WASHINGTON— Today, Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration 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, enabling customers to apply for and manage multiple federal contracting certifications in one place. The new certifications tool — slated to open for new applicants in September — is a key component of the SBA’s multi-year transformative modernization of the agency’s 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 the new 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 good-paying jobs in manufacturing, construction, research & development, technology, defense, and other vital industries. The SBA’s federal contracting certification programs enable qualifying small business owners — including women, veterans, and small businesses located in historically underserved communities — to apply for and receive certifications that make them eligible to compete for and win small business set-aside prime and subcontracts. The SBA programs or certifications that will be 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, the SBA’s small business certification programs are run through separate systems with distinct applications, compliance, and review procedures. A White House analysis(Link is external) estimates that 40 percent of small businesses are eligible for multiple federal contracting certifications but only 10 percent currently hold more than one. Through MySBA Certifications, small business owners will be able to apply for and manage multiple federal contracting certifications in one place providing more opportunities to bid and win contracts.
The SBA is also making policy changes to simplify the application process, aligning many requirements across certification programs and reducing the paperwork burden for certifying firms, while maintaining a robust certification process to deliver against individual program objectives and continuing to ensure the program benefits communities intended to serve. Together, these changes will reduce the time it takes a small business owner to complete an application by an estimated 40 percent for a single certification and up to 70 percent for firms seeking multiple certifications. These improvements are also expected to reduce average processing times for WOSB and 8(a) applications by up to 80 percent.
MySBA Certifications advances President Biden’s commitment(Link is external) to prioritize customer experience across the federal government and builds on the agency’s multi-year effort to modernize and simplify its systems leveraging regulatory, process and technology improvements. The SBA launched two popular platforms in 2023: the Veteran Small Business Certification program (VetCert), which approved more than 10,400 applications in its first year, and the MySBA Loan Portal, which millions of small business owners have used to manage their loans in one place. In the coming months, VetCert, the loan portal, and MySBA Certifications will integrate into one comprehensive and easy-to-navigate MySBA digital experience.
Small business owners who have already applied or are seeking a certification renewal will continue to be processed. To support a smooth transition, earlier this year the SBA extended certification renewal timelines for one year for many certified firms. Further, the SBA has been working with partners and community organizations to ensure federal contractors continue to access these important programs for the agencies that rely on small businesses to achieve their missions. More information can be found at certify.sba.gov.
