SBA Form 1010 is the form used to apply for the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program. In addition to Form 1010, each person owning 10% or more of the business and each director, management member, partner, and officer needs to complete Form 1010B. These forms provide basic information to the SBA about the business and its owners which the SBA will use to make a preliminary determination of whether the business is eligible for 8a certification. Prior to filling out Form 1010, the applicant company needs to register with Central Contractor Registration, the Dynamic Small Business Search, and a DUNS Number.
8a Certification Process
What is 8a Certification?
8a Certification is the term used for socially or economically disadvantaged businesses who have gone through the application process with the General Services Administration (GSA) and been awarded a GSA schedule contract. Once 8a Certified, the 8a Business is then able to take advantage of any number of contracts which the federal government has mandated can only be fulfilled by 8a businesses. These mandated contracts are known as "Small Business Set Asides." More specifically, "8a Small Business Set Asides."
Women Owned Small Business Certification
GSA and SBA Women Owned Small Business Certification
The General Services Administration (GSA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) are federal agencies which have been given the responsibility for assisting Women Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) succeed in obtaining contracts with the federal government. These agencies recognize that traditionally WOSB's have been left out or otherwise overlooked for federal government contracts simply because the WOSB was owned and operated by women. They now seek to level the playing field by setting aside a number of federal contracts specifically for WOSB's. If you own a WOSB you can take advantage of these set asides by becoming certified with the GSA and SBA and obtaining a GSA schedule contract.
Women Owned Business and the GSA
Federal Contracts Set Aside for Women Owned Businesses
The Federal Government has provided special assistance to Women Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) who want to provide goods or services to Government Agencies. This assistance has come, in part, by instructing Federal contracting officers (i.e. people who purchase goods and services for the Federal government) to specifically limit certain Federal contracts to women-owned small businesses. These limits are known as Women-Owned Small Business "Set Asides." Contracts which are designated by contracting officers as Women-Owned Small Business Set Asides may not be fulfilled by other small or large businesses unless a qualified WOSB cannot be found.
What is an 8a Business?
8a Business
An 8a Business is traditionally a minority or woman owned business which has been certified by the General Services Administration (GSA) as meriting access to certain government contracts which have been "set-aside" by the Federal Government for such businesses. The GSA uses the terms "Socially Disadvantaged" or "Economically Disadvantaged" when referring to the types of businesses which qualify for 8a business certification. A brief discussion of what it means to be "Socially Disadvantaged" or "Economically Disadvantaged" is below.
GSA: What Is An 8(a) Contractor?
The U.S. General Services Administration, or GSA, is the arm of the federal government that helps federal agencies find and contract with private companies like yours.
The way it works is you get your business registered with the GSA and then the GSA adds your business information to a google-type searchable website that federal agencies use to find suppliers.
Federal agencies are constantly searching this website looking for small businesses that can supply what the agency is looking for. You can also use the website to find potential federal agency customers and market to those customers. But you have to be registered with the GSA first.
8(a) Contractors
One of the GSA's goals is to help small businesses like yours sell to the federal government by leveling the playing field against your larger competitors.
The GSA accomplishes this goal by setting aside a number of federal projects and purchases (called procurements) that can only be performed by what are called "8(a) Contractors." An 8(a) Contractor is a business that is either minority or woman owned (usually at least 51% ownership).
These set asides require all federal agencies to contract with a certain number of 8(a) Contractors each year. The term 8(a) refers to Section 8(a) of the Federal Small Business Act related to assisting minority and woman owned businesses in obtaining federal procurements.
To take advantage of the 8(a) Contractor program, a small business must be registered with the Small Business Administration, as well as the GSA.
This process can be lengthy and difficult if you are not familiar with it and you will likely need assistance with the process.
There is a great deal of paperwork required to obtain 8(a) status, but the reward can be that your business is placed in a relatively small pool of businesses entitled to federal GSA procurement set-asides. An 8(a) Contractor who can meet a procurement need is like gold to a federal contracting agent.
The way it works is you get your business registered with the GSA and then the GSA adds your business information to a google-type searchable website that federal agencies use to find suppliers.
Federal agencies are constantly searching this website looking for small businesses that can supply what the agency is looking for. You can also use the website to find potential federal agency customers and market to those customers. But you have to be registered with the GSA first.
8(a) Contractors
One of the GSA's goals is to help small businesses like yours sell to the federal government by leveling the playing field against your larger competitors.
The GSA accomplishes this goal by setting aside a number of federal projects and purchases (called procurements) that can only be performed by what are called "8(a) Contractors." An 8(a) Contractor is a business that is either minority or woman owned (usually at least 51% ownership).
