For many small business owners, landing a federal contract can seem like a complex puzzle. You might wonder how to stand out among countless other businesses, especially when competing for contracts with the federal government. One powerful tool that can help is the 8a certification program, managed by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
This unique program supports small disadvantaged businesses by simplifying certain government contracting processes. Through its business development program, 8a certification offers special opportunities to secure fed contracts. By becoming an 8a-certified federal contractor, you position your company for growth in a space often viewed as too competitive or confusing.
If you have been searching for a way to break into government contracting, 8a certification could be your solution. Let’s take a look at this program as well as some of the top 8a certification benefits.
What Is 8a Certification?
Known officially as the 8(a) Business Development Program, is a special status granted by the SBA to businesses that meet specific requirements. This status acknowledges that these businesses face extra hurdles in the marketplace. Only particular types of businesses qualify—for instance, they must be at least 51% owned by individuals who are considered socially and economically disadvantaged. This ensures that smaller, less-established companies have a chance to compete fairly.
Do You Qualify?
To qualify for SBA 8(a) Certification, a business must meet specific eligibility criteria related to size, ownership, control, and disadvantaged status. Here’s a breakdown:
- Small Business Status
Your business must be considered a small business according to SBA size standards for your industry. This is based on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes and revenue or the number of employees.
- Socially Disadvantaged Ownership
The business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens who are socially disadvantaged. SBA recognizes the following groups as presumed socially disadvantaged:
- Black Americans
- Hispanic Americans
- Native Americans
- Asian Pacific Americans
- Subcontinent Asian Americans
Individuals not in these groups may still qualify if they can show personal experience with social disadvantage, supported by a narrative and evidence. The SBA defines social disadvantage primarily based on race, ethnicity, and cultural bias — but others can qualify, including people with disabilities or from LGBTQ+ communities, if they can demonstrate social disadvantage with supporting documentation.
As a side note, Native Hawaiian Organizations, Alaska Native Corporations and members of federally recognized Native American Indian Tribes can qualify for the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program without meeting the usual economic disadvantage requirements that apply to individual applicants.
- Economically Disadvantaged Owners
The disadvantaged owner must meet the economic criteria:
- Personal net worth under $850,000 (excluding ownership in the business and primary residence)
- Adjusted gross income (3-year average) less than $400,000
- Total assets must not exceed $6.5 million
- Demonstrate Good Character
The business and its principals must have no recent criminal convictions, tax issues, or significant legal problems.
- Demonstrate Potential for Success
The business must have been in operation for at least two years, although waivers are available. The business owners also must show the ability to perform on federal contracts (experience, capacity, and financial stability).
- U.S. Citizenship
All individuals claiming disadvantaged status must be U.S. citizens.
Should You Apply for 8a Certification?
There are many 8a certification benefits, including the following:
- Access to Sole-Source Contracts
SBA 8a-certified businesses can be awarded federal contracts without having to compete in the open market—up to $4.5 million for goods and services and $7 million for manufacturing contracts. This sole-source authority can significantly accelerate growth by reducing the need for time-consuming bidding and positioning your business as a go-to supplier for government agencies.
- Set-Aside Opportunities
The federal government is required to allocate at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars to 8a businesses annually. This means you’ll have access to exclusive set-aside contracts, where only 8a-certified businesses can compete — drastically reducing the level of competition compared to the open market.
- Business Development Assistance
As part of the 8a program, your business is assigned a dedicated SBA Business Opportunity Specialist (BOS). This person becomes a valuable advisor, helping you understand procurement rules, identify opportunities, connect with government buyers, and build a long-term strategy for winning contracts and expanding sustainably.
- Access to Mentorship
The SBA’s Mentor-Protégé Program pairs 8a businesses with experienced firms to provide:
- Technical and management guidance
- Financial assistance or investment
- The ability to form joint ventures to pursue larger or more complex contracts together This relationship can fast-track your growth and credibility in the federal space.
- Enhanced Visibility to Government Buyers
8a certification puts your business on the radar of government contracting officers who are actively looking to award contracts to socially and economically disadvantaged businesses. Your certification signals reliability, capacity, and SBA endorsement—making agencies more likely to consider you for upcoming opportunities.
- Contracting Flexibility & Teaming Options
The 8(a) program allows you to team with other businesses, including joint ventures, to go after larger or more complex contracts than you might otherwise qualify for on your own. You can also subcontract work to build experience and capacity while remaining compliant with 8(a) rules.
- Priority with Prime Contractors
Large prime contractors are often required to meet small business and diversity subcontracting goals. Having 8a certification makes your business especially attractive as a preferred subcontractor, helping you build valuable relationships and get your foot in the door with major government projects.
- Exclusive Training & Networking Opportunities
As an 8(a) participant, you gain access to exclusive SBA-sponsored training programs, matchmaking events, and conferences where you can meet government buyers and potential partners. These events help you understand the procurement process, sharpen your proposal skills, and grow your government network.
- Long-Term Competitive Advantage
The 8(a) program spans nine years—a 4-year developmental stage followed by a 5-year transitional stage. This gives you time to build past performance, strengthen your operations, and prepare to compete successfully in the broader federal marketplace even after graduating from the program.
- A Strong Foot in the Federal Marketplace
Being 8a certified gives you credibility and status as a trusted vendor. Government agencies regularly turn to the pool of 8(a) companies to fulfill contracting goals, and your certification positions you as a qualified, capable, and ready-to-deliver business in the federal arena.
Additional Opportunities
If you don’t qualify for 8a certification, there are several other small business set-aside programs to explore, including the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) program, and the HUBZone certification program for businesses in historically underutilized areas. Each offers exclusive access to federal contracts and can help level the playing field for eligible businesses in the government marketplace.
SAM Registration: A Crucial Step
While a small business set aside program can provide you with some excellent contracting opportunities, no company can do business with the federal government without first completing their registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). This is the government’s federal contracting database, and all contractors must have an active SAM account in order to bid on government contracting jobs.
While the government does not charge a fee for SAM registration, it is a complicated process that can take 10 or more hours to complete. Likewise, applying for SBA programs also can be completed, but we can help.
At Federal Contractor Registry, we can help you with SAM registration as well as getting you set up with the Small Business Administration. We can determine if your business qualifies for 8a certification or other set-asides and ensure that your SBA account is linked to your SAM account.
Additionally, we can help you attain your Unique Entity Identifier, or UEI number, which you must have before beginning your SAM registration. We also will help you with the SAM notarized letter requirement. A notarized letter must be sent to the federal government identifying your company’s Entity Administrator, which is the person authorized to make changes to your SAM account. We can provide you with a template for this letter to ensure that you have handled that step correctly.
Get Started With Government Contracting!
When it comes to government contracting jobs, applying for 8a certification or other set-asides can provide small business owners with a competitive edge. To get started on your path toward becoming a government contractor, contact the team at Federal Contractor today. We will complete your SAM registration quickly and 100% accurately, so that you can begin bidding on contracts as soon as possible.