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8(a) Applications Are Finally Electronic

7/6/2017

SBA is slowly going digital. The Agency rolled out Certify.SBA.gov last year and is in the process of transitioning all of its programs to the site. According to Certify.SBA.gov, the site is currently only available for Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Mentor Protégé programs. The timeline for fully incorporating the rest of the programs are as follows: 8(a) in Winter 2017; HUBZone in Spring 2017; and Dynamic Small Business Search in Summer 2017.

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Is your business eligible for the HUBZone program?

6/27/2017

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The Historically Underutilized Business Zone or HUBZone program was created in 1997 to encourage economic development in HUBZones, which are areas that typically have low median household incomes and/or high unemployment.

In order to participate in the HUBZone program and take advantage of the program benefits (please visit our blog here to read about the program benefits), a company needs to meet a number of eligibility criteria, including:

Must be small according to SBA’s size standards;
Principal office must be located in a HUBZone;
35% of employees must live in a HUBZone; and,
Must be a majority owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen, Community Development Corporation (CDC), agricultural cooperative, or Indian tribe/Alaska Native Corporation (ANC)/Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO).

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Am I eligible for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program?

3/16/2017

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The DBE program assists small businesses with gaining access to Federally funded transportation contracts. It is another great small business program that seeks to ensure small businesses are able to succeed in government contracting.

Your business must meet a number of eligibility requirements to qualify for the DBE program. Here’s a breakdown of these requirements:

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What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages of An SBA 8a Joint Venture?

3/7/2017

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One of the benefits of being an SBA 8(a) Business Development Program participant is the ability to enter into an 8(a) Joint Venture with another company (or possibly companies) to pursue 8(a) contracts. Many 8(a) companies come to us and tell us that they want to do a joint venture (JV) with another company, and after speaking with them, it becomes clear they don't necessarily have a good understanding of what a JV is and what the implications are for their company. This blog post will provide a general overview of 8(a) JVs, including some of the advantages and disadvantages.

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What Is The DBE Program?

3/7/2017

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The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program (DBE) is a legislatively mandated U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) program that applies to federally-funded/assisted contracts issued by DOT recipients such as State Transportation Agencies. The DBE program was established in order to: (1) ensure nondiscrimination in the award of and administration of DOT-assisted contracts; (2) help remove barriers to the participation of DBEs in DOT-assisted contracts; and (3) assist the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside of the DBE program.

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How The SBA's Presumed Loss Rule Impacts All Small Businesses, Including 8(a) Firms

3/2/2017

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On August 23, 2014, the "Presumed Loss Rule" went into effect. This rule was issued as part of the SBA's June 2013 Final Rule implementing provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. Essentially, the rule creates a rebuttable presumption with respect to a firm's willful misrepresentation of size or status in order to receive a contract (subcontract, grant or cooperative agreement) that has been set-aside for small businesses. In such a case, the loss to the government is "presumed" to be the total amount expended by the government on the contract.

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SBA OHA Case Reminds Us That Familial Relationships Can Impact Small Business Size Status

3/2/2017

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On February 13, 2017, the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) issued a decision in the matter of: Size Appeal of Prosol Associates, LLC, Appellant. Appellant was named the apparent awardee of a contract for IT training with the marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC). In response, an unsuccessful offeror filed a size protest alleging affiliation with ProSol, LLC (Prosol) based on an identity of interest, the newly organized concern rule, and totality of the circumstances. This appeal arose out of the SBA Area Office's size determination that Appellant was not a small business under the applicable $15 million size standard due to its affiliation with ProSol based on identity of interest (based on familial relationship between father and son).

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Understanding The Paths to an 8(a) Sole-Source Award

2/8/2017

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We often hear about companies in year 5 (or later) of their 9-year 8(a) BD program term voluntarily withdraw from the program and/or express unhappiness with the program because they haven't yet received an 8(a) contract. More often than not, this situation is a result of a misconception on the firm's part that once in the 8(a) program, Federal contracts will just miraculously fall into their lap. The reality is that getting an 8(a) sole-source contract requires a lot of time and effort on the part of the 8(a) firm. This blog post will provide a general overview of the various paths to an 8(a) sole-source award.

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Recent GAO Decision Reminds Us That 8(a) Sole-Source Contracts Are Difficult to Protest (And Prevail on)

2/7/2017

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One of the primary benefits of the SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program is the ability of the program participant to pursue and receive sole-source contracts with various Federal Agencies. A sole-source contract is generally defined as any contract entered into without resort to the competitive process, based on a specific justification (i.e., it is authorized by law, or there is only one known source that can perform the work or supply the contract requirements).

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BENEFITS OF THE SBA 8(a) business development program

12/22/2016

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There are significant business opportunities in the Federal marketplace. However, if you’re a small business, it can be a bit difficult to get into, especially if you have to compete against larger, more experienced firms. The U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development (BD) program was created to give small, disadvantaged businesses the opportunity to successfully grow and develop, particularly in the Federal marketplace. While the business development program provides participants with numerous benefits including training, technical assistance, and procurement assistance, among others, I want to highlight a few that are the most talked about:

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The Small Business Blog

8(a) Applications Are Finally Electronic

Is your business eligible for the HUBZone program?

Am I eligible for the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program?

What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages of An SBA 8a Joint Venture?

What Is The DBE Program?

How The SBA's Presumed Loss Rule Impacts All Small Businesses, Including 8(a) Firms

SBA OHA Case Reminds Us That Familial Relationships Can Impact Small Business Size Status

Understanding The Paths to an 8(a) Sole-Source Award

Recent GAO Decision Reminds Us That 8(a) Sole-Source Contracts Are Difficult to Protest (And Prevail on)

BENEFITS OF THE SBA 8(a) business development program

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