Certify.sba.gov will assist small firms doing business with federal government; streamline applications and eliminate documentation obstacles

(Black PR Wire) WASHINGTON, D.C.— SBA has launched certify.sba.gov, a new website to further streamline and improve the application processes for small businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to do business with the federal government.

“SBA is committed to being as nimble and agile as the small businesses we serve. In addition to LINC our “Start Up in a Day Initiative” and “Small Business Tech Coalition”, the launch of certify.sba.gov is another way SBA is leveraging the power of technology for Americans. This new website first focuses on closing market gaps for women entrepreneurs in the federal marketplace by featuring the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program as we work toward breaking federal contracting goals for a second year in fiscal year 2016,” said SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet.

With this website, SBA’s contracting application and certification process for women-owned small businesses is now completely accessible online and easier than ever to complete. Women contractors can now easily manage the certification process, including Third Party Certifications as part of the WOSB Federal Contract Program.

According to SBA South Florida District Director Francisco “Pancho” Marrero, the state of Florida currently has almost five thousand women-owned small business firms registered for federal government contracting. “There are 4,889 firms registered, and of those 3,472 are designated as WOSB or ED-WOSB in the SBA’s contracting program.”

“This new SBA website has modernized the certification process for our WOSB Program by adding a plethora of online resources and presentations to assist with streamlining the self-certification process,” he added.

The new website will eventually serve additional SBA contracting programs, including the 8(a) Business Development Program, the HUBZone Program, and others. The site will allow several forms to be filled out electronically, reducing the burden of printing, scanning, and uploading. As additional certifications like the 8(a) Business Development Program are moved into the new system, documents uploaded for one program may be reused for another.

The site also has a tool called “Am I Eligible?” which allows a small business to answer approximately fifteen questions and to determine if the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, the HUBZone Program, and/or the 8(a) Business Development Program are a good fit for their business.

“Small businesses often get too little credit for their work as our nation’s leading job-creators, generating nearly two out of three net new jobs in our economy,” Contreras-Sweet added. “Last fiscal year the federal government awarded its highest percentage of contracting dollars to small businesses in the history of the United States, totaling more than $90 billion. Those resources supported more than half a million jobs in communities across this country. When these federal dollars churn in local communities, they create a multiplier effect that strengthens the local tax base and leads to better government services and better schools. That’s the promise of our work.”

SBA is coordinating additional public announcements for mid-August to amplify the system’s launch. Questions about the WOSB Federal Contract Program should be directed to wosb@sba.gov.

About the Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 and since January 13, 2012 has served as a Cabinet-level agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. www.sba.gov