Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/02/03/2014-01706/federal-acquisition-regulation-contracts-under-the-small-business-administration-8a-program
Timestamp: 2015-03-31 11:21:47
Document Index: 783544085

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 5', 'art 19', 'arts 5', 'arts 5', 'art 5', 'ART 5', 'art 6', 'art 19', 'art 18', 'ART 19', 'art 19', 'art 19']

Federal Register | Federal Acquisition Regulation; Contracts Under the Small Business Administration 8(a) Program
A Proposed Rule by the Defense Department, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on
79 FR 6135
-6143 (9 pages)
Docket 2012-0022
Document Number: 2014-01706
Shorter URL: https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-01706 Related Topics
DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement revisions made by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to its regulations implementing section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, and to provide additional FAR coverage regarding protesting an 8(a) participant's eligibility or size status, procedures for releasing a requirement for non-8(a) procurements, and the ways a participant could exit the 8(a) Business Development program.
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR); FAR Case 2012-022, Contracts Under the Small Business Administration 8(a) Program 3 actions from February 3rd, 2014 to February 2015
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 5, 6, 18, 19, and 52
Subpart 19.8—Contracting With the Small Business Administration (The 8(a) Program)
Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items (Date)
Special 8(a) Contract Conditions (Date)
Special 8(a) Subcontract Conditions (Date)
Limitations on Subcontracting (Date)
Section 8(a) Award (Date)
Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants (Date)
Interested parties should submit written comments to the Regulatory Secretariat at one of the addressees shown below on or before April 4, 2014 to be considered in the formation of the final rule.
Submit comments in response to FAR Case 2012-022 by any of the following methods:
Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching for “FAR Case 2012-022.” Select the link “Comment Now” that corresponds with “FAR Case 2012-022” and follow the instructions provided at the screen. Please include your name, company name (if any), and “FAR Case 2012-022” on your attached document.
Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (MVCB), ATTN: Hada Flowers, 1800 F Street NW., 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20405.
Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite FAR Case 2012-022, in all correspondence related to this case. All comments received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal and/or business confidential information provided.
Mr. Karlos Morgan, Procurement Analyst, at 202-501-2364, for clarification of content. For information pertaining to status or publication schedules, contact the Regulatory Secretariat at 202-501-4755. Please cite FAR Case 2012-022.
DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the FAR to implement changes made in the SBA's final rule that was published in the Federal Register at 76 FR 8222 on February 11, 2011, and SBA's subsequent technical amendment that was published in the Federal Register at 77 FR 28237 on May 14, 2012, which made changes to the regulations governing the section 8(a) Business Development program (commonly referred to as the “8(a) Program”).
This rule proposes to make a number of changes to regulations governing the 8(a) Program. While many of the changes are editorial and provide minor clarifications, other substantive changes are made, including situations in which an agency may or may not take credit towards its small business goals.
This rule also proposes to include new FAR sections 19.813 to address protesting an 8(a) participant's eligibility or size status, FAR 19.814 to address procedures for requesting a formal size determination, FAR 19.815 to address procedures for releasing a requirement for non-8(a) procurement, and FAR 19.816 on ways a participant could exit the program.
The following is a summary of the proposed FAR revisions associated with this rule:
A. FAR 5.205, FAR 6.204, and FAR 18.114 proposed revisions include the removal of the term 8(a) concerns, 8(a) contractors, and 8(a) firms, as applicable, and replacing it with 8(a) participants to reflect the accurate terminology used in SBA regulations.
B. FAR 19.000 proposes to remove the term “business development.”
C. FAR 19.800 proposed revisions include new language to clarify that the 8(a) Business Development Program, is commonly referred to as the “8(a) program”, and that a small business that is accepted into the 8(a) program is known as a “participant”. The section further proposes to clarify that an 8(a) contractor is an 8(a) participant that is currently performing on a Federal contract or order that was reserved for 8(a) participants.
D. FAR 19.802 proposes to revise the title of the section from “Selecting concerns for the 8(a) Program,” to “Determining eligibility for the 8(a) program”, and adds the location in SBA regulations where the eligibility requirements for participation in the 8(a) program can be found.
