The Small Business Administration partnered with the General Services Administration to create a new program that would increase the number of federal contracts awarded to small, disadvantaged businesses.
The initiative combines SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program and GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule Program, SBA said Thursday.
The 8(a) Multiple Award Schedule Pool Initiative will qualify 8(a)-certified SDBs and declare if they are eligible for sole-source and competitive set-aside awards. The process is expected to make them easier to locate for government buyers.
“This joint initiative between the SBA and GSA will increase federal contracting opportunities for thousands of minority-owned and other small, disadvantaged businesses, highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to equity in procurement and delivering against President Biden’s ambitious goal,” SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman remarked.
GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan highlighted the initiative’s benefits to both the government and the small business sector. “We’re excited about this new pool that will make it easier for federal acquisition professionals to find them, buy from them, help them create jobs, and advance agency missions across government.”
