SBA Federal Certification – 8(a) Business Development Program Information

The 8(a) Business Development Program helps small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace. The Program offers contractual assistance, financial assistance and management and technical assistance to firms that are owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Under this program, the federal government limits competition for certain contracts to participating businesses to help provide a level playing field for small disadvantaged owned businesses. The federal government's goal is to award at least eleven percent of all federal contracting dollars to small, disadvantaged businesses each year. This workshop is for small businesses who have been in business for at least two years and have goods or services to sell to the federal government. (Occasional exceptions are made to the two-year rule on an individual basis.)