E. FAR 19.803 proposed revisions are minor technical clarifications.
F. FAR 19.804 propose the following revisions:
1. Minor revisions to FAR 19.804-1 and 19.804-2
2. Restructuring FAR 19.804-3 to add proposed new paragraph(s) 19.804-3(a)(1), (a)(2), and 19.804-3(c).
(i) FAR 19.804-3(a)(1) proposed revision advises contracting officers that, for acquisitions exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, if SBA does not respond to an offering letter within 10 working days, the contracting office may seek acceptance through SBA's Associate Administrator for Business Development. The contracting office may assume that SBA has accepted the requirement identified in its offering letter into the 8(a) Program, if a reply from the SBA Associate Administrator for Business Development is not received within five business days of receipt of the contracting agency's request.
(ii) FAR 19.804-3(a)(2) proposed revision advises contracting officers that, for acquisitions not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, if SBA does not respond to an offering letter within 2 working days, the contracting officer may assume the offer is accepted and proceed with award of an 8(a) contract.
(iii) FAR 19.804-3(c) proposes to add new language for 8(a) sole source awards. The proposed language advises contracting officers that SBA will either work with the contracting officer to select an 8(a) participant for a possible award, or determine whether an appropriate match exists by matching requirements consistent with the 8(a) participants' capability, where the contracting officer nominates the 8(a) participant.
3. FAR 19.804-4 and 19.804-5 proposed revisions are minor technical clarifications.
4. FAR 19.804-6 proposes to make the following revisions—
(i) Revise FAR paragraph 19.804-6(a) to advise contracting officers that separate offering and acceptance are not required for indefinite delivery contracts that have been set-aside for exclusive 8(a) competition, and also includes minor technical clarifications.
(ii) Includes language concerning an 8(a) contractor's acceptance of new orders after the 8(a) contractor has left the program.
(iii) Clarify that agencies may still continue to take small disadvantaged business (SDB) credit even after the contractor has left the 8(a) Program, unless the contractor has re-represented that it is other than small.
G. FAR 19.805 proposed revisions include the following:
1. FAR 19.805-1 proposed revisions are minor technical clarifications.
2. FAR 19.805-2(b) proposed revisions include the requirement that an 8(a) participant must represent that it is a small business in accordance with the size standard corresponding to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to the contract and discusses SBA's eligibility determination process.
3. FAR 19.805-2(b)(1) proposed revisions include deleting the text in paragraph (b)(1) and adds a new paragraph (b)(1)(i) and (b)(1)(ii). FAR 19.805-2(b)(1)(i) proposes to clarify that if SBA determines that the apparent successful offeror is ineligible, the contracting office must send to SBA the identity of the next highest evaluated firm for an eligibility determination. The process is repeated until SBA determines that an identified offeror is eligible for award. FAR 19.805-2(b)(1)(ii) includes language to advise that if the contracting office believes that the apparent successful offeror (or the offeror SBA has determined eligible for award) is not responsible to perform the contract, the contracting office must refer the matter to SBA for Certificate of Competency consideration.
4. FAR 19.805-2(c) proposed revisions are minor clarifications.
H. FAR 19.808-1 proposed revisions are minor clarifications and adds a new paragraph (d) and (e).
1. FAR 19.808-1(d) proposes to clarify that an 8(a) participant must represent that it is a small business in accordance with the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the contract.
2. FAR 19.808-1(e) proposes to implement changes made to SBA's regulations at 13 CFR 124.109(a), 13 CFR 124.109(c)(3)(ii), 13 CFR 124.110(e), and 13 CFR 124.111(d). The new language advises contracting officers that an 8(a) participant owned by an Alaska Native Corporation, Indian Tribe, Native Hawaiian Organization, or Community Development Corporation, may not receive a sole source, follow-on 8(a) contract, if the predecessor contract was performed by another participant owned by the same Alaska Native Corporation, Indian Tribe, Native Hawaiian Organization, or Community Development Corporation.
I. FAR 19.808-2 and 19.809 proposed revisions are minor technical clarifications.
J. FAR 19.810 proposes to revise the title from “SBA appeals”, to “SBA appeals of a contracting officer's decision to the agency head”, and makes minor technical clarifications.
