Shauna Weatherly’s Post

Good information to pay attention to.

SBA Small Business Certification Application Update - As you now, there are many changes happening with Small Business Certification Programs. Check out this #SBA fact sheet and summary of key points shared by Shauna Weatherly. If your #federalcontracting strategy includes a small business certification you need in place by the end of the year, you may want to apply before the new system update begins August 1, 2024. SBA will not accept new certification applications during the system upgrade period. #SBA #8a #womenownedsmallbusiness #veterans #entrepreneur

This is some very important #GovCon #NewsSmallBusinesses could use!! If you’re getting ready to submit or in the process of submitting an #SBA #SocioeconomicCertification application, keep an eye on 8/1/24! Read below from our friend #StevenKoprince and see how you could be impacted, and how what steps you should take if you are!

The FY23 SBA Procurement Scorecard has agencies congratulating themselves for their achievements. But the accolades are glossing over the fact SMALL BUSINESS PRIMES are still DWINDLING RAPIDLY in the Federal marketplace. Sure, record numbers of dollars were awarded. But those dollars went to half as many small business primes as were present in the space in 2016...only eight (8) short years ago. HALF. Across the board for small business AND each socioeconomic program except SDBs. ❓️Who's paying attention to these numbers? ❓️What's being done to incentivize goal attainment by every agency and at every level? ❓️What are the impacts to Government if this rapid downward trend continues over the coming 5 years? ❓️How does it impact public services? ❓️What does it do to readiness? ❓️Or innovation? If it feels like a ticking time bomb, of sorts, it's because it is. And we are behind the power curve. Yet,,, ▶️ Agency small business calendars sit blank with few small business outreach events scheduled by many of the 24 CFO Act agencies. Fewer offer opportunities for meaningful exchanges. ▶️ Agency small business specialists and SBA PCRs often shrug their shoulders saying there is nothing they can do to help small businesses further. ▶️ We see very few draft RFPs to small businesses. ▶️ Agency procurement forecasts remain difficult to find on most agency websites, when they are available or up to date. Acquisition Gateway houses only 6 agencies' forecasts to date (no mandate others use it). ▶️ We have yet another OFPP acquisition data initiative, Hi-Def Environment, starting up in hopes of getting some handle on a strategic use of the data to leverage efficiencies Governmentwide. That initiative needs to include looking at why these numbers are dropping like a rock. ▶️ Industry tools to help small businesses find and respond to opportunities are priced annoyingly high for new entrants to the Federal marketplace. Thoughts?

Besides the small business people inside the agencies doing something, smalls, you have to really double down on your sales efforts to get around Contracting and OSDBUs and get to the program managers where pain and solutions requests…are born… or the incumbents and the preferred smalls capture it all. Some agencies are making it a commitment to pressure their larges to also have an audience with smalls and that’s all the primes do….. listen to the caps, add the small to their lists for the quarterly reports and never talk to the smalls again. Why? Because smalls, you need to bring the Primes business. You have to feed the primes…. To get Any Attention, Opportunity…. Or Contracts. So, Smalls, besides pressuring the small biz officers…..and going to their ‘events’ which is nothing but a collecting exercise for your capabilities to show the SBA they did their outreach for the year(which is laughingly around Aug. & Sept …. Busy season) get trained on how to sell, who to call on, what to say, how to uncover need in their infancy and bring the opportunities to your small business. Then go DO it! Don’t wait for the Small business officers to help you. Get in there, team up with other smalls, find the real people who need you and capture their attention, needs, hopes, dreams, goals, challenges and show them that you’re small…. But Mighty. Thank you Shauna Weatherly for this eye-popping article.

