Administrator Guzman Announces Transformation of Customer Experience for Federal Contracting Certifications
Jul 31, 2024
WASHINGTON— Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and voice in President Biden’s cabinet for America’s more than 33 million small businesses, announced plans to launch a new, streamlined contracting certifications experience called MySBA Certifications. This platform will enable customers to apply for and manage multiple federal contracting certifications in one place. The new tool is scheduled to open for new applicants in September and is part of the SBA’s multi-year modernization effort to enhance customer experience.
“Small businesses are vital to our federal supply chains – they bring innovation, agility, and competition into the marketplace while creating good jobs and strengthening local communities,” said Administrator Guzman. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the SBA has been elevating customer experience and modernizing its delivery of products and services across its programs. MySBA Certifications marks the latest investment which will make it easier than ever for more small business owners to get certified and pursue federal contracting opportunities.”
Through MySBA Certifications, customers applying for a new federal contracting certification will be able to:
- Spend less time applying with reduced paperwork and streamlined processes
- Apply for and manage all federal contracting certifications in one place
- Apply for multiple certifications at the same time
- Access valuable resources to help them win contracts
Federal small business contractors support one million jobs in manufacturing, construction, research & development, technology, defense, and other industries. The SBA’s federal contracting certification programs enable qualifying small business owners — including women, veterans, and those located in historically underserved communities — to apply for certifications that make them eligible to compete for small business set-aside prime and subcontracts. The programs accessible through MySBA Certifications include:
- Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB)
- Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
- Small businesses in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone)
- 8(a) Business Development Program
- Mentor-Protégé Program
Currently, these certification programs operate through separate systems with distinct applications. A White House analysis estimates that 40 percent of small businesses are eligible for multiple federal contracting certifications but only 10 percent currently hold more than one. MySBA Certifications aims to provide more opportunities by allowing small business owners to apply for multiple certifications simultaneously.
The SBA is also making policy changes to simplify the application process by aligning many requirements across certification programs and reducing paperwork while maintaining robust certification standards. These changes are expected to reduce application completion times by an estimated 40 percent for a single certification and up to 70 percent for firms seeking multiple certifications. Additionally, processing times for WOSB and 8(a) applications are anticipated to decrease by up to 80 percent.
MySBA Certifications advances President Biden’s commitment to prioritize customer experience across the federal government. It builds on previous efforts such as the Veteran Small Business Certification program (VetCert), which approved over 10,400 applications in its first year, and the MySBA Loan Portal used by millions of small business owners.
Small business owners who have already applied or are seeking renewal will continue being processed under existing timelines extended earlier this year by the SBA. More information can be found at certify.sba.gov.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As a key resource backed by the strength of the federal government, it empowers entrepreneurs with support needed to start, grow or recover their businesses from disasters through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.