K. FAR 19.811 and 19.812 proposed revisions are minor technical clarifications.
L. Proposed new FAR section, FAR 19.813, Protesting an 8(a) Participant's eligibility or size status, adds language to clarify that the eligibility of an 8(a) participant for a sole source or competitive 8(a) requirement may not be challenged. However, a successful offeror's size status for a competitive 8(a) award may be protested by any offeror whom the contracting officer has not eliminated for reasons unrelated to size, the contracting officer or SBA.
M. Proposed new FAR section, FAR 19.814, Requesting a formal size determination (8(a) sole source requirements), is added to clarify that if the size of an 8(a) participant nominated for award of an 8(a) sole source contract is called into question, a formal size determination may be requested.
N. Proposed new FAR section, FAR 19.815, Release for non-8(a) procurement is added to provide the procedures for obtaining SBA's consent to release an 8(a) requirement for non-8(a) procurement, and a brief discussion of the matters that will be taken into consideration in order to reach a decision as to whether or not releasing a requirement for non-8(a) procurement is in the best interest of the agency, and the business development program.
O. Proposed new FAR section, FAR 19.816, Exiting the 8(a) Program, adds language to advise contracting officers that—
1. When a contractor exits the 8(a) program, it is no longer eligible to receive new 8(a) contracts. However, the contractor remains under contractual obligation to complete existing contracts, and any priced options that may be exercised.
2. If an 8(a) contractor is suspended from the program it may not receive any new 8(a) contracts unless the head of the contracting agency (or designee) makes a determination that it is in the best interest of the Government to issue the award and SBA adopts that determination.
3. A contractor that has completed its term of participation in the 8(a) program may be awarded a competitive 8(a) contract if it was an 8(a) participant eligible for award of the contract on the initial date specified for receipt of offers contained in the contract solicitation, and if the contractor continues to meet all other applicable eligibility criteria.
The Department of Defense (DoD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) do not expect this proposed rule to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act,5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., because these changes do not place any new requirements on small business. The purpose of this rule is to implement changes made in SBA's final rule, published in the Federal Register at 76 FR 8222 on February 11, 2011 pertaining to the 8(a) Business Development Program and to clarify existing guidance in the FAR.
The Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) is summarized as follows:
The issues addressed in this proposed rule include: (1) clarification of the evaluation, offering, and acceptance process; (2) procedures for acquiring SBA's consent to release an 8(a) requirement outside the 8(a) program; and (3) clarification that it is the contracting officer's responsibility to determine that the potential 8(a) contractor meets the applicable performance of work requirements at time of award, and the impact of exiting the 8(a) program in terms of the firm's ability to receive future 8(a) requirements and its current contractual commitments. These revisions do not place any new requirements, financial or otherwise, on small entities, and serve mainly to provide more explicit guidance to Federal contracting officials. Currently, the 8(a) Program has approximately 8,567 participants. These participants may or may not be economically impacted by the changes discussed in this proposed rule.
This proposed rule will not impose any new information collections requirements on small businesses.
DoD, GSA, and NASA will also consider comments from small entities concerning the existing regulations in subparts affected by this rule in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 610. Interested parties must submit such comments separately and should cite 5 U.S.C. 610 (FAR Case 2012-022) in correspondence.
The proposed rule does not contain any information collection requirements that require the approval of the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 5, 6, 18, 19, and 52 Back to Top
Therefore, DoD, GSA, and NASA propose amending 48 CFR parts 5, 6, 18, 19 and 52 as set forth below:
1.The authority citation for 48 CFR part 5 continues to read as follows: Authority:
PART 5—PUBLICIZING CONTRACT ACTIONS Back to Top
2.Amend section 5.205 by revising paragraph (f) to read as follows: 5.205 Special situations.
3.The authority citation for 48 CFR part 6 is revised to read as follows: Authority:
4.Revise section 6.204 to read as follows: 6.204 Section 8(a) competition.
(a) To fulfill statutory requirements relating to section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, as amended by 100, contracting officers may limit competition to eligible 8(a) participants (see Subpart 19.8).
