On Monday this week, OFCCP announced user-friendly updates to the National Pre-Award Registry and a new VEVRAA Hiring Benchmark Database.  Both tools appear to make information access easier for federal contractors, as well as individuals with vision challenges.

The Registry is a useful tool for contractors because it identifies contractor AAP locations that have successfully completed a compliance evaluation and are subject to the Agency’s 24-month audit grace period.  The Registry data is now available at the OFCCP website in Excel® format and, thus, searchable.

OFCCP’s Registry page also includes a Pre-Award Process Guide that federal agency contracting officers use when seeking to contract with a specific supply or service vendor.  This guide may be helpful to contractors who want to see what contracting officers must do before awarding your company a contract.

OFCCP has also launched a VEVRAA benchmark page that tells us what the national benchmark is currently (5.7%) and when the updated benchmark became effective (March 31, 2020).  For those contractors that choose to customize their benchmark, the page provides guidance on how to set your own benchmark in a compliant fashion, including a link to State-specific veteran availability data.

Lastly, the Agency has improved accessibility to these tools for individuals with vision impairments.