The Process of 8a Certification and Its Benefits

The 8a certification program is a vigorous program of 9 years organised to assist firms those are owned and maintained by socially and economically disadvantaged business individuals. It is the federal Government who assigns several programs that are designed to help owners of the business who are small and might have experience in cultural biasness in their entrepreneurial operation. Thus, the program of 8a certification is a business development program of the United Nations that assist the small, minority-owned businesses to earn federal contracts. 

The SBA 8a Certification Program is a program for small business owners who are willing to take part in the Business Development Program for SBA. This is also a 9 year program that has targeted to award five per cent federal contracts each year to small and disadvantaged businesses. Native Americans, Black American, Hispanic Americans are found to be the small business owners who are usually qualified for 8a certification program. They are always having experience of disadvantages due to their gender, race, origin, physical abilities or veteran status.  When you have become certified for an 8a business you will found yourselves eligible for the federal contracting services. You as a small owner will get the facilities for technical assistance as well as training throughout to help your business to grow.

Benefits of Earning 8a Certification:

Many financial benefits are there for having certifies for the program of 8a, which are as follows:

Business Development Assistance: Business owners of 8a can get assistance from the specialists to help you to grow your companies to achieve your business development goals. 

Program for Mentorship: It is the small business owners that can learn from the program of 8a certification through the mentorship program of your business development goal.

Get connected with the Experts: Taking part in the program of 8a certification you can connect with the experts who will make you to understand the federal regulations for the government contracting services.

Access to Free Training: It is the 8a participants, who can receive to have free training facilities through the management of SBA and the program for 8a assistance. Not only that additional training program will include market assistance, program for leadership development and business consulting. 

Eligible to get Federal Surplus: You as a 8a business owner are eligible to receive federal surplus to help the operations of a business surplus. 

Process to be SBA 8a Certified:

The steps to earn for a SBA 8a certification are as follows:

1. Require to meet the eligibility Requirements:

   Prior to start for the application of SBA Certification Program, you have to go through for the checking that whether you meet to have the eligibility requirements such that if you are a citizen of USA, whether you own a small business. You should not have previous participation. Business owners should have at least 51 per cent ownership or business control over the business. The Income requirements for the program includes a net worth of $750,000 or less and adjusted gross income of $350,000 or having assets of 6 million or less.

2. Collecting Important Documents:

   The moment you are found to meet the eligibility requirements for the program, you have to collect all the important documents that are supportive in nature for the process of completion of the application for 8a certification. Different documents related to your business information are generally needed. The documents may include personal business financial statement, bank statements or federal tax returns. It would be also beneficial to keep the copies of licences or permits for your businesses.

3. Do the registration:

   The Small Business Administration requires you as a business owner to do the registration in the SAM (System for Award Management). After the registration process of your business you will show that your businesses either have a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN) to pay for taxes. For registering under SAM you are also required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS). The moment you have found to be registered under SAM, you are eligible to log in the website of SAM to begin for the application process.

4. Proceed to Write a Narrative:

   The very important step that is quite helpful to proceed for prior to starting for the application procedure for 8a certification is writing a Narrative. This Narrative is basically about the social and economic disadvantages that are being faced by you as a small and disadvantaged business owner. It is narrative is very important as this denotes that whether you will be eligible to take part in the program of 8a certification or not. 

5. Application for the Program:

   As you have completed the writings for the narrative and have been successful in the completion of collecting or supporting documents you can go for submitting your application. The submission of the application can be done either online through the website of SBA or physically to your local district office of SBA. Once your application is received by SBA, it will take 90 days to review your application and to make a decision of the acceptance of your application. In reply you can get to receive a formal letter through mail or email.