(b) No separate justification or determination and findings is required under this part to limit competition to eligible 8(a) participants. (But see 6.302-5 and 6.303-1 for sole-source 8(a) awards over $20 million.)
5.The authority citation for 48 CFR part 18 continues to read as follows: Authority:
6.Amend section 18.114 by removing “firms” and adding “participants” in its place. PART 19—SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS Back to Top
7.The authority citation for 48 CFR part 19 continues to read as follows: Authority:
8.Amend section 19.000 by removing from paragraph (a)(3) “business development”. 9.Revise the subpart heading of 19.8 to read as follows: end regulatory text
Subpart 19.8—Contracting With the Small Business Administration (The 8(a) Program) Back to Top
10.Revise section 19.800 to read as follows: 19.800 General.
(a) Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)) established a program that authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to enter into all types of contracts with other agencies and let subcontracts for performing those contracts to firms eligible for program participation. This program is the “8(a) Business Development Program”, commonly referred to as the “8(a) program”. A small business that is accepted into the 8(a) program is known as a “participant”. SBA's subcontractors are referred to as “8(a) contractors”. As used in this subpart, an 8(a) contractor is an 8(a) participant that is currently performing on a Federal contract or order that was reserved for 8(a) participants.
(c) Acting under the authority of the program, the SBA certifies to an agency that the SBA is competent and responsible to perform a specific contract. The contracting officer has the discretion, to award the contract to the SBA based upon mutually agreeable terms and conditions.
11.Revise section 19.802 to read as follows: 19.802 Determining eligibility for the 8(a) program.
Determining the eligibility of a small a business to be a participant in the 8(a) program is the responsibility of the SBA. SBA's regulations on eligibility requirements for participation in the 8(a) program are found at 13 CFR 124.101 through 124.112.
12.Revise section 19.803 to read as follows: 19.803 Selecting acquisitions for the 8(a) program.
Through their cooperative efforts, the SBA and an agency match the agency's requirements with the capabilities of 8(a) participants to establish a basis for the agency to contract with the SBA under the program. Selection is initiated in one of three ways—
(a) The SBA advises the contracting activity of an 8(a) participant's capabilities through a search letter and requests the contracting activity to identify acquisitions to support the participant's business plans. In these instances, the SBA will provide at minimum the following information in order to enable the contracting activity to match an acquisition to the participant's capabilities:
(1) Identification of the concern and its owners.
(2) Background information on the concern, including any and all information pertaining to the concern's technical ability and capacity to perform.
(4) The extent to which contracting assistance is needed in the present and the future, described in terms that will enable the agency to relate the concern's plans to present and future agency requirements.
(i) A participant's capabilities in and qualifications for accomplishing various categories of construction work typically found in North American Industrial Category System subsector 236 (construction of buildings), subsector 237 (heavy and civil engineering construction), or subsector 238 (specialty trade contractors.
(b) The SBA identifies a specific requirement for one or more 8(a) participant(s) and sends a requirements letter to the agency's small business office, requesting the contracting office offer the acquisition to the 8(a) program. In these instances, in addition to the information in paragraph (a) of this section, the SBA will provide—
13.Revise section 19.804-1 to read as follows: 19.804-1 Agency evaluation.
(ii) For construction, geographical location;
14.Amend section 19.804-2 by— a. Revising the introductory text of paragraph (a) and paragraph (a)(10);
b. Redesignating paragraphs (a)(12) through (a)(15) as paragraphs (a)(13) through (a)(16), respectively;
d. Removing from the newly designated paragraph (a)(13) “Program” and adding “program” in its place;
e. Removing from the newly designated paragraph (a)(15) “sole source” and adding “sole-source” in its place; and
f. Removing from paragraph (b)(3) “firm” and adding “8(a) participant” in its place (twice).
(a) After completing its evaluation, the contracting office shall notify the SBA of the extent of its plans to place 8(a) contracts with the SBA for specific quantities of items or work. The notification, referred to as an offering letter, shall identify the time frames within which prime contract and subcontract actions must be completed in order for the agency to meet its responsibilities. The offering letter shall also contain the following information applicable to each prospective contract:
(ii) The acquisition is a follow-on or renewal contract and the nominated 8(a) participant concern is the incumbent.
