The ever-evolving small business government contracting landscape presents myriad ethical quandaries for small businesses seeking set-aside and sole source contracts.
Rules governing eligibility for various small business programs are becoming more complex with amendments and case law interpretation. Hence, whether a firm is eligible for a particular small business program or procurement often presents a thorny question.
Small business government contracting programs generally rely upon a contractor’s self-certification. To
compete, a company usually only needs to certify — with no government verification — that it meets a small business program’s requirements.
Notable exceptions include the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) business development program and Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) program and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans First contracting program for Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small
Businesses.
Keep reading this article at: http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2013/march/Pages/SmallBusinessCertificationaThornyIssue.aspx
