There are many components to the 8a Certification process that determine whether a business is ready to apply. The following is a list of items that help demonstrate to the SBA that the business is ready to begin working for the federal government and will be able to successfully complete any contracts awarded to it.

The basics:

1. You must be a US citizen to apply for the 8a program.
2. You must be socially disadvantaged and belong to three different classes of people.
A. A minority designated by the SBA
b. 30% service-disabled veteran
against White female, although no social disadvantage is presumed
3. You must possess all necessary certifications to perform the work that your company will provide to the federal government.
4. Your business must adopt your final entity type, for example, convert from a sole proprietorship to a corporation.
5. All tax returns must be current, and the owner and business must not be delinquent on any tax liability.
6. All SBA loans must be current.
7. The company must have at least three customers with no one representing more than 70% of the company’s revenue.
8. Your company must be registered with CRR and also registered with Dun and Bradstreet.

More advanced:

1. Ideally, the company has been in business for the past two years. This must be evidenced by the company’s tax returns.
2. The business owner must have a high degree of competence, as evidenced by titles and previous management experience. A well-developed resume should accompany any 8a application
3. Ideally, the company has successfully performed work on government contracts. This is especially important if the company has been in business for less than two years.
4. The employer must be able to demonstrate active participation in the socially disadvantaged group of which he is a part. Have reference letters ready.
5. The business owner must have well-documented instances of discrimination that prevent their business from growing as quickly as possible without the presence of discrimination.
6. The financial statements of the company must be as current as possible for the date of the application.
7. The company must have access to adequate capital to execute government contracts.
8. All necessary bonds and insurance must be in place to perform government contracts in the company’s primary NAICS code.
9. Ideally, business revenue is over $250,000 for the past year. If business revenue was less than $250,000, then an ideal applicant will complete the following steps to increase their request.
A. Have a well prepared business plan for the applicant company 8a
b. The business owner will have taken classes designed to teach you how to bid successfully on government contracts.

Getting SBA 8a certified is a challenging process. Following the checklist above will ensure that your business has all the pieces in place before submitting your application to the SBA.