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For decades, companies in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia have provided goods and services to federal agencies. Proximity to the world’s biggest consumer of just about anything has been one reason this region has had a stronger economic base than many other parts of the nation.

That trend has continued with the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis compiled by ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit news organization, and published yesterday by InsideNoVa shows that companies in Northern Virginia have received $928.4 million in COVID-19 related contracts. At least 125 companies in Northern Virginia have secured contracts worth at least $10,000, according to the analysis.

And, according to a breakdown done by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) market intelligence team, companies in Fairfax County have won $782 million, or 84 percent, of the Northern Virginia total compiled by ProPublica. That is work that will be performed in the county.

“We are fortunate to have a strong government contracting sector here,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the FCEDA. “We are so much more than a ‘government town’ now but these companies are a key reason that our economy is far more stable than other regional economies year in and year out.”

The top COVID-19-related contractor in the area has been RER Solutions, an 8(a) and economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business based in Herndon. That company has won $500 million in work with the U.S. Small Business Administration to for data analysis and loan-recommendation services. The SBA is administering several emergency relief programs for small businesses, including the Payroll Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.

Including RER Solutions, 14 companies in Northern Virginia have secured at least $10 million in COVID-19 related work, InsideNoVa reported.

Many of the companies have received certifications based on their ownership. Like RER Solutions, Highlight Technologies is a woman-owned business. Liberty IT Solutions and Alvarez are service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and ViON is a veteran-owned company. Affigent is an Alaska Native Corporation, a small disadvantaged business and a subsidiary of Akima. Also, Federal Government Experts is located in the Baileys Crossroads historically underutilized business (HUB) zone.

Among counties and cities with businesses receiving federal COVID-19 contract dollars, Fairfax County ranks no. 2 behind DeKalb County, Ga., home of the CDC. Companies in Fairfax County won $27.7 billion in federal contracting awards in fiscal 2019, making Fairfax the top county or city in the nation.

Along with the SBA, the top contracting agencies for the local pandemic-related work  are the departments of Veterans Affairs and Health and Human Services. InsideNoVa cited contracts for services such as telecommunications, networking, hardware and software to help agencies convert to teleworking and arrange virtual meetings, as well as for personal protective equipment and other supplies necessitated by the pandemic. American Type Culture Collection received three contracts for research and storage and processing of samples related to the virus and testing. Deloitte Consulting received a contract with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for “COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration tracking.”

“We are blessed to have so many companies in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia, that can step up to help our government agencies battle this invisible enemy,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “This spotlights the diverse skills and spirit of innovation that our companies and our workforce can bring to any problem. It is also gratifying to see that many minority-, woman- and veteran-owned companies are key elements in this public health fight.”

Click here to read the InsideNoVa story, “Northern Virginia companies receive nearly $1 billion in COVID-19 federal contracts.”

State commissions business disparity surveys

The Commonwealth of Virginia has commissioned BBC Research & Consulting to conduct a study to assess whether barriers exist for minority- or woman-owned businesses that make it more difficult for them to compete for Commonwealth contracts.

Information from the surveys will be used to estimate the availability of minority- and woman-owned businesses for Commonwealth contracts and procurements. Businesses that do work or provide services related to the types of construction, services, and goods that government agencies contract for may be contacted, even if they have never worked with government agencies in the past.

Click here to learn more about the disparity study.