15.Revise section 19.804-3 to read as follows: 19.804-3 SBA acceptance.
(a) Upon receipt of the contracting office's offering letter, SBA will determine whether to accept the requirement for the 8(a) program. SBA's decision whether to accept the requirement will be transmitted to the contracting office in writing within 10 working days of receipt of the offer if the contract is likely to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold and within 2 working days of receipt if the contract is at or below the simplified acquisition threshold. The contracting office may grant an extension of these time periods, if requested by SBA.
(1) For acquisitions exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, if SBA does not respond to an offering letter within 10 working days, the contracting office may seek SBA's acceptance through the Associate Administrator for Business Development. The contracting office may assume that SBA has accepted the requirement into the 8(a) program if it does not receive a reply from the Associate Administrator for Business Development within five calendar days of receipt of the contracting office's request.
(2) For acquisitions not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold, when the contracting office makes an offer to the 8(a) program on behalf of a specific 8(a) participant and does not receive a reply to its offering letter within 2 working days, the contracting office may assume the offer is accepted and proceed with award of an 8(a) contract.
(c) Sole-source 8(a) awards. If an appropriate match exists, SBA will advise the contracting officer whether it will participate in contract negotiations or whether SBA will authorize the contracting officer to negotiate directly with the identified 8(a) participant. Where SBA has delegated its contract execution functions to a contracting agency, SBA will also identify that delegation in its acceptance letter.
(1) Sole-source award where the contracting officer nominates a specific 8(a) participant. SBA will determine whether an appropriate match exists where the contracting officer identifies a particular participant for a sole-source award.
(i) Once SBA determines that a procurement is suitable to be accepted as an 8(a) sole-source contract, SBA will normally accept it on behalf of the 8(a) participant recommended by the contracting officer, provided that 8(a) participant complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 124.503(c)(1).
(2) Sole-source award where the contracting officer does not nominate a specific 8(a) participant. When a contracting officer does not nominate as 8(a) participant for performance of a sole-source 8(a) contract, SBA will select an 8(a) participant for possible award from among two or more eligible and qualified 8(a) participants. The selection will be based upon relevant factors, including business development needs, compliance with competitive business mix requirements (if applicable), financial condition, management ability, technical capability, and whether award will promote the equitable distribution of 8(a) contracts. (For construction requirements see 13 CFR 124.503(d)(1)).
16.Amend section 19.804-4 by— a. Removing from the introductory text “Program” and adding “program” in its place;
c. Removing from paragraph (d) “Program” and adding “program” in its place.
17.Amend section 19.804-5 by revising paragraphs (a) and (c) to read as follows: 19.804-5 Basic ordering agreements.
(a) The contracting office shall submit an offering letter for, and SBA must accept, each order under a basic ordering agreement (BOA) in addition to offering and accepting the BOA itself.
(c) Once an 8(a) contractor's program term expires, the contractor otherwise exits the 8(a) program, or becomes other than small for the NAICS code assigned under the BOA, SBA will not accept new orders for the contractor.
18.Revise section 19.804-6 to read as follows: 19.804-6 Indefinite delivery contracts.
(a) Separate offers and acceptances are not required for individual orders under multiple award contracts (including the Federal Supply Schedules managed by GSA, multi-agency contracts or Government-wide acquisition contracts, or indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts) that have been set aside for exclusive competition among 8(a) contractors. SBA's acceptance of the original contract is valid for the term of the contract.
19.Amend section 19.805-1 by— a. Revising the introductory text of paragraph (a);
b. Removing from paragraph (a)(1) “firms” and adding “participants” in its place; and
c. Revising the introductory text of paragraph (b);
d. Removing from paragraph (b)(1) “firms” and adding “participants” in its place
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, an acquisition offered to the SBA under the 8(a) program shall be awarded on the basis of competition limited to eligible 8(a) participants when—
(b) Where an acquisition exceeds the competitive threshold as defined in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the SBA may accept the requirement for a sole-source 8(a) award if—
20.Revise section 19.805-2 to read as follows: 19.805-2 Procedures.
