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The Federal Government is the largest buyer of products and services in the US. The SBA Woman Owned Small Business and Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business Programs help small businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women to compete for these federal contracts. Is your business eligible?
Firms owned by Indian Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Native Hawaiin Organizations, Community Development Corporations, and small agricultural cooperatives may have different criteria for acceptance into SBA's small business programs. Refer to SBA.gov for more information.
Yes, the qualifying individual(s) of the firm who are applying for SBA small business programs are U.S.citizens.
No, the qualifying individual(s) of the firm who are applying for SBA small business programs are not U.S.citizens.
Yes, the 51% ownership of the firm is unconditional and direct.
No, the 51% ownership of the firm is not unconditional and direct.
Yes, the firm is organized for profit.
No, the firm is not organized for profit.
Yes, I affirm that neither this firm, nor any of its owners, have ever been debarred or suspended by any federal entity.
No, I do not affirm that neither this firm, nor any of its owners, have ever been debarred or suspended by any federal entity.
Yes, the firm has a place of business in the U.S. and operates primarily within the United States, or makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labors.
No, the firm does not have a place of business in the U.S. and operates primarily within the United States, or makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labors.
Yes, the firm is considered small in accordance with its primary North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
No, the firm is not considered small in accordance with its primary North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.
Yes, the qualifying individual(s) of the firm are women who own at least 51% of the firm.
No, the qualifying individual(s) of the firm are not women who own at least 51% of the firm.
Yes, the WOSB Federal Contract Program set-asides are available in your primary NAICS code.
No, the WOSB Federal Contract Program set-asides are not available in your primary NAICS code.
Yes, the qualifying individual(s) are economically disadvantaged women under the guidelines of the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program.
No, the qualifying individual(s) are not economically disadvantaged women under the guidelines of the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program.
Yes, the individual(s) interested in participating in SBA small business programs are economically disadvantaged under 8(a) BD Program guidelines.
No, the individual(s) interested in participating in SBA small business programs are not economically disadvantaged under 8(a) BD Program guidelines.
Yes, I do identify as one of the following.
No, I do not identify as one of the following.
Yes, I do consider myself socially disadvantaged because I experienced bias of a chronic and substantial nature.
No, I do not consider myself socially disadvantaged because I experienced bias of a chronic and substantial nature.
Yes, the firm has been previously certified as an 8(a) participant.
No, the firm has not been previously certified as an 8(a) participant.
Yes, any individual(s) claiming social and economic disadvantage have previously used their one time 8(a) eligibility to qualify a business for the 8(a) BD Program.
No, any individual(s) claiming social and economic disadvantage have not previously used their one time 8(a) eligibility to qualify a business for the 8(a) BD Program.
Yes, the firm’s business address is located in a HUBZone.
No, the firm’s business address is not located in a HUBZone.
Yes, 35% or more of the firm’s employees reside in a HUBZone.
No, 35% or more of the firm’s employees do not reside in a HUBZone.
Are the qualifying individual(s) of the firm who are applying for SBA small business programs U.S. Citizens?
A U.S. citizen means a person born or naturalized in the United States. Resident alien and holders of permanent visas are not considered to be citizens for program purposes
In order to participate in SBA small business programs, the qualifying individual(s) of the firm must be U.S. citizens.
Is the 51% ownership of the firm unconditional and direct?
Qualifying individual(s) must unconditionally and directly own and control at least 51% of the business.
In general, the 51% ownership may not be through another business entity.
Control means that both the long-term decision making and the day-to-day management of the business are controlled by qualifying individual(s).
In order to participate in SBA small business programs, the owner or owners of the firm must be unconditional and direct.
Is the firm organized for profit?
Non-profit entities are ineligible to participate in most SBA small business programs.
The firm may be in the legal form of an individual proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, S Corporation, or C Corporation.
Exceptions: This rule does not necessarily apply to Community Development Corporations (CDC) or businesses interested in participating as mentors in Mentor Protégé programs.
In order to participate in SBA small business programs, firms must be for profit.
Do you affirm that neither this firm, nor any of its owners, have ever been debarred or suspended by any federal entity?
Debarred or suspended firms or firms owned by debarred or suspended individual(s) are ineligible for admission to SBA small business programs.
In order to participate in SBA small business programs, the owner(s) of the firm must not have been debarred or suspended by a federal entity.
Does the firm have a place of business in the U.S. and operate primarily within the United States, or make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labors?
None
In order to participate in SBA small business programs, the firm must have a place of business in the U.S. or make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy.
Is the firm considered small in accordance with its primary North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code?
SBA’s size standards define whether a business entity is small and, thus, eligible for Government programs and preferences reserved for “small business” concerns. Size standards have been established for types of economic activity, or industry, under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). To determine the size standard associated with a particular NAICS code, refer to the table of size standards in the Small Business Size Regulations, 13 CFR § 121.201. Size standards are expressed in annual receipts for services NAICS codes and in number of employees for manufacturing NAICS codes. Information about how SBA calculates a firm’s size can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 13 CFR § 121.104 and 13 CFR § 121.106.
If you do not know the NAICS code(s) in which your business operates, please review the NAICS manual available at http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/
In order to participate in SBA small business programs, the firm must be designated as small in accordance with its primary NAICS code.
Are the qualifying individual(s) of the firm women who own at least 51% of the firm?
None
Are WOSB Federal Contract Program set-asides available in your primary NAICS code?
The federal government may restrict competition under the WOSB Program only in certain industries. 13 C.F.R. 127.500. SBA has designated those industries applicable to the WOSB Program by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. There are two types of set-asides under the WOSB Program: set asides for Woman Owned Small Businesses and set asides for Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Businesses. The type of set-aside allowed under the WOSB Program is dictated by the applicable NAICS code of the solicitation. To learn more about the types of set-asides and the designations available via this program, please visit SBA.gov/WOSB.
