Idaho National Lab spends over $87 million on Idaho’s small businesses in 2018
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IDAHO FALLS — Idaho’s small businesses received over $87 million from Idaho National Laboratory for the 2018 fiscal year.
INL reported meeting or exceeding its small-business goals for the sixth consecutive year. More than 37 percent of INL’s business needs went to Idaho’s small businesses. INL’s goal is 30 percent.
“We’ve had really good success in the last few years exceeding our Idaho goals,” INL Small Business Program Manager Stacey Francis told EastIdahoNews.com. “We do look for Idaho businesses to help support our mission needs, and so our goal is to increase every year and to continue to use Idaho businesses to the extent we can.”
According to an INL news release, the lab’s small business team travels throughout Idaho to give contracting opportunities to small businesses.
“A lot of the companies, we purchase commodities from,” Francis said about what sorts of local businesses INL works with. “We do a lot of work with construction companies in the area.”
In fiscal year 2018 INL awarded $235 million to small businesses nationwide. That is $84 million more than its 2018 goal.
Since 2005 INL has paid Idaho’s small businesses $1.6 billion. Eastern Idaho businesses have received the largest chunk of that by far, receiving more than $1.04 billion.
“We very much value our partnership with so many innovative Idaho businesses,” INL chief financial officer Dennis Newby said in a news release. “We are fortunate to work with high-caliber businesses across Idaho that support our needs.”