8(A) After 8(A) Certification Program, Frequently Asked Questions
The 8(a) Company Development Program provides low-income entrepreneurs with small business help. Businesses that are at least 51 percent owned and run by socially and economically disadvantaged persons are eligible for a variety of advantage under the 8(a) Application Program. A program is an important tool for helping socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs break into the mainstream of the American economy. Thousands of eager entrepreneurs have benefited from the program's help in breaking into the government contracting market.
Here are some common FAQs after 8(a) certification:
Now that I am 8(a) certified, now what?
First and foremost, congrats on earning your 8(a) certification.
Here's what you'll need to do next after 8(a) applications:
The Participation Agreement must be signed and mailed to the office address listed in your SBA approval letter/email. After that, an SBA analyst in your local SBA office will be assigned to you.
Attend the required 8(a) Orientation Meeting, which will be scheduled according to the letter/email you received.
Within the next 30 days, you must also prepare and submit your 8(a) Business Plan to your local district office. We recommend that you begin working on this as soon as possible so that you may present your business plan to your SBA analyst during your orientation, or even sooner if you have an upcoming 8(a) opportunity.
How to find 8(a) contract opportunities?
The federal government is the world's largest buyer, but how do you know which agency will buy your product?
What does the government buy, and where do they look for opportunities?
Everything from office supplies to weapons is purchased by the federal government. Whatever your product or service is, there is a good possibility that it will be purchased by a federal agency. However, you won't be able to sell your goods or services to the federal government unless you know which agencies are buying and what their requirements are.
Here are some pointers on where to look for 8(a) application contract opportunities:
The federal government operates beta.SAM.gov, an online service that, beginning of November 12, 2019, currently houses all current contract opportunities that were formerly advertised on FBO.gov. https://beta.sam.gov is a single-entry, government-wide Web site that advertises potential business opportunities and is a useful tool to help you succeed in government contracting.
You can refine your search for 8(a) application set-aside contract opportunities or create an account to receive relevant opportunities by email automatically. We recommend looking for 8(a) opportunities in the pre-solicitation or sources sought phase, as most of the other phases are already too far advanced in the procurement process.
When is my 8(a) annual review due to the SAB?
You must submit your 8(a) Application Annual Review to your assigned SBA analyst each year, often within 30 days of your annual 8(a) Certification anniversary date (the month and day you were officially 8(a) Certified).
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