NEWS 📰 The House of Representatives passed eight #smallbusiness bills, including four bills making changes to U.S. Small Business Administration contracting programs, listed below. These bills now go to the Senate for a vote. 1️⃣ H.R. 7105 – The #WOSB Certification and Opportunity Expansion Act This legislation would remove self-certified WOSB firms from inclusion in the @SBA small business contracting scorecard. The legislation would also require #womenowned companies to become SBA-certified within two years of the SBA issuing regulations to implement this change. The bill also requires the SBA to brief #Congress quarterly on details of the certification process, including timelines of approving applications, the SBA’s outreach to women-owned firms, and resources that the SBA may need to implement these changes successfully. Championed  by our @ Womens Procurement Circle.  Read the full version here: https://lnkd.in/gbNfKAvn 2️⃣ H.R. 7128 – The WOSB Integrity Act of 2024 – Requires the SBA or third-party certifiers to determine that a WOSB applicant meets the SBA size standards as a small business for participation in the WOSB program at the beginning of the certification process. This is designed to save WOSBs from completing the WOSB application only to find they do not qualify as a small business.  Read the full version here: https://lnkd.in/gkDbaAFu 3️⃣ H.R. 3511 – The Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act – Requires Federal agencies that don’t meet the 3% Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) contracting goal to provide agency employees training to increase contracts to SDVOSBs. Read the full version here: https://lnkd.in/gD8CJCE9 4️⃣ H.R. 6591 – The Encouraging Success Act – This legislation would require the SBA to assess and if appropriate, revise the maximum asset value and net worth requirements to qualify as economically disadvantaged in the 8(a) program. The bill does not include new thresholds but requires a review every four years to account for economic adjustment. Current requirements for the program are: 1) personal net worth of $850,000 or less, 2) adjusted gross income of $400,000 or less, 3) assets totaling $6.5 million or less. Read the full version here: https://lnkd.in/gTpnPJuE #govcon #womanowned #WOSB #SDVOSB

As small businesses strive to thrive in today's competitive market, leveraging opportunities within federal procurement can significantly bolster growth and sustainability. The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers various certifications tailored to empower small businesses, ensuring they can access crucial resources and contracts within the federal sector. Understanding these certifications is key to unlocking many benefits & opportunities. 1. SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program: The 8(a) program, governed by Part 19.8 of the Small Business Act, presents a unique avenue for socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses to secure federal contracts. Certified firms gain access to noncompetitive contracting opportunities and receive invaluable support in areas such as managerial, technical, and financial assistance. The program, structured into developmental and transitional stages, aims to equip participating firms with the tools needed to thrive in both government and commercial markets. 2. SBA's HUBZone Certification: Under FAR - Part 19.13, the HUBZone program targets small businesses located in historically underutilized business zones (HUBZones). This certification opens doors to federal contracting opportunities and encourages economic development within distressed areas. Qualified businesses can access a listing maintained by the SBA, facilitating visibility to federal agencies seeking prospective vendors. 3. Veteran & Service Disabled Veteran Certification: For businesses owned and controlled by veterans or service-disabled veterans, certifications such as the Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) are available. While there is no formal certification process for VOSBs, SDVOSBs must self-represent their status. Participation in the SDVOSB program allows federal agencies to meet set-aside goals and provide contracting assistance to eligible businesses. 4. Woman-Owned Small Business Status: The WOSB status, established by Congress, aims to award at least 5% of federal contract awards to women-owned small businesses. Unlike other certifications, WOSBs can self-certify provided they meet specific ownership and control criteria. Procuring agencies may request proof of WOSB status upon awarding contracts. Why Pursue Certification?: Certification under SBA programs offers a myriad of advantages. From gaining access to procurement mechanisms that bring more dollars to eligible companies to targeting competition in specific industries and increasing economic activity in distressed communities, the benefits are substantial. Additionally, certified businesses may qualify for price evaluation adjustments, monetary incentives, and partnering relationships with the SBA. #SmallBusinessCertifications #SBAPrograms #BusinessDevelopment #SmallBizSuccess #VeteranOwnedBusiness #WomenOwnedBusiness #HUBZone #SDVOSB #WOSB #EmpoweringSmallBusinesses

The SBA proposed many interesting rules. Response deadline is 10/7. Calling friends to review and respond. I know it's a late call, but the SBA does need to hear from the industry more. The proposed rules will eliminate a large chunk of small business backlogs, cutting small business value to a fraction, incapacitating their ability to innovate, creating a larger pool of small businesses that never want to graduate to avoid the "Death Valley" and therefore preventing the next generation of small businesses from launching/thriving, and diverting the customers to choose different vehicles to access enterprise capabilities. The SBA has other reasons to propose the rules, but the impacts above are spot on. There are more small businesses that will be happy with the new rules but soon they will be impacted severely. These impact everyone from newly launched business to matured small business. eSimplicity is a young firm with our 8(a)-graduate schedule in 2029 (!), and our backlogs will be severely impacted if the proposed rules are final. Encouraging small businesses to review and respond. #SBA #DoBetter #GoBacktoTheBasics #SmallBusinessMission #ResponsibleInnovation #Administration #WhiteHouse #Congress #DoNotPunishValueCreators #DoNotPunishSmallBusiness

The rules governing small business size status for orders under multiple-award contracts can be confusing. Check out this article to learn more!