The 8(a) program name comes from Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)) which was drafted to help small companies owned by socially and economically disadvantaged persons develop their business. The SBA certifies participating companies for a period of 9 years and has established guidelines to ensure procurements are professionally executed, fair, effective, and compliant.
What is a Small Business?
SBA defines a small business concern as one that is independently owned and operated, is organized for profit, and is not dominant in its field. Depending on the industry, size standard eligibility is based on the average number of employees for the preceding twelve months or on sales volume averaged over a three-year period. For us this means Sayres has an annual receipts that may not exceed $2.5 to $21.5 million, depending on the particular service being provided.
Contracting Officer’s Advantage
The 8(a) program is the only procurement method that gives Program Managers sole discretion in choosing a contractor team. There are no delays for sole-source selections. There is no requirement for time consuming detailed evaluation of bidders and there is minimal pre-award documentation. An 8(a) contract can be awarded to Sayres in 60-90 days, compared to 9-12 months required in the baseline procurement cycle and can help the Program Manager achieve the federally mandated Small Disadvantaged Business goals.
Prime Contractor’s Advantage
The SBA acts as the Prime contractor to provide contract oversight, to ensure the 8(a) business meets delivery goals, and to ensure contract and fiscal compliance.
Trusted Partners and Subcontractors
SBA program rules and regulations recognize that a small business may not possess the entire breadth of skills required by the Program Manager. To that end, 8(a) companies are authorized to subcontract work to other firms; in this way, Sayres can tailor contracting teams for a precise match with the requirement. This represents a substantial opportunity for our trusted partners to pursue and develop business lines in areas previously considered beyond their marketing reach because of the SDB set-aside determination.
For more information please visit the SBA website Click Here
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