U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Procurement and Grants Management, 409 3rd Street, Suite 5000, 5th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20416

A -- RESEARCH DISSERTATIONS SOL SBAHQ-98-R-0022 DUE 072998 POC Dionna Martin (202) 205-7029 The U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy is soliciting proposals in the areas listed below. Awards are for the purpose of promoting research on small business and current policy issues listed below. Proposals may be prepared in any or all of the topics listed below. Proposals should not exceed 21 pages, including the title and budget pages. Proposals longer than 21 pages will be regarded as non-reponsive, and will not be read. Proposals on topics not listed below will only be considered if they are extremly relevant to public policy. Proposals should not exceed 2080 man hours. Doctoral candidates may submit doctral dissertation proposals. Each doctoral dissertation submission must be accompanied by a letter from a sponsoring faculty member or faculty advisor as part of proposal package. Completed research studies are due one year from award of date of contract -- no exceptions. If OMB clearance of a survey form is required, this must be calculated into the time frame for the proposed study. All completed research studies will be delivered in both paper (fifty copies) and electronic format. The categories are 1. Small business and access to health insurers, particularly HMO's -- this topic will update information on the provisions, coverage, cost and types of health insurance provided or offered to different categories of small firms. 2. Impact of changes in federal procurement on small business -- the purpose of this contract is to understand what is being purchased from small firms by credit cards; who is doing the purchasing, and how must is being spent. What percentage of credit card purchases are going to large and small firms? 3. Cost of government regulations -- the purpose of this contract is intended to assess the progress in reducing the regulatory burden on small firms during the past 5 years. 4. Small business needs, access to and utilization of employee education and training programs -- this is a study which requires an analysis of state programs to deliver education and training to evaluate their effectiveness in reaching small businessess. 5. Manpower shortages, needs and realted issues in small business -- this study will quantify available evidence of labor shortages within the small firm sector. 6. Impact of bankruptcy reforms on small business -- this study will analyze the propsed "small business bankruptcy statue," giving the pros and cons of changing the current regulations. 7. Growth of small business trends and issues in rural America -- this project is to document-for differenct kinds of non-metropolitan areas-the strengths and weaknesses of non-metro small firms. 8. Impact of international monetary crises on small business -- assess the impact of the current crises on the small business sector, both nationally and in selected states. 9. Small business survival in competition with large multi-unit retail firms -- this project is to document the future form small firms in retail trade. 10. Impact of the business cycle on small business andpossible buffers -- this topic will examine the changing role of small business in mitigating business cycles. It is anticipated that the solicitation will be issued O/A May 29, 1998. The closing date for receipt of the proposals will be O/A July 29, 1998. Copies of the solicitation will be provided upon written request only. No telephone or fax requests will be honored. This acquisition is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside. SIC 8732. (0128)

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