Small Business Administration
Every GovConFeed story on Small Business Administration — contract awards, policy, enforcement, and protests, newest first.
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Policy
SBA 8(a) Program Racially Presumed Eligibility Eliminated — January 2026 Guidance Reshapes Sole-Source Market
Following the Supreme Court's SFFA decision and subsequent executive actions, SBA's January 22, 2026 program guidance eliminates racial presumptions of social disadvantage in the 8(a) business development program, requiring all 8(a) applicants and current participants to demonstrate individualized social disadvantage regardless of racial or ethnic background.
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Policy
SBA's Social Disadvantage Narrative Requirement for 8(a) Participants: Understanding the Ultima Services Corp. Ruling and Crafting a Compelling Narrative
Following the Ultima Services Corp. v. USDA ruling, the SBA now requires 8(a) participants to submit an individual social disadvantage narrative. This guide covers what reviewers look for, common rejection reasons, and deadlines for current participants.
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Policy
SBA Is Moving the Small Business Contracting Goalpost — and Most Firms Don't Know It Yet
The Small Business Administration quietly revised how it grades agency small business performance in early 2026. New factors emphasize veteran contracting, de-emphasize 8(a) sole-source awards, and rename categories. With 1,000 firms suspended and only 65 new 8(a) entrants in 2025, the program is under its most severe pressure in decades.
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Policy
SBA overhauls 8(a) program eligibility reviews — automatic annual certification replaced with risk-based audits
SBA finalized 8(a) program reforms replacing annual self-certification with a risk-based audit system and tightening the economic disadvantage threshold to $850,000 net worth. Changes apply immediately to new applicants and all current participants.
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Policy
SBA's 2-year JV rule — and why competitive 8(a) JV approvals stopped
Same JV partners can submit offers for 2 years from the date of the first contract before being deemed affiliated. Plus: SBA no longer approves JV agreements for competitive 8(a) contracts (sole-source still allowed).
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Policy
SBA suspends 1,000+ firms, terminates 800+ in 8(a) program — and shifts to race-neutral review
A cascade of enforcement actions in Q1 2026: over 1,000 8(a) firms suspended, 800+ in termination proceedings, and formal guidance that 8(a) eligibility is now evaluated on individualized social-disadvantage evidence, not group membership. New-firm admissions dropped from ~525/year to 65 in 2025. What current participants actually need to do.
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Policy
WOSB and EDWOSB Certification: How It Actually Works (Self-Certification Ended in 2020)
WOSB/EDWOSB self-certification for federal set-asides ended October 15, 2020, not February 2026 as originally reported — corrects the article's invented 2026 date with the real history and explains the three current certification paths.
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Policy
HUBZone clock: redesignated areas expire July 1 — many firms don't realize it
When SBA updated the HUBZone map in 2023 reflecting 2020 census data, many areas that lost qualified status got a 3-year grace period as 'Redesignated Areas.' That grace period ends July 1, 2026. Firms with principal offices in those zones lose eligibility unless they relocate.
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Policy
SBA's January recertification rule guts small-business M&A valuations
Effective January 17, 2026, an SBA final rule requires recertification of small-business size status on a triggering event — and only acquirers who were small themselves can keep the status. The valuation hit on small-business sellers is real and immediate.
