Free online certification will be available for qualified businesses.
8/28/2020 9:00
In July, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced new regulations to make it easier for qualified small businesses to participate in the Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) federal contracting program. In part, the SBA introduced a new, free online certification process for WOSBs and will eliminate the self-certification option from certify.sba.gov, effective Oct. 15, 2020.
The changes reflect the SBA’s implementation of Congress’ changes to the WOSB Federal Contracting Program put forth in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act.
These updated regulations make it easier for qualified small businesses to participate in the WOSB Federal Contracting Program by improving the customer experience, according to the SBA. At the same time, SBA is strengthening oversight and maintaining the integrity of the certification process.
Among ACA International members, as of 2018, 32% indicated that they were women-owned businesses while an additional 5% of members surveyed indicated that they were both women and minority-owned businesses.
The SBA has set the size standard at $15 million in average annual receipts for debt collection agencies to qualify as small businesses. Based on this standard, 87% of ACA members qualify as small businesses.
ACA International member Kinda Baker, CEO of National Recovery Solutions LLC in Lockport, New York, operates a WOSB. The SBA recognized the company as an Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), she said.
NRS is completing the EDWOSB certification process with the SBA over the next few weeks.
She encouraged qualified agencies working on federal contracts to complete the certification process.
“Women-Owned Small Businesses should get the certification in the event they want to actually bid on any federal contracts themselves,” Baker said. “Having the certification will give EDWOSB companies like NRS the ability to bid directly on any contract moving forward. Government contracts require portions to be worked [or] managed by Women-Owned Small Businesses.”
With the updated WOSB Federal Contracting Program regulations in effect:
- SBA’s new, free online certification process for WOSBs and EDWOSBs is available online.
- SBA allows participation from firms certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Center of Verification and Evaluations, provided they meet all eligibility requirements.
- SBA allows continued participation from businesses that use approved Third-Party Certifiers (TPCs) to obtain WOSB or EDWOSB certification.
- The current self-certification option from certify.sba.gov will be available through Oct. 15, 2020. After that, all firms will have to use the new, free online certification process including uploading TPC-certified documentation for processing.
Firms also can contact their local SBA regional and district office or Women’s Business Center for more information.
To be eligible for the women’s contracting program, a business must:
- Be a small business
- Be at least 51% percent owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens
- Have women manage day-to-day operations and make long-term decisions
To qualify as an economically-disadvantaged business within the women’s contracting program, a business must:
- Meet all the requirements of the women’s contracting program
- Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with a personal net worth less than $750,000
- Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with $350,000 or less in adjusted gross income averaged over the previous three years
- Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each $6 million or less in personal assets
Learn more: sba.gov/wosbready.
Networking Opportunities
Looking to connect with women in the accounts receivable management industry? Join ACA International’s Women in Collections Resource Council, a women’s mentorship and education group. Start by participating in their discussion on The Hub.