Category Archives: 8(a) Program

Posts dealing with the 8(a) business development program, including 8(a) admissions and eligiblity, requests for reconsideration, ongoing eligibility and compliance, and related matters.

[1st Ever Bilingual] Webinar Announcement: The SBA 8(a) Program, June 26, 2025, 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM CDT

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Are you a disadvantaged small business owner looking for a leg-up in the federal marketplace? Well, this is your chance!

Puerto Rico APEX Accelerators are hosting a FREE webinar to help you understand how the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program can open the door to exclusive contracting opportunities. And in very exciting news, this will actually be our firm’s first ever bilingual webinar! Indeed, our very own Nicole Pottroff will put her years of Spanish education to the test in an effort to maximize accessibility to this valuable information about federal government contracting. Webinar will be presented in English with Q&A to follow in Spanish.

✅ What You’ll Learn:

  • How the SBA 8(a) program works and why it matters
  • Key benefits like sole-source contracts and federal mentorship
  • Eligibility requirements and how to apply
  • Common mistakes that can delay or deny certification
  • Live Q&A (*in Spanish) with a top expert in federal contracts law attorney, Nicole Pottroff
  • Tips for starting your application

💼 Who Should Attend?

  • Small business owners aiming to grow through federal contracting
  • Government contracting consultants
  • Entrepreneurs seeking new growth avenues

📅 Spots are limited – register now to reserve your place!
👉 Register here.

Why File: A Once 8(a), Always 8(a) Protest

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As our SmallGovCon readers might know, the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program is often thought of as the golden goose of federal government contracting, at least for small businesses. And it’s true, in some respects. While it is the most difficult of the SBA’s socioeconomic programs to gain admittance to, if admitted, you stand to reap large benefits such as access to competitive and sole-source contracts. And another SBA rule limits the ability to move contracts away from 8(a) Program set-asides. In that scenario, a contract that had been restricted to 8(a) Program Participants is recompeted as a set-aside for small businesses generally or a different socioeconomic category (SDVOSB, WOSB, HUBZone). Less frequently, it might not set aside for small businesses at all. If that happens, what should you do? Well, you should be familiar with what is commonly referred to as the “once 8(a), always 8(a)” rule as well as when to protest a violation of that rule.

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Money Talks: CEO’s IRA Withdrawal Results in 8(a) Program Denial

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Whether you know from firsthand experience or have read our blogs on the topic, it’s no secret that a company applying for one of SBA’s socioeconomic programs will be examined extremely closely by SBA during the application process. Sometimes even more so in the 8(a) Program. This can include sifting through the language in a company’s operating agreement (as in this case we blogged on here), down to the meeting minutes. It can sometimes be overlooked that this close review also includes a look at the personal finances of the qualifying individual, at least for 8(a) and EDWOSB programs.

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SBA Reminder: Ensure all Joint Venture Requirements are Met to have a Successful JV

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Joint ventures pursuing a contract under any of the SBA’s socioeconomic programs (Woman-Owned Small Business Program, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program, 8(a) Program, and HUBZone) all have requirements beyond the general requirements that a non-joint venture prime contractor must meet to be eligible for those types of set-asides. The joint venture must be considered small, which may take into account the size of both venturers, and the joint venture agreement itself must contain specific information. But what happens when the regulatory text isn’t exactly clear on how those two requirements fit together? And how are unsuccessful offerors, contracting officers, and the SBA itself supposed to challenge the status of those joint ventures if the regulatory text doesn’t explicitly provide for the means to do so? Read our analysis of the decision in Chenega Base and Logistics Services, LLC to find out!

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End of the Line for Transmutation Agreements in 8(a) Program

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We at SmallGovCon have analyzed a number of key updates from the recent SBA final rule concerning HUBZone Program Updates and Clarifications, and Clarifications to Other Small Business Programs. But, with the rule covering many issues, there are aspects we didn’t cover everything. One small change could impact a number of companies seeking 8(a) Program certification or existing 8(a) Program Participants changing their ownership. The change affects married business owners in community property states and removes the requirement for transmutation agreements.

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Govology Webinar: An Introduction to Government Small Business Certifications (2025 Update), January 21, 2025, 1:00 pm EST

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Steven Koprince, Govology legal analyst and retired founder of Koprince McCall Pottroff will be presenting this webinar. In this course he provides a big-picture overview of small business certifications in the government marketplace and you will learn about various federal small business certification programs, including Small Business Self Certification, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) & 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Economic Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). 

This course has been updated to reflect recent changes set forth in two SBA regulations released in late 2024. He will also touch on state and local certification programs and provide information on additional training and resources you can use to develop a deeper understanding and get help with any federal, state, and small business certification program. Register here.

Preview Shows Changes to 8(a) Application in New SBA Portal

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As many in federal contracting know, the SBA had its certification portal (certify.sba.gov) closed for upgrades for a few months. The SBA is replacing it with a new portal called MySBA Certifications which as of the writing of this blog post is now live. While it hasn’t been widely published, SBA released screenshots of this new portal, which indicate SBA is making some large changes to applications, especially for applications to the 8(a) Program. We here at SmallGovCon think it is important for Federal Contractors to be aware of these changes before utilizing this new portal.

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