If you got an aggressive email from the SBA earlier this month requesting an awful lot of documentation and information in relation to your 8(a) Program participation—you are far from alone. SBA actually sent this December 5th email to about 4300 current and past 8(a) Program participants. And if you too found yourself reading and rereading SBA’s specific requests trying to determine exactly what the SBA is looking for—but to no avail—you are again far from alone. Now, we at SmallGovCon don’t have all the answers or any insider knowledge. But we offer you these five tips for surviving the 8(a) audit—based on our vast experience with the fundamentals of legal language interpretation and our expertise with the 8(a) Program regulations and standard operating procedures.
Continue readingTag Archives: 8(a) participation
SBA and Industry Leaders Reaffirm Support for 8(a) Program in Light of Recent Judicial Attacks
This week, the SBA published a press release affirming its continued support of its 8(a) Business Development Program in response to recent 8(a) Program attacks in the courts. In the press release, business industry leaders across the nation joined SBA Administrator, Isabella Casillas Guzman, in praising the 8(a) Program, its successful history, and its driving policy and spirit.
Continue readingSBA Dials Back on 8(a) Program “Immediate Family” Restrictions
If you’ve been interested in applying to the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program, but have a close family member who has already participated in the 8(a) Program, SBA’s message–until now–has been, for the most part, “thanks, but no thanks.”
But in a new rule taking effect on November 16, 2020, SBA has dialed back on the restrictions applicable to people who want to participate in the 8(a) Program, but who have immediate family members who have previously received 8(a) benefits.
Continue reading5 Things You Should Know: SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program (The Basics)
Editor’s Note: You can find our updated post on the 8(a) Business Development Program here.
If you’re a small business owner interested in government contracts, you’ve probably heard about the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. The 8(a) Program itself is complex, but its potential benefits are tremendous. In this post, I’ll break down some of the very basics about the 8(a) Program, leaving some of its complexities for upcoming posts.
Let’s get to it: here are five things you should know about the 8(a) Program.
8(a) Program Participation Down 34% Since 2010
Participation in the SBA’s 8(a) Program has declined from about 7,000 firms in 2010 to only around 4,500 today–a sharp drop of approximately 34% in only six years.
These startling numbers come from a recent SBA Office of Inspector General report, which focuses on whether the SBA properly documented the reasons for admitting certain 8(a) participants. While that matter is interesting in its own right, the most revealing part of the SBA OIG report is the rapid decline in 8(a) Program participation, and the SBA’s plans to reverse it.