(i) If SBA determines that the apparent successful offeror is ineligible, the contracting office will then send to SBA the identity of the next highest evaluated firm for an eligibility determination. The process is repeated until SBA determines that an identified offeror is eligible for award. SBA determines whether a participant is eligible for a specific 8(a) competitive requirement as of the date that the 8(a) participant submitted its initial offer which includes price.
(ii) If the contracting office believes that the apparent successful offeror (or the offeror SBA has determined eligible for award) is not responsible to perform the contract, the contracting office must refer the matter to SBA for Certificate of Competency consideration under 19.6.
(2) In any case in which a 8(a) participant is determined to be ineligible, SBA will notify the 8(a) participant of that determination.
(c) Any party with information concerning questioning the eligibility of an 8(a) participant to continue participation in the 8(a) program or for the purposes of a specific 8(a) award may submit such information to the SBA in accordance with 13 CFR 124.112(c).
21.Amend section 19.808-1 by removing from paragraph (c) “activity” and adding “officer” in its place; and adding paragraphs (d) and (e) to read as follows. 19.808-1 Sole source.
(e) An 8(a) participant owned by an ANC, Indian Tribe, Native Hawaiian Organization, or Community Development Corporation may not receive an 8(a) sole-source award that is a follow-on contract to an 8(a) contract, if the predecessor contract was performed by another 8(a) participant (or former 8(a) participant) owned by the same ANC, Indian Tribe, Native Hawaiian Organization, or Community Development Corporation (See 13 CFR 124.109-124.111).
22.Revise section 19.808-2 to read as follows. 19.808-2 Competitive.
23.Revise section 19.809 to read as follows. 19.809 Preaward considerations.
24.Amend section 19.810 by— a. Revising the section heading;
b. Removing from paragraph (a)(2) “firm” and “Program” and adding “participant” and “program” in its place, respectively;
c. Removing from paragraph (a)(3) “activity's” and adding “officer's” in its place;
d. Revising paragraph (b); and
e. Removing from paragraph (c) “firm” and adding “participant” in its place.
19.810 SBA appeals of a contracting officer's decision to the agency head.
(b) Notification of an intent to appeal to the agency head by SBA must be received by the contracting officer within 5 working days after SBA is formally notified of the contracting officer's decision. SBA’s Administrator will provide a copy of this notification of the intent to appeal to the contracting agency Director for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization or, for the Department of Defense, the Director of Small Business Programs, SBA must send the written appeal to the agency head within 15 working days of SBA's notification of intent to appeal or the appeal may be considered withdrawn. Pending issuance of a decision by the agency head, the contracting officer shall suspend action on the acquisition. The contracting officer need not suspend action on the acquisition if the contracting officer makes a written determination that urgent and compelling circumstances that significantly affect the interests of the United States will not permit waiting for a decision.
25.Amend section 19.811-1 by revising the introductory text of paragraph (b) to read as follows: 19.811-1 Sole source.
(b) The contracting officer shall prepare the contract that the SBA will award to the 8(a) contractor in accordance with agency procedures, as if awarding the contract directly to the 8(a) contractor, except for the following:
19.811-3 [Amended]
26.Amend section 19.811-3 by— a. Removing from the introductory text of paragraph (d) “Concerns” and adding “Participants” in its place; and
b. Removing from paragraphs (d)(1) and (e) “concerns” and adding “participants” in its place, respectively.
27.Amend section 19.812 by removing from paragraph (b) “firm” and adding “8(a) contractor” in its place; and revising paragraph (d) to read as follows: 19.812 Contract administration.
28.Add sections 19.813 through 19.816 to read as follows: 19.813 Protesting an 8(a) Participant's eligibility or size status.
(a) The eligibility of an 8(a) participant for a sole-source or competitive 8(a) requirement may not be challenged by another 8(a) participant or any other party, either to SBA or any administrative forum as part of a bid or other contract protest (see 13 CFR 124.517).
(b) The size status of an 8(a) participant nominated for an 8(a) sole-source contract may not be protested by another 8(a) participant or any other party.
(c) The size status of the apparent successful offeror for competitive 8(a) awards may be protested. The filing of a size status protest is limitedto—
(3) The SBA District Director, or designee, in either the district office serving the geographical area in which the contracting activity is located or the district office that services the apparent successful offeror, or the Associate Administrator for Business Development.
