Why is the 8(a) Business Development Program Important? What is its Purpose?
By employing a strategic approach[3] to earning 8a certification contracts while they are a member of the program, eligible small firms could strengthen their capacity to develop, grow, and retain their presence in federal contracting. Other specialized tactics are used by successful 8(a) graduates to obtain federal contracts[5]. The 8(a) Business Development program's goal is to increase the capacity of underprivileged small businesses to compete in the American economy[4] by reducing competition through chances for sole-source and set-aside contracting[6]. To help 8a certification enterprises grow into sustainable businesses that can compete in the larger market as a stronger, more sustainable organization, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers special attention through set-aside and single-source contracting opportunities[7]. Congress mandated in 1988 that small businesses receive 23% of federal government prime contracting dollars, including 5% of prime and sub