May 14, 2019

SBA: Certification Rule Proposed for Women-Owned Small Businesses

Seeking Comments by July 15

Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration published a proposed rule that will provide a free online application process for women-owned small businesses to be certified and eligible to participate in the SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business Program or access contracts as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) or Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).  The SBA is seeking public comments on the proposed rule by July 15, 2019.  To submit comments, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/05/14/2019-09684/women-owned-small-business-and-economically-disadvantaged-women-owned-small-business–certification.

The following proposals are included in the new rule:

The proposed rule will bolster the number of federal contract awards to WOSB and EDWOSB-certified businesses and better empower agencies to meet the 5% federal contracting goal for women-owned small businesses.  Currently, contracting officers must review a contract awardee’s documentation to verify an applicant’s WOSB and EDWOSB eligibility. By establishing a transparent, centralized, and free certification process, the SBA aims to provide contracting officers with reassurance that firms participating in the WOSB Program are eligible for awards and encourage them to set aside contracts for women-owned small businesses.

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About the SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business Program

To learn more about how the SBA supports women entrepreneurs, visit www.sba.gov/wosb.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses. It delivers services to people through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

This post was originally published here.