The Small Business Administration (SBA) has finally launched a special program designed to help women-owned small businesses get a small piece of the government contracting pie. In the last year of the Bill Clinton presidency, Congress adopted the Equity in Contracting for Women Act, which dictated that federal agencies should award 5% of contract funding to female-run small businesses in industries in which women have been historically underrepresented.

 

The SBA did little during George W. Bush’s first term to develop rules for the new program, prompting a lawsuit in 2004 that forced the agency to get moving. But the rules it came up with in 2008 were criticized for defining underrepresentation too narrowly and including only four industries.

 

The Obama administration started all over, eventually expanding the list of relevant industries to 83. The program was officially launched in early October, but there is still concern about its potential effectiveness because, as is the case with other small business contracting programs, the businesses will self-certify that they are women-owned, leading to the possibility of fraud.

-Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

The Wait Is Over (by Elizabeth Newell, Government Executive)

Women’s Small Business Program Finally Ready…after 10 Years (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Small Business Administration Approves Fictional Firm at Alamo (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Government Accused of Giving Small Business Contracts to Fortune 500 Companies (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Lockheed and Dell Win Contracts Meant for Small Businesses (AllGov)

Office of Women’s Business Ownership (Small Business Administration)