What does the 8(a) Business Development Program do under current federal rules?

Under current federal rules, the 8(a) Business Development Program is the SBA program that authorizes SBA to enter into contracts with agencies and award subcontracts to firms eligible for program participation. A business accepted into the program is a participant; when it is performing on a Federal contract or order set aside for 8(a) participants, it is an 8(a) contractor, according to FAR Subpart 19.8. SBA, not the contracting officer, determines eligibility, and the eligibility regulations are at 13 CFR 124.101 through 124.112. SBA also designates 8(a) participants in the Dynamic Small Business Search, and that designation appears in SAM. For contracting actions, the FAR says the contracting officer must comply with 19.203 before offering an acquisition to a small business under the 8(a) program, and for acquisitions above the simplified acquisition threshold, must consider 8(a) set-asides or sole-source awards before other small business set-asides. SBA’s contracting-official guidance also states that agencies use 8(a) set-asides to help meet the federal government’s five-percent goal for small disadvantaged business prime and subcontracting dollars each year.