's contracts.  In doing so, the Agency prioritized the participation of small businesses in its contracting process, and increased its engagement with the small-business community. These initiatives are part of an overall Agency-wide effort  to reform its procurement processes, including the expansion and diversification of its pool of implementing partners.