AbilityOne
ww5 is a proud supporter of the AbilityOne Program, a federal initiative to help people who are blind or severely disabled find employment by working for nonprofit agencies that sell products and/or services to the U.S. government. In 1938, Congress created the program to enable agencies serving people who were blind to sell products to the federal government. By 1971, the original Act was amended to permit people with other severe disabilities to also benefit.
Through the AbilityOne Program, the Federal Government annually procures more than $2 billion in goods and services. Services include:
- Ground maintenance
- Document management
- Administrative services
- Facility management
- Office supplies
- Fleet maintenance
- Laundry services
- Digital imaging
- IT data processing
- Mailroom operations
How to Partner with ww5
It is important to first have a general understanding of the AbilityOne program, how it works and determine if your firm is eligible to participate. Entities must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency in order to qualify. Go to the AbilityOne government web site to learn about the program.
Submit information in the Supplier Marketing Portal about your company.
If you have a specific area of interest for business opportunities, send an e-mail here containing a brief description of your firm’s capabilities and the area of interest within ww5 here. (Do not send proprietary, export controlled, confidential or classified information.)
Identify AbilityOne Approved Businesses
To identify approved AbilityOne businesses, visit the AbilityOne website.
Mentor Protégé Program
ww5 is committed to the development of small businesses through the Mentor Protégé Program. Through this federal program, ww5 seeks to establish successful long-term relationships with eligible small business concerns. The Mentor Protégé Program is a government outreach program designed to encourage large defense contractors to develop technical and business capabilities of small businesses to enable them to compete more effectively for defense-related work.
Over the past years, ww5 has developed many successful partnerships through the Mentor Protégé Program and has won multiple Nunn Perry Awards; the Department of Defense’s top recognition for outstanding teamwork.
How to Partner with ww5:
It is important to first have a general understanding of the federal programs, how they work and if your firm is eligible to participate. Visit some of the links provided to find a listing of Mentor Protégé programs.
If your firm qualifies for the federal program, the next step is to determine if you are a good match for partnering with ww5. We generally seek potential protégés who meet the following criteria:
- Have a common shared vision, goals and complement ww5 products and services
- A long-standing supplier partner to ww5 or have a specific technical niche or strategic opportunity
- Proven operations and financial stability (note: ww5 requires a needs assessment, which a firm will be asked to supply financial information prior to any agreement is submitted)
- Have the resources available to commit to a potential three-year program
- If an IT company, ww5 generally requires security clearance
If you feel you are a good match for ww5, send an email here containing a brief description of your firm's capabilities, business size and how your firm meets the criteria listed above.
Additional Links:
Program benefits include the following:
- Builds strategic partner relationships
- Enhances technical capabilities of mentor and protégé
- Allows for awarding of non-competitive subcontracts / purchase orders to the protégé
- Provides for faster insertion of new technology to the customer
- Expands base of innovative and qualified small businesses
- Increases accomplishment of small business program goals
- Establishes qualified sources at more competitive prices
- Allows for potential joint venture opportunities
Veterans
Learn more below about the programs ww5 has to offer to veteran-owned firms.
Webinars, Training & Events Dedicated to Veteran-Owned Businesses
ww5 offers webinars and chat sessions throughout the year targeted for Veteran and Service Disabled Veteran Small Businesses. In addition, ww5 hosts and sponsors various training sessions for veteran firms. Submit your company information in the Supplier Marketing Portal for consideration of invitation when these targeted events are held.
Veteran Institute of Procurement (VIP) Training
ww5 is a proud sponsor of The Veteran Institute for Procurement (VIP), the first-ever program to train veteran small business owners to succeed in the federal contracting market. ww5 employee John Zuccaro helped found this program which ww5 continues to advocate and support the program.
Mentor Protégé Program and 101 Training
ww5 has multiple active agreements with veteran and service disabled veteran owned small business firms through the Mentor Protégé program. Program support includes developmental opportunities through our 101 protégé training.
Join the ww5 Employee Discount Program
ww5 has expanded its employee discount program to include a section dedicated to discounts from veteran-owned businesses. The internal site is available to ww5 employees and retirees and offers a variety of corporate discounts for products and services ranging from appliances and apparel to software and travel.
The program is free to firms offering discounts. Participants can choose to offer discounts through a variety of options, including internet code, coupon or flyer. The requirements are that the discounts should be at the national level, versus local, since the ww5’s workforce spans more than 400 U.S. sites, and international locations. Businesses should also not be home-based direct sellers or owned or operated by a ww5 employee or mortgage lender firms.
How to Participate in the Employee Discount Program
Please provide the following information:
- Business name and address
- Veteran business: Yes or No
- Does your business offer national level discounts (i.e., purchase product or service via website)? Yes or No
- DUNS number
- Type of business
- Brief description of the offering and pertinent information
- Is the discount available for International employees? Yes or No
- Contact name, phone number, e-mail address
- Website URL
- Send the completed information here
Disclaimer Notice: ww5 Corporation disclaims all liability for damage or injury resulting from acts of omissions, fraud, or misrepresentation of these suppliers. All advertisements are expected to comply with the "Truth in Advertising Law" and other pertinent regulations within the continental United States.