Introducing the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program

Back in October 2010 the United States Small Business Administration finalized its WOSB Rule to start a new Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, after a study from the Kauffman-RAND Foundation found 83 industries (based on NAICS codes) where women-owned small businesses were being underrepresented. Beginning Friday, February 4^th 2011 the WOSB Federal Contract Program implementation will move forward and it is anticipated the first contracts will be awarded in the fourth quarter of 2011.

This Program allows Contracting Officers an opportunity to set aside specific contracts when they believe there is a “reasonable expectation that two or more” Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and/or Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) will submit fair and reasonable pricing. These set asides must fall within the 83 identified industries where EDWOSBs and/or WOSBs are underrepresented. (A list of the 83 industry codes being targeted can be found HERE.) Also, the contracts cannot be for greater than $5 million for manufacturing and $3 million for other contract types.

A WOSB must be 51% owned and controlled by a woman owner(s) who is a United States citizen. Additionally, to be considered for EDWOSB status a “woman is presumed economically disadvantaged if she has a personal net worth of less than $750,000, her adjusted gross yearly income averaged over the three years preceding the certification does not exceed $350,000, and the fair market value of all her assets (including her primary residence and the value of the business concern) does not exceed $6 million.”

To be approved for either EDWOSB or WOSB status by the SBA a business must be certified as woman-owned by a Federal or State government agency, such as the Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification or the SBA’s 8a certification. (The SBA is considering accepting certification by a national 3^rd-party certifying agency; however, none have yet been approved.) A copy of the business’s certification must be provided to the SBA for the WOSB Program Repository, along with other documentation requested. If not already certified, the firm must provide documented proof of female ownership and control that meets SBA standards to be considered for either EDWOSB or WOSB status. These documents must be uploaded into the SBA’s new WOSB repository that will be available on February 4^th, 2011.  Check this link for updated information.  A firm should also self-certify its woman-owned status in the CCR (Central Contractor Registration) and ORCA (Online Representations and Certifications Application).

Beginning February 4^th the SBA will release further details on how to participate in the WOSB Federal Contract Program, including the launch of their secure online data repository, which will be found at: http://www.sba.gov/wosb. To accommodate this Program the General Services Administration is also updating its systems. The changes are expected to be completed by April 2011. Also expected in April is the finalization of the FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulations) WOSB rule, which will be the companion to the SBA’s WOSB rule.

Further details about the WOSB Program can be found in the Program’s Frequently Asked Questions and Fact Sheet documents.