ContractBeam
Set-aside program

8(a) Business Development

Contracts reserved for firms in SBA's 8(a) Business Development program for socially & economically disadvantaged small businesses.

9
Open opportunities
8(a)
Program
Plain-English

Who's eligible

The 8(a) program is a nine-year business-development program for small businesses that are at least 51% owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged U.S. citizens.
The owner's personal net worth must generally be under $850,000 (excluding primary residence and the business), with adjusted gross income under $400,000 and total assets under $6.5M, at time of entry.
You must apply and be certified by SBA before you can win 8(a) set-aside or sole-source awards. Certification is done through SBA's certify.sba.gov.
Updated daily

Open opportunities now

Currently-open federal opportunities reserved for 8(a) firms.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get 8(a) certified?
Apply through SBA at certify.sba.gov. You'll document ownership, disadvantage, and economic eligibility. Once admitted, you have a nine-year program term to win 8(a) contracts and build past performance.
Can 8(a) firms get sole-source contracts?
Yes. A major benefit of 8(a) is that agencies can award sole-source contracts (up to set thresholds) directly to 8(a) firms without full competition, in addition to competitive 8(a) set-asides.

Other set-aside programs

Total Small Business Set-AsideWomen-Owned Small Business (WOSB / EDWOSB)Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small BusinessHUBZone Small Business