Are the qualifying individual(s) economically disadvantaged women under the guidelines of the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program?
Firms owned by economically disadvantaged women may qualify as Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSBs) under the WOSB Program. Under this program, the determination of whether an individual is an economically disadvantaged woman requires an evaluation of her total assets, net worth, and personal income for the past three years. To be considered an economically disadvantaged woman for the WOSB program, the individual must meet the thresholds described below:
The woman’s total assets must be valued at $6 million or less. This calculation is based on the fair market value of all assets, including the primary residence and the value of the business concern. This calculation excludes funds invested in a qualified IRA account or other official retirement account that are unavailable until retirement age without a significant penalty.
The woman’s net worth must be less than $750,000. This calculation excludes the woman’s ownership interest in the applicant concern, her equity interest in her primary personal residence, funds invested in a qualified IRA account or other official retirement account, and income received from an S Corp, LLC or partnership that was reinvested in the business or used for paying taxes arising in the normal course of operations of the business.
The woman’s personal income must be $350,000 or less. This calculation is based on the woman’s adjusted gross income averaged over the last three years.
Are the individual(s) interested in participating in SBA small business programs economically disadvantaged under 8(a) BD Program guidelines?
Firms owned by economically disadvantaged individuals may qualify for the 8(a) BD Program. Under the 8(a) BD Program, the determination of whether an individual is economically disadvantaged requires an evaluation of the individual’s total assets, net worth, and personal income for the past three years. To be considered an economically disadvantaged individual for the 8(a) BD Program, the individual must meet the thresholds described below:
The individual’s total assets must be valued at $4 million or less. This calculation is based on the fair market value of all assets, including the primary residence and the value of the business concern. This calculation excludes funds invested in a qualified IRA account or other official retirement account.
The individual’s net worth must be less than $250,000. This calculation excludes the individual’s ownership interest in the applicant concern, the individual’s equity interest in his or her primary residence, funds invested in a qualified Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) or other official retirement account that is unavailable until retirement age without a significant penalty, and income received from an S Corp, LLC or partnership that was reinvested in the business or used for paying taxes arising in the normal course of operations of the business.
The individual’s personal income must be $250,000 or less. This calculation is based on the individual’s adjusted gross income averaged over the last three years.
Do you identify as one of the following?
To be eligible for the 8(a) BD program, a firm must be majority owned and controlled by individuals who are socially disadvantaged. Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Subcontinent Asian Americans are presumed to be socially disadvantaged under federal law.
If you are not a member of a presumed group, you may still be eligible for admission to the 8(a) BD program on a case-by-case basis if you demonstrate you have experienced bias of a chronic and substantial nature.
Do you consider yourself socially disadvantaged because you have experienced bias of a chronic and substantial nature?
If you are not a member of a presumed group, you may still be eligible for admission to the 8(a) BD program on a case-by-case basis if you demonstrate you have experienced bias of a chronic and substantial nature.
Has the firm previously been certified as an 8(a) participant?
There is a “one time use of eligibility” restriction for individuals and firms to participate in the 8(a) BD Program.
This applies to any business that previously participated in the 8(a) BD Program, even if ownership and control of the firm has completely changed.
Have any individual(s) claiming social and economic disadvantage previously used their one time 8(a) eligibility to qualify a business for the 8(a) BD Program?
Have any individual(s) claiming social and economic disadvantage previously used their one time 8(a) eligibility to qualify a business for the 8(a) BD Program?
If you are not a member of a presumed group, you may still be eligible for admission to the 8(a) BD program on a case-by-case basis if you demonstrate you have experienced bias of a chronic and substantial nature.
Is the address of the location where the majority of the firm’s employees work located in a HUBZone?
The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program provides federal contracting assistance for qualified small business firms located in HUBZones in an effort to increase employment opportunities, investment, and economic development in such areas.
Use the HUBZone Map to find out if your principal office is located in a HUBZone.
A firm’s principal office is the location where the greatest number of the firm’s employees perform their work. Job site locations for service or construction companies may be excluded as locations to be considered as the principal office. See 13 CFR 126.103for more details.
Do 35% or more of the firm’s employees reside in a HUBZone?
A firm which has at least 35 percent of its employees residing in a HUBZone may qualify for the HUBZone program.
Use the HUBZone Map to find out if your employees reside in a HUBZone
The results below are a preliminary assessment of which SBA contracting programs may be a good fit for your firm. If you’re ready to get started with applying to any of these programs, use the links within the results below to get started today!
Based on the information you provided, you may be eligible for the WOSB Program.
Based on the information you provided, you may be eligible for the EDWOSB program.
Based on the information you provided, you may be eligible for the HUBZone Program.
Based on the information you provided, you may be eligible for the 8(a) BD Program.
A firm and/or any qualifying individuals that have previously participated in the 8(a) BD Program are not eligible to participate again.
The NAICS code entered does not appear on the list of designated industries in which WOSB Program set-asides are authorized. As such, be advised that federal contracts currently cannot be set-aside under the WOSB Program in this industry. However, this does not preclude you from certifying as a WOSB or EDWOSB if you meet the requirements of the WOSB Program.
The NAICS code entered does not appear on the list of designated industries in which WOSB Program set-asides are authorized. As such, be advised that federal contracts currently cannot be set-aside under the WOSB Program in this industry. However, this does not preclude you from certifying as a WOSB or EDWOSB if you meet the requirements of the WOSB Program.
A firm and at least 35% of its employees must reside in a certified HUBzone.