These set asides require all federal agencies to contract with a certain number of 8(a) Contractors each year. The term 8(a) refers to Section 8(a) of the Federal Small Business Act related to assisting minority and woman owned businesses in obtaining federal procurements.
To take advantage of the 8(a) Contractor program, a small business must be registered with the Small Business Administration, as well as the GSA.
This process can be lengthy and difficult if you are not familiar with it and you will likely need assistance with the process.
There is a great deal of paperwork required to obtain 8(a) status, but the reward can be that your business is placed in a relatively small pool of businesses entitled to federal GSA procurement set-asides. An 8(a) Contractor who can meet a procurement need is like gold to a federal contracting agent.
GSA: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses
Everyone repeat after me: "Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business." Okay, so its not something you would be able to repeat five times real fast.
But to those who own businesses that qualify for the SDVOSB set asides the term can be a lucrative one.
GSA Schedules and Your SDVOSB
Did you know that federal agencies are required to set aside certain funds to be spent specifically on projects performed by Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses?
You may also know that in years past federal agencies were often forced to scramble around looking for SDVOSB's to satisfy the set aside requirements. Often times agencies were unable to meet the set aside requirements and were penalized.
The GSA Multiple Award Schedule is designed to make it easier on federal agencies to find and contract with SDVOSB's and, thereby, avoid being penalized.
How Does A GSA Schedule Help SDVOSB's?
With the growing popularity of the GSA Schedule, a large number of SDVOSB set asides are now awarded through the GSA Schedule process.
This means that those SDVOSB's that have a Schedule Contract are able to take advantage of the monetary set asides while those business that do not have a Schedule are left out.
When a federal agency places an order under a GSA Schedule, the order is credited toward the ordering agency’s small business goals (including service-disabled veteran-owned small business goals).
Other GSA Schedule Set Asides
Federal agencies may receive credit under GSA Schedules when they contract with veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, women-owned small businesses, and small disadvantaged business schedule contractors.
But to those who own businesses that qualify for the SDVOSB set asides the term can be a lucrative one.
GSA Schedules and Your SDVOSB
Did you know that federal agencies are required to set aside certain funds to be spent specifically on projects performed by Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses?
You may also know that in years past federal agencies were often forced to scramble around looking for SDVOSB's to satisfy the set aside requirements. Often times agencies were unable to meet the set aside requirements and were penalized.
The GSA Multiple Award Schedule is designed to make it easier on federal agencies to find and contract with SDVOSB's and, thereby, avoid being penalized.
How Does A GSA Schedule Help SDVOSB's?
With the growing popularity of the GSA Schedule, a large number of SDVOSB set asides are now awarded through the GSA Schedule process.
This means that those SDVOSB's that have a Schedule Contract are able to take advantage of the monetary set asides while those business that do not have a Schedule are left out.
When a federal agency places an order under a GSA Schedule, the order is credited toward the ordering agency’s small business goals (including service-disabled veteran-owned small business goals).
Other GSA Schedule Set Asides
Federal agencies may receive credit under GSA Schedules when they contract with veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses, women-owned small businesses, and small disadvantaged business schedule contractors.
GSA: What is A Small Business Set Aside?
A Brief History
In 1985, Congress enacted the “Small Business Act” to aid small businesses in obtaining contracts with the federal government.
One of the major concerns sought to be remedied under the Act was the lack of competition created by large businesses squeezing smaller businesses out of government contracts. Congress was concerned that squeezing out small businesses has a negative overall effect on the U.S. economy.
As a result, the Act mandated that a large amount of government contacts and funds be set aside for "Small Businesses." The SBA was assigned to regulate the Act.
Definition of Small Business
As with most federal and state statutes, you might be surprised at how the Act defines certain words or phrases.
For instance, according to the Act, a small business concern is "one that is independently owned and operated and which is not dominant in its field of operation."
The definition can be broad and may include businesses you and I would not normally consider “small businesses.”
In determining what constitutes a “Small Business,” the definition varies from industry to industry. The reason for the variance is because some industries are larger than others.
For instance, suppose a business has 300 employees, grosses $10 million per year and corners the market in harvesting and selling Florida Lobster. The business may be excluded from the designation of “Small Business” given it is the largest in its industry.
However, if my business had the same number of employees and gross earnings but instead competed in the automobile industry it would probably fall under the category of “Small Business.”
The SBA has established a table of size standards, matched to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries. These tables can be used to determine whether your business qualifies as a “Small Business.”
Federal Agencies Must Comply With The SBA
All federal agencies must use SBA's size standards to determine whether a business qualifies as a “Small Business” for Federal Government contracting purposes. Agencies must also use SBA's size standards for their other programs and regulations, unless they are authorized by Federal statute to use something else.
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