Business Consulting

The Women-Owmed Small Business program is a new Federal program sponsored through the Sba (SBA). The purpose of the WOSB program would be to level the playing field for competing and winning Federal contracts. What does this suggest?

Leveling the playing field means that Federal agencies should award 5% of all its prime contracts to women-owned small businesses. So, Federal agencies will identify and hang aside their contracts to become invest in and earned only by WOSB. Which means about $5 billion should be likely to women business people each year. This means more jobs, new jobs, and retained jobs for the economy. Obama makes jobs among the big economic recovery pushes for next year.

Nearly 85 industrial categories are contained in the WOSB program. They are known as the United states Industrial Classification System codes. Not all industries take presctiption the WOSB list. The SBA researched prior Federal contracts to discover which industries had few bids from women-owned small company. Only those industries around the WOSB list are business types the SBA tagged as historically underrepresented or substantially underrepresented. What do you sell? If what you sell is roofed about this code list, you can bid for that contract while using WOSB set-aside program. You may also ask the government agency to restrict an upcoming contract to become a WOSB set-aside.

So? If you are a manufacturer then you can earn contracts up to $6.5 million. Should you offer services along with other commodities you’ll be able to earn contracts up to $4 million. Distributors and retailers are not included in the WOSB program. The SBA is stressing the WOSB contracts be awarded in the fair market price. Agencies are searching for quality as well as price.

For example, the Dept. of Defense posted an opportunity asking for instant coffee for that military field-ready meals package; you know MRE (Meal, Prepared to Eat). The posting stressed that the coffee quality be excellent. Why? Today’s military personnel was raised drinking coffee from quality coffee shops and so the expectation for meal quality is greater. The government agency was okay using the cost difference permanently instant coffee.

You must certify your small business in the WOSB program. There are 2 methods to certify for the WOSB program. One of the ways would be to self certify and also the second way is to be certified with a 3rd party. The SBA is selecting the program’s 3rd party certifiers. In either case you have to register like a Federal vendor and present all required documents.

As I look for set-aside contracts on the Federal opportunities list, I found nearly 300 contracts labeled for WOSB. This means that these contracts can be bid only by women-owned smaller businesses.

Are you ready for this big economic recovery push? Is the industry listed in the NAICs for WOSB? Are you currently an authorized Federal vendor?