U.S. Small Business Administration & Other State & Local Business Certifications
Virtually all Federal, state and local governments recognize certain special classifications for businesses when pursuing contracting opportunities. In many cases, the benefits "trickle down" to subcontractors. These classifications are typically based on ownership status, business location or workforce composition. For example:
- Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)/ Economically Disadvantaged/Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB): U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) owner certification for Federal contracting
- Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone): U.S. Small Business Administration geographic location certification for Federal contracting
- Ability One: Workforce emphasis on hiring disabled workers for Federal contracting
- Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB): U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program certification.
- Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB): U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program certification.
- 8(a) Business Development Program: U.S. Small Business Administration small/disadvantaged business program
- Small Diverse Business Verification: Minority, women, veteran and service-disabled veteran business enterprise ownership verification for Pennsylvania Department of General Services contracting. Must be third-party certified
- Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program (PA UCP): Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification (DBE) for participation in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funded contracts
Quality Certification
Many government and prime contractor buyers are focusing more on standardized quality systems rather than "home grown" control systems. ISO 9000 and AS9100 are probably the most prevalent systems. Depending upon your particular industry sector, your business may need such a standardized system just to be considered as a supplier - lacking them can be a showstopper. The JARI APEX Accelerator can help get you started in pursuing these types of quality management systems.
