To Qualify for 8a Certification To Qualify for SDB Certification
Must meet small business size Standards.(GO TO www.sba.gov/size) Must meet small business Size Standards.(GO TO www.sba.gov/size)
Majority owner (51 % or [note) must be a U.S. Citizen. Majority owner (51 % or [note) must be a U.S. Citizen.
Majority owner must be either a minority or a woman or a disabled person. Majority owner must be either a minority or a woman or a disabled person.
Must be socially and/or economically disadvantaged. Must be socially and/or economically disadvantaged.
Must manage the business on a daily basis. Must manage the business on a daily basis.
Net worth cannot exceed $250,000.00. (Excluding primary residence and equity in the business) Net worth cannot exceed $750,000.00. (Excluding primary residence and equity in the business)
Must be in business two years (We have gotten firms certified that have been in business only a few months.) Must be in business two years (We have gotten firms certified that have been in business only a few months.)
Criteria needed to qualify for SBA 8A and SBA SDB Certification

The following represent only the material requirements necessaiy for both 8A and SDB certification. It is imperative that each person and company contact their local SBA office for brochures and additional information on each program. Our pre-qualifying application as well as our initial telephone interview will help us to determine if each company is eligible for the 8A and SDB certification process.


FOR SBA 8A CERTIFICATION
  1. The disadvantaged'applicant must be one of the following;
    A - Black American
    B - Hispanic American
    C - Native American
    D - Asian Pacific
    E - Subcontinent Asian Pacific
    F - Female
    G - A person with Disability
    H - Other ( explain why yon feel you have been disadvantaged, socially and economically. )
  2. The disadvantaged applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
  3. The disadvantaged applicant must have a net worth of undei $250,00C excluding the worth of their primary residence and the equity in their business
  4. The disadvantaged applicant must own a majority of the business (50.1% or more), and be actively involved in the daily running and control of the business.
  5. The disadvantaged applicant should be in business for two years, but, if not, as long as they are currently doing business, and have prior expertise in the field they are currently in, they can get a waiver of the two year rule.
  6. The disadvantaged applicant must prove economic disadvantage, and, in some cases, social disadvantage.
FOR SBA SDB CERTIFICATION - women owned businesses Certification

Basically, the material requirements for SDB certification are the same as those mentioned above for the S8A 8A certification with one major difference. For SDB certification, the disadvantaged applicant's net worth should be under $750,000, excluding the net worth in their primary residence and in their business.
Please bear in mind two very important points. First of all, if the disadvantaged applicant is certified as an SBA 8A firm, then they are automatically certified as SDB too. However, if the disadvantaged applicant is certified as an SDB firm, they are not certified as an 8A firm.
Secondly, please bear in mind that the above too not represent all the requirements necessary to become 8A and SDB certified, merely the most pertinent requirements. After studying the applicant's pre-qualifying application and conducting an initial telephone interview with the applicant, we will be able to inform them if they are qualified for these two programs.

To Qualify for GSA Schedules and the criteria needed for GSA schedules

The qualifications and criteria needed for GSA schedules is not nearly as stringent as those required of SBA 8A certification. You do not have to be a US citizen to qualify for a GSA schedule. There is no maximum equity limit, and you do not have to be either a woman or a minority to qualify. But, you do have to be in business, and, with certain schedules, give a list of 20 of your customers for verification by GSA.
Once you are on the GS schedule, you are on it indefinitely unless you do not show that you are doing any business with the government. The GSA schedule is much more lengthy and time consuming than the SBA 8A certification process, but, definitely, well worth the effect. More and more Federal Government Departments and Agencies are utilizing GSA to do all of their purchasing for them. In essence, the GSA is rapidly becoming the buying arm for many of the government Departments and agencies. In certain cases, if you are not on the GSA schedule, you can not bid on the contract put out by the GSA.