THE WOMEN OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM...

Subpart 19.15 - Women-Owned Small Business Program.

Parent topic: Part 19 - Small Business Programs

(a) Section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) created the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program.

(b) The purpose of the WOSB Program is to ensure women-owned small business concerns have an equal opportunity to participate in Federal contracting and to assist agencies in achieving their women-owned small business participation goals (see 13 part CFR 127).

(c) An economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concern and a WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program are subcategories of “women-owned small business concern” as defined in section 2.101.

19.1501 [Reserved]

The procedures in this subpart apply to all Federal agencies that employ one or more contracting officers.

19.1503 Status.

(a) Status as an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program is determined by the Small Business Administration in accordance with 13 CFR part 127.

(b) For a WOSB that seeks a WOSB or EDWOSB set-aside or sole-source contract, the contracting officer shall verify that the offeror—

(1) Is registered in the System for Award Management (SAM); and

(2) Is designated as a certified EDWOSB or WOSB concern in SAM (see 19.1505(d) for set aside procedures). Pending applications for certification are only in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) at https://web.sba.gov/​pro-net/​search/​dsp_​dsbs.cfm.

(c) If there is a decision issued by SBA as a result of a current eligibility examination finding that the concern did not qualify as an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, the contracting officer may terminate the contract, and shall not exercise any option, or award further task or delivery orders. Agencies shall not count or include the award toward the small business goals for an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program and must update FPDS from the date of award to reflect the final SBA decision.

(d) A joint venture may be considered an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program if the EDWOSB or WOSB participant is certified in SAM (see section 19.1505(d) for set-aside procedures) and the joint venture meets the requirements of 13 CFR 127.506.

This subpart does not apply to-

(a) Requirements that an 8(a) contractor is currently performing under the 8(a) program or that SBA has accepted for performance under the authority of the 8(a) program, unless SBA has consented to release the requirements from the 8(a) program;

(b) Requirements that can be satisfied through award to mandatory Government sources (see section 8.002);

(c) Orders under indefinite-delivery contracts (see subpart 16.5). (But see 16.505(b)(2)(i)(F) for discretionary set-asides of orders); or

(d) Orders against Federal Supply Schedules (see subpart 8.4). (But see 8.405-5 for discretionary set-asides of orders.)

(a) The contracting officer-

(1) Shall comply with 19.203 before deciding to set aside an acquisition under the WOSB Program;

(2)

(i) May set aside acquisitions exceeding the micro-purchase threshold for competition restricted to EDWOSB concerns when the acquisition is assigned a NAICS code in which SBA has determined that WOSB concerns are underrepresented in Federal procurement; or

(ii) Is assigned a NAICS code in which SBA has determined that WOSB concerns are substantially underrepresented in Federal procurement, as specified on SBA’s Web site at http://www.sba.gov/WOSB.

(b) For requirements in NAICS codes designated by SBA as underrepresented, a contracting officer may restrict competition to EDWOSB concerns if the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation based on market research that-

(1) Two or more EDWOSB concerns will submit offers for the contract and;

(2) Contract award will be made at a fair and reasonable price.

(c) A contracting officer may restrict competition to WOSB concerns eligible under the WOSB Program (including EDWOSB concerns), for requirements in NAICS codes designated by SBA as substantially underrepresented if there is a reasonable expectation based on market research that-

(1) Two or more WOSB concerns eligible under the WOSB Program (including EDWOSB concerns), will submit offers and;

(2) Contract award may be made at a fair and reasonable price.

(d) An EDWOSB or WOSB concern may submit an offer under an EDWOSB or WOSB set-aside when the offeror—

(1) Qualifies as a small business concern under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned to the contract; and

(2)

(i) For an EDWOSB set-aside, is certified pursuant to 13 CFR 127.300 as an EDWOSB or has a pending application for EDWOSB certification in the DSBS (see 13 CFR 127.504(a)); or

(ii) For a WOSB set-aside, is certified pursuant to 13 CFR 127.300 as an EDWOSB or WOSB or has a pending application for EDWOSB or WOSB certification in the DSBS (see 13 CFR 127.504(a)).

(e) The contracting officer shall verify that offers received are eligible for consideration for award by checking SAM to see if the EDWOSB or WOSB concern is designated as a certified concern or checking DSBS for a pending application for certification.

(1) If the offeror is designated as certified in SAM or has a pending application for certification in DSBS, proceed with the offer evaluation.

(2) Unless the offeror is designated as certified in SAM or has a pending application for certification in DSBS, the offer is not eligible for award and shall be removed from consideration.

(f) Prior to award, the contracting officer shall verify the apparently successful offeror is certified in SAM, or has a pending application for certification in DSBS. If the apparently successful offeror's EDWOSB or WOSB certification is pending in DSBS, the contracting officer shall notify SBA's Director/Government Contracting by email at WOSBpendingcertification@sba.gov, and request SBA's status determination. The contracting officer shall provide SBA with the offeror's name, unique entity identifier, type of set-aside, NAICS code, and solicitation number.

