Secretive agency needs everything from tech services to dog food

By MARC SHAPIRO, Staff Writer

Published 01/19/10

Tracking the whereabouts and methods of America's enemies is a delicate, secretive task.

Mathematicians, scientists and analysts work to decode signals intelligence, while also preventing others from gathering intelligence about the United States. Much of the work happens in a secure building off Route 32, locked behind the gates of Fort George G. Meade.

As mysterious as the National Security Agency is, equally mysterious is how a local business can get its foot in the door to contract with the agency.

Mark Barnett, NSA director of industry outreach, met with members of the Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce at a breakfast recently to let them in on the secret.

"It's very difficult to get access to anyone at NSA," he said. "We really encourage you, if you really want to do business with the NSA, you need to network."

Being one of the largest employers in Maryland, with expansion soon to come from the Base Realignment and Closure process, the NSA employs contractors for everything under the sun, including construction, plumbing, electricity and landscaping in addition to its high-tech needs. The NSA even buys loads of dog food for its K-9 unit.

What prevents many local and small business owners from getting their foot in the door is the time it requires to go through the process.

Shawn Justice, president and CEO of Enlighten IT Consulting in Glen Burnie, said it's a very cumbersome process that took him almost a year. He said he could see larger companies hiring a person just to deal with the mounds of paperwork.

"I know there's capabilities everyone has here that can help grow (NSA)," Justice said. "There's a ton of opportunities and a ton of contract dollars."

To prove it's legitimate, a company needs a technical recommendation from an NSA employee. That's why Barnett recommends networking. In addition to several NSA initiatives, he pointed entrepreneurs to the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, which has active Maryland chapters.

The NSA Acquisition Resource Center is the first place businesses should go, Barnett said. It is an online registry database for companies looking to work with the NSA, and it serves as a marketing and distribution tool.

NSA employees look to the center to hire contractors. There are about 8,500 businesses registered, Barnett estimated. About one-third have done business with the NSA, and about 80 percent are small businesses.

The super-secret agency has several programs designed for small businesses as well. The Provisional Industrial Security-Approval Sponsorship Program, for example, allows the NSA to clear five employees of a company to have business discussions with NSA staff.

Meanwhile, the NSA Set-Aside for Small Business II program increases the agency's small business goals and looks for technical expertise in the small business community.

And finally, the Office of Small Business Programs aims to form a tighter coalition between the NSA and the small business community, internally and externally. This office disseminates information to the small business community online, through outreach activities and at conferences, and monitors the acquisition process to make sure small businesses receive a fair share of opportunities.

Barnett, while acknowledging that a business needs to be very dedicated to doing business with the NSA to get through the process, said businesses in all industries can find opportunities.

"It doesn't have to be IT or security," he said. "There's a huge component of contractor support with the NSA."