(a) If the size status of an 8(a) participant nominated for award of an 8(a) sole-source contract is called into question, a request for a formal size determination may be submitted to SBA pursuant to 13 CFR 121.1001(b)(2)(ii) by—
(1) The 8(a) participant nominated for award of the particular sole-source contract;
(2) The contracting officer who has been delegated SBA's 8(a) contract execution functions, where applicable, or the SBA program official with authority to execute the 8(a) contract; or
(3) The SBA District Director in the district office that services the 8(a) participant or the Associate Administrator for Business Development.
(b) SBA's Government Contracting Area Director or designee will issue a formal size determination within 15 business days, if possible, after SBA receives the request for a formal size determination.
(c) An appeal from an SBA size determination shall follow the procedures at 19.302.
(a) Once a requirement has been accepted by SBA into the 8(a) program, any follow-on requirements shall remain in the 8(a) program unless SBA agrees to release the requirement from the 8(a) program in accordance with 13 CFR 124.504(d).
(b) To obtain release of a requirement for a non-8(a) procurement, the contracting officer shall make a written request to, and receive concurrence from, the SBA Associate Administrator for Business Development.
(c)(1) The SBA Associate Administrator for Business Development will consider the following information when determining whether to release a requirement from the 8(a) program—
(i) Whether the agency has achieved its SDB goal;
(ii) Whether the agency has not achieved its HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, or small business goal(s);
(2) Generally, a requirement that was previously accepted into the 8(a) program will only be released for procurements outside the 8(a) program when the contracting activity agency agrees to set-aside the requirement under the small business, HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB programs.
(a) When a contractor exits the 8(a) program, it is no longer eligible to receive new 8(a) contracts. However, the contractor remains under contractual obligation to complete existing contracts, and any priced options that may be exercised.
(b) If an 8(a) contractor is suspended from the program (see 13 CFR 124.305), it may not receive any new 8(a) contracts unless the head of the contracting agency (or designee) makes a determination that it is in the best interest of the Government to issue the award and SBA adopts that determination.
(c) A contractor that has completed its term of participation in the 8(a) program may be awarded a competitive 8(a) contract if it was an 8(a) participant eligible for award of the contract on the initial date specified for receipt of offers contained in the contract solicitation, and if the contractor continues to meet all other applicable eligibility criteria.
29.Amend section 19.1504 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows: 19.1504 Exclusions.
30.Amend section 52.212-5 by revising the date of the clause and paragraph (b)(17) to read as follows: 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items.
Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Items (Date) Back to Top
(17) 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting (Date) (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(14)).
31.Amend section 52.219-11 by revising the date of the clause and paragraph (c) to read as follows: 52.219-11 Special 8(a) Contract Conditions.
Special 8(a) Contract Conditions (Date) Back to Top
(c) Except for novation agreements, delegate to the ______ [insert name of contracting agency] the responsibility for administering the subcontract to be awarded hereunder with complete authority to take any action on behalf of the Government under the terms and conditions of the subcontract; provided, however, that the ______ [insert name of contracting agency] shall give advance notice to the SBA before it issues a final notice terminating the right of a subcontractor to proceed with further performance, either in whole or in part, under the subcontract for default or for the convenience of the Government.
32.Amend section 52.219-12 by revising the date of the clause and removing from paragraph (b)(2) “and advance payments”. end regulatory text
Special 8(a) Subcontract Conditions (Date) Back to Top
33.Amend section 52.219-14 by revising the date of the clause and removing from paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2), and (b)(3) “8(a) concerns” and adding “8(a) participants” in its place. end regulatory text
Limitations on Subcontracting (Date) Back to Top
34.Amend section 52.219-17 by revising the date of the clause; and removing from paragraph (a)(2) “and advance payments”. end regulatory text
Section 8(a) Award (Date) Back to Top
35.Amend section 52.219-18 by: a. Revising the section and clause heading;
b. Revising the date of the clause; and
c. Removing from Alternate I “concerns” and adding “participants” in its place.
Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants (Date) Back to Top
[FR Doc. 2014-01706 Filed 1-31-14; 8:45 am]