Since the founding of our nation, the government has procured products and services from private businesses. Organized federal government contracting began in 1798 with contracts to provide rations for outposts in the west. In 1808 the first procurement law still in existence was passed requiring that no government agent benefit from a contract. It wasn’t until World War II and the expansion of the military during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration that government procurement expanded rapidly and consistently.
In 1953, President Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10479 created the President’s Committee on Government Contracts. This committee was charged with compliance issues and expanding opportunities in federal government contracting until it was dissolved in 1961.
The National Association of Government Contractors was started in 1957 by a coalition of small business owners in response to the growing government procurement industry and a desire to build upon the focus on government contracting created by the President’s Committee on Government Contracts. As contracting expanded, smaller companies needed a voice in the process that NAGC was developed to provide. NAGC has grown from that small coalition to one of the largest, most powerful voices for small contractors on Capitol Hill. Since its founding, NAGC has developed from an advocacy organization into an association providing advocacy, education, business development and services to member companies.
When you join The National Association of Government Contractors, you know you’ve joined a special group of professionals. Yes, the quality service and training publications are great tools to get involved in government contracting. However, we are foremost an organization dedicated to sound government procurement practices that open the process to a diverse business community, including small, veteran and minority owned businesses as well as the major corporations we represent.
Joining the National Association of Government Contractors demonstrates your commitment to professional practices and continuing education in the field of government procurement.
Each member of the government contracting community is obligated to continuously improve knowledge and performance in the field, and to abide by the standards set forth below.
Each member of the NAGC government contracting community agrees:
- To serve the government contracting community to the best of their ability
- To conduct themselves in a manner that brings credit upon the community
- To avoid conflicts of interest
- To comply with all laws and contracts; upholding security of protected information
- To remain informed and educated in the field of government contracting
- To share knowledge and promote growth of the field through assisting those new to the field
- To never influence others to breach this code
Each member of NAGC agrees to abide by this code and report any infractions of this code to the association or appropriate legal authority.
