Small Disadvantaged Business Program

: Image via Wikipedia

SBA Interim Final Rule: Small Disadvantaged Business Program (Effective 10/3/08) — This Rule Changes The Requirements Relating To Which Firms May Certify Their Status As Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) For Purposes Of Federal Prime Contracts And Subcontracts

Small Disadvantaged Business Program
AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.
ACTION: Interim final rule, with request for comments.

SUMMARY: This rule changes the requirements relating to which firms may certify their status as small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) for purposes of federal prime contracts and subcontracts. Currently, only those firms that have applied to and been certified as SDBs by SBA may certify themselves to be SDBs for federal prime and subcontracts. This rule allows firms to self-represent their status for subcontracting purposes without first receiving any SDB certification. It also recognizes that the benefits of being an SDB for federal prime contracts has been greatly diminished over the past years, and shifts the responsibility of identifying firms as SDBs for federal prime contracts to those limited agencies that have authority and chose to use price evaluation adjustments to SDBs.

DATES: Effective Date: This rule is effective October 3, 2008.
Comment Date: Comments must be received on or before November 3, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN: 3245-AF79, by any of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.

Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Mail, for paper, disk, or CD/ROM submissions: Joseph

Loddo, Associate Administrator, Office of Business Development, 409 Third Street, SW., Mail Code, Washington, DC 20416.

Hand Delivery/Courier: Joseph Loddo, Associate Administrator, Office of Business Development, 409 Third Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20416.

SBA will post all comments on www.regulations.gov. If you wish to submit confidential business information (CBI) as defined in the User Notice at www.regulations.gov, please submit the information to LeAnn Delaney, Deputy Director, Office of Business Development, 409 Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416, or send an e-mail to LeAnn.Delaney@sba.gov. Highlight the information that you consider to be CBI and explain why you believe SBA should hold this information as confidential. SBA will review the information and make the final determination of whether it will publish the information or not. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: LeAnn Delaney, Deputy Director, Office of Business Development, at (202) 205-5852, or LeAnn.Delaney@sba.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOWNLOAD DETAILS