SBA Set-Aside Program
8(a) Business Development Program
9-year SBA program for socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses — sole-source contracts up to $7M (services) / $4.5M (products).
Who qualifies for 8(a)?
- At least 51% owned and controlled by US citizens who are socially AND economically disadvantaged
- Owner's personal net worth under $850K (excluding primary residence and retirement)
- Owner's adjusted gross income averaging under $400K over prior 3 years
- Assets under $6.5M
- Small business by SBA size standard for primary NAICS
- In business for at least 2 years (waivable in some cases)
- Demonstrated good character and potential for success
What 8(a) gives you
- Sole-source contracts up to $7M for services, $4.5M for products
- Competitive 8(a) set-aside competitions (only other 8(a) firms bid)
- Mentor-Protégé Program eligibility — partner with a large firm for up to 3 years
- One-on-one business development assistance from SBA
- Access to federal surplus property and SBA loans
How to get certified
Certifying body: SBA — apply at certify.sba.gov
Certification requires documenting ownership, control, size, and any specific program criteria (e.g., veteran disability rating, HUBZone principal office, economic-disadvantage net worth). Expect 60-120 days from complete application to decision — longer if your documents need revision.
Once certified, you'll be listed in SAM.gov's Dynamic Small Business Search with the 8(a) flag, making your firm discoverable to contracting officers filtering by set-aside status.
Common mistakes that kill 8(a) applications (and bids)
- Applying before you've met the 2-year-in-business requirement without a waiver
- Not documenting social disadvantage if you're not in a presumed group
- Letting personal net worth or AGI creep over the threshold during the 9-year term
- Failing to file annual reviews (automatic termination)
- Using the same owner to qualify for multiple disadvantaged-business programs simultaneously (check affiliation rules)
Typical 8(a) contracts
Management consulting, IT services, engineering services, R&D, construction, professional services — heavy across DoD, GSA, HHS, VA, DOE.
Check your 8(a) eligibility (free)
10 questions, takes under 3 minutes. Returns which SBA set-asides you likely qualify for — 8(a) plus every other program your firm may be eligible under.
Run the eligibility checker →Build a capability statement (free)
Once you're certified, a capability statement is the single most-requested document from contracting officers. Our free builder produces a clean one-page PDF in 5 minutes.
Start your capability statement →Other SBA set-aside programs
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