8(a) Business Development Program

 

To foster business ownership by individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged; and to promote the competitive viability of such firms by providing business development and mentoring assistance including, but not limited to, management and technical assistance, access to capital and other forms of financial assistance, business training and counseling, and access to sole source and limited competition Federal contract opportunities, to help the firms to achieve competitive viability.

Active 59.006 Small Business Administration J - Provision of Specialized Services Fiscal Year 2016 613 applicants approved into the 8 (a) BD program year to date. 911 applicants approved into the 8(a) BD Program.
Fiscal Year 2017 FY 2017: 430 applications approved year to date.
Fiscal Year 2018 N/A
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY 2022, the 8(a) program assisted more than 17,000 small businesses through it's application support, outreach efforts, and business development annual reviews. The program certified 542 new 8(a) firms, for a total of nearly 5,000 certified firms. 65% of certified firms were awarded at least one federal contract in FY 2022. For more information about SBA accomplishments, access the SBA Congressional Budget Justification and Annual Performance Report: https://www.sba.gov/document/report-congressional-budget-justification-annual-performance-report Small Business Act, Section 8(a) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)), Public Law 100-656 Firms applying for 8(a) program participation must meet certain requirements which include, but are not limited to: (a) Status as a small business; (b) at least 51 percent unconditional ownership, control and management of the business by an American citizen(s) determined by SBA to be socially and economically disadvantaged, or by an economically disadvantaged Indian Tribe, Alaska Native Corporation, Native Hawaiian Organization or Community Development Corporations; and (c) demonstrated potential for success; and (d) possess good character. Absent evidence to the contrary, the following individuals are presumed to be socially disadvantaged: Black Americans; Hispanic Americans; Native Americans (Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, or enrolled members of a Federally or State recognized Indian Tribe); Asian Pacific Americans (persons with origins from Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, China (including Hong Kong), Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Vietnam, Korea, The Philippines, U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Republic of Palau), Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Samoa, Macao, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, or Nauru); Subcontinent Asian Americans (persons with origins from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives Islands or Nepal).. Individuals who are not members of the named groups may establish their social disadvantage on the basis of a preponderance of evidence of personal disadvantage stemming from race, ethnic origin, gender, physical handicap, long-term residence in an environment isolated from the mainstream of American society, or other similar causes not common to individuals who are not socially disadvantaged. Socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and small businesses owned and operated by such individuals; Indian Tribe, Alaska Native Corporation, Native Hawaiian Organization and Community Development Corporations. Documentation to establish that all program eligibility criteria are met. This program is excluded from coverage under 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles. Preapplication Coordination: Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. Information is available at SBA District offices and on SBA's home page at http://www.sba.gov. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Electronic applications are made to SBA offices through SBA's webpage at www.sba.gov. Detailed instructions, and if necessary, assistance in completing application is available at SBA District offices and on SBA's home page at http://www.sba.gov Applicant is notified of program participation approval or decline by a letter from the SBA headquarters office. Broad range of business development assistance, including procurement, and access to capital and other forms of financial assistance and business training and counseling is provided to approved program participants. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Approximately 90 days from the date the application is deemed complete. There is no reconsideration process for applications that have been declined. An 8(a) applicant may reapply no earlier than 90 days from the date of an agency decision finding the concern ineligible. Alternatively, within 45 days of a decline decision, an 8(a) applicant may appeal a denial of program admission to SBA's Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) if the decline decision is based solely on a negative finding of social disadvantage, economic disadvantage, ownership, control, or any combination of these four criteria. If an applicant does not appeal SBA's decline decision to OHA, SBA's ruling is the final agency decision on the matter. If an applicant does appeal SBA's decline decision to OHA, OHA's decision is the final agency decision. Where a concern has been declined three times within 18 months of the date of the first final agency decision finding the concern ineligible, the concern cannot submit a new application for admission to the program until 12 months from the date of the third final Agency decline decision. Additional information available on SBA's website at sba.gov. Not applicable. This program utilizes authority provided to SBA under Section 7(j) and 8(a) of the Small Business Act to enter into procurement contracts with other Federal agencies and to subcontract the performance of these contracts to eligible program participants, to provide access to capital and other forms of financial assistance, and to provide business training and counseling. Performance Reports: Additional information available on SBA's website at www.sba.gov. Program participation audits as needed to evaluate progress. Contract audits as and when required by Federal Acquisition Regulations. Standard business/accounting records. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Maximum of 9 years. Additional information available on SBA's website at www.sba.gov. Initial contact should be made with the field offices listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under Small Business Administration. Dr. Donna Peebles, D.M., Associate Administrator - Office of Business Development
409 3rd. Street, S.W., 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20416 US
8AQuestions@sba.gov
Phone: 800-827-5722 http://www.sba.gov/ 73-0100-2-2-376 (Provision of Specialized Services) FY 22$0.00; FY 23 est $0.00; FY 24 est $0.00; FY 21$0.00; FY 20$0.00; FY 18 Estimate Not Available FY 19 Estimate Not Available FY 17 Estimate Not Available FY 16 Estimate Not Available - Additional information available on SBA's website at www.sba.gov. SBA Rules and Regulations, 13 CFR Section 124, SOP 80-05-06. Fiscal Year 2022 The purpose of the 8(a) program is to help eligible small-disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy through business development. Program participants have access to training, technical assistance, and contracting opportunities in the form of set-aside and sole-source awards, up to a ceiling of $4.5 million for goods and services and $7.0 million for manufacturing contracts.