(1) Within 15 calendar days from the date of the contracting officer's notification, SBA will make a determination regarding the offeror's status as an EDWOSB or WOSB eligible under the WOSB program.

(2) If the contracting officer does not receive a determination from SBA within 15 calendar days, the contracting officer at their discretion, may provide SBA additional time to make a determination, or may proceed with award to the next highest evaluated offeror.

(3) The contracting officer shall not make award to an offeror who is not a certified EDWOSB or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB program.

(g) The contracting officer may make an award, if only one acceptable offer is received from a qualified EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program.

(h) If no acceptable offers are received from an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, the set-aside shall be withdrawn and the requirement, if still valid, must be considered for set aside in accordance with 19.203 and subpart 19.5.

(i) The SBA procurement center representative (PCR) may recommend use of the WOSB Program. If the contracting officer rejects a recommendation by SBA's PCR—

(1) The contracting officer shall notify the PCR as soon as practicable;

(2) SBA shall notify the contracting officer of its intent to appeal the contracting officer’s decision no later than five business days after receiving notice of the contracting officer’s decision;

(3) The contracting officer shall suspend further action regarding the procurement until the head of the agency issues a written decision on the appeal, unless the head of the agency makes a written determination that urgent and compelling circumstances which significantly affect the interests of the United States compel award of the contract;

(4) Within 15 business days of SBA’s notification to the head of the contracting activity, SBA shall file a formal appeal to the head of the agency, or the appeal will be determined withdrawn; and

(5) The head of the agency, or designee, shall specify in writing the reasons for a denial of an appeal brought under this section.

(a) A contracting officer shall consider a contract award to an EDWOSB concern on a sole-source basis (see 6.302-5(b)(7)) before considering small business set-asides (see 19.203 and subpart  19.5) provided none of the exclusions at 19.1504 apply and-

(1) The acquisition is assigned a NAICS code in which SBA has determined that WOSB concerns are underrepresented in Federal procurement;

(2) The contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that offers would be received from two or more EDWOSB concerns; and

(3) The conditions in paragraph (c) of this section exist.

(b) A contracting officer shall consider a contract award to a WOSB concern (including EDWOSB concerns) eligible under the WOSB Program on a sole-source basis (see 6.302-5(b)(7)) before considering small business set-asides (see 19.203 and subpart  19.5) provided none of the exclusions at 19.1504 apply and-

(1) The acquisition is assigned a NAICS code in which SBA has determined that WOSB concerns are substantially underrepresented in Federal procurement;

(2) The contracting officer does not have a reasonable expectation that offers would be received from two or more WOSB concerns (including EDWOSB concerns); and

(3) The conditions in paragraph (c) of this section exist.

(c)

(1) The anticipated award price of the contract, including options, will not exceed-

(i) $7 million for a requirement within the NAICS codes for manufacturing; or

(ii) $4.5 million for a requirement within any other NAICS codes.

(2) The EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern has been determined to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance.

(3) The award can be made at a fair and reasonable price.

(d) A contracting officer shall only award a sole-source contract to a concern that has been certified pursuant to 13 CFR 127.300 as an EDWOSB or WOSB eligible under the WOSB program. Contracting officers shall not request a status determination from SBA on pending applications for certification for EDWOSB or WOSB sole-source awards.

(e) The SBA has the right to appeal the contracting officer’s decision not to make a sole-source award to either an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB program.

(a)The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.219-29, Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole-Source Award to, Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business Concerns, in solicitations and contracts for acquisitions that are set aside or awarded on a sole-source basis to, EDWOSB concerns under 19.1505(b) or 19.1506(a). This includes multiple-award contracts when orders may be set aside for EDWOSB concerns as described in 8.405-5 and 16.505(b)(2)(i)(F) or when orders may be issued directly to one EDWOSB contractor in accordance with 19.504(c)(1)(ii).

(b)The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.219-30, Notice of Set-Aside for, or Sole-Source Award to, Women-Owned Small Business Concerns Eligible Under the Women-Owned Small Business Program, in solicitations and contracts for acquisitions that are set aside or awarded on a sole-source basis to WOSB concerns under 19.1505(c) or 19.1506(b). This includes multiple-award contracts when orders may be set aside for WOSB concerns eligible under the WOSB Program as described in 8.405-5 and 16.505(b)(2)(i)(F) or when orders may be issued directly to one WOSB contractor in accordance with 19.504(c)(1)(ii).

(c)For use of clause 52.219-14, Limitations on Subcontracting, see the prescription at 19.507(e).

(d)For use of clause 52.219-33, Nonmanufacturer Rule, see the prescription at 19.507(h).