“The Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program is designed to provide greater access to federal contracting opportunities for WOSBs and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs). By doing so, the program aims to help federal agencies achieve their statutory goal of awarding 5% of their federal contracting dollars to WOSBs.
Under this program, federal contracting officers may set aside federal contracts (or orders) for WOSBs (including EDWOSBs) in industries in which the SBA determines WOSBs are substantially underrepresented in federal procurement and for EDWOSBs exclusively in industries in which the SBA determines WOSBs are underrepresented in federal procurement. The SBA has identified 364 six-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industry codes (out of 1,023) in which federal agencies may set aside federal contracts exclusively for WOSBs (including EDWOSBs) and 80 six-digit NAICS industry codes (out of 1,023) that may be set aside exclusively for EDWOSBs…”
“This report focuses on the SBA’s WOSB Federal Contracting Program, authorized by H.R. 5654, the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000, and incorporated by reference in P.L. 106-554, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001. 12
The WOSB program is designed to help federal agencies achieve their statutory goal of awarding at least 5% of their federal contracting dollars to WOSBs (established by P.L. 103-355, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (FASA)) by allowing federal contracting officers to
- set aside acquisitions exceeding the micro-purchase threshold (currently $10,000) for bidding by WOSBs (including economically disadvantaged WOSBs (EDWOSBs) exclusively in industries in which WOSBs are substantially underrepresented, and
- set aside contracts for bidding by EDWOSBs exclusively in industries in which WOSBs are underrepresented.
Congressional interest in the WOSB program has increased in recent years because the federal government has met the 5% procurement goal for WOSBs only twice—in FY2015 and FY2019—since the goal was authorized in 1994, and implemented in FY1996…
WOSB federal contract award data suggest that federal procurement officers are using the WOSB program more often than in the past, but the amount of WOSB awarded contracts account for a relatively small portion of the total amount of contracts awarded to WOSBs. Most of the federal contracts awarded to WOSBs are awarded in full and open competition with other firms or with another small business preference, such as an 8(a) or HUBZone program preference. Relatively few federal contracts are awarded through the WOSB program…”
Access the full 25-page report here.
Source: SBA Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program – November 10, 2021. CRS Reports.
