The Professional Services Council this week submitted comments to the Small Business Administration highlighting some necessary recommendations to strengthen its proposed Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program.
While PSC generally supports the long-awaited program, which was first mandated by Congress in 2000, we believe the following will help SBA achieve the programs goals:
- Provide a level playing field for both economically disadvantaged WOSBs and other WOSBs to compete for set-aside contracts under the program.
- Swift action to identify third-party certifiers for WOSB status so businesses can readily take advantage of the program.
- Quickly establish a program repository that allows businesses to submit documents online regarding their eligibility for the program to avoid having to provide eligibility documents each time they submit a proposal for a set-aside solicitation.
- Set a clear timeline for when and how often the industry codes eligible for the set-aside program will be reviewed and updated. In addition, SBA should consider a petition process for organizations to provide information to SBA about market changes that may justify including new NAICS codes.
To read PSC’s comments, click here.
