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Contract Assistance
for
Go to Viewing Utilities if
necessary. CAWBO Fact Sheet [PDF] or [Word 97] or [Html] Questions and Answers Regarding
Women Owned Small Business Certification:
A. At this time there
is no certification procedure required for women-owned businesses for Federal
procurement. However, you are encouraged to self-certify your business as a
woman-owned small business (WOSB) in the Central Contracting Registry (CCR)
database. The CCR is FREE and it is
used extensively by both federal agencies and large contractors that are
seeking small businesses. Do provide a full profile of your business when you
register. You can access the CCR web
site at http://www.ccr.gov. If you are registered in PRO-Net, please
check to ensure your information has been transferred into CCR. There are several
federal certification programs, three of which are currently offered by the
Small Business Administration (SBA). Please refer to SBA's 8(a), Small
Disadvantage Business and HubZone web sites at the
addresses below. Information is available concerning the 8(a) program through
www.sba.gov/8abd. Applications and
information regarding the 8(a) program are also available through the
SBA’s district offices. District office locations and telephone numbers
are available by calling (800) U ASK SBA ((800) 827-5722). Applications and
information concerning the Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) program are
available at www.sba.gov/sdb. Hubzone
information is provided at www.sba.gov/hubzone.
Additional help is also available by e-mailing HUBZone@sba.gov, or calling (202) 205-8885.
Potential applicants will want to obtain information about the qualifications
and benefits applicable to each of these programs. The Department of Transportation (DOT) also certifies qualified
women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) as well as
qualified minority-owned businesses. DOT has over 500 certifying
organizations that review applications for this program. Information about
DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program and a list of
certifiers may be obtained at http://www.sba.gov/cgi-bin/byebye.pl?TO=http://OSDBUweb.dot.gov/business/mp/mktpkg8.html.
You may also call (202) 366-4754 for additional information. Please note that additional information about the above programs
is also available at http://www.sba.gov/cgi-bin/byebye.pl?TO=http://www.WomenBiz.gov/.
A question and answer about this web site is included among the questions and
answers that follow. In addition, there are private, national women's business
organizations that certify qualified women-owned businesses. One of these is
the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), which offers a
comprehensive certification for women-owned businesses administered through
fourteen regional affiliates and accepted by more than 400 national
corporations as well as state and local government agencies. See http://www.wbenc.org.
The WBENC may also be contacted at 202-872-5515 x12. A second private
certification organization is the National Women's Business Owners
Corporation (NWBOC). The NWBOC has launched a national certification program
for women-owned and controlled businesses as an alternative to the multiple
state and local certifications required by many public and private-sector
agencies or prime contractors. See http://www.nwboc.org. The NWBOC may
be reached at (561) 881-7364.
A. The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Defines a
"Women-owned small business concern" in Part 19.001 Definitions, as
follows: "Women-owned small business concern means a small business
concern-(a) which is at least 51 percent owned by one or more women; or, in
the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of the stock of
which is owned by one or more women; and (b) Whose management and daily
business operations are controlled by one or more women."
A. WOSBs seeking contracts or
subcontracts are encouraged to search www.WomenBiz.gov
which has over 100 links to procurement information. The web site also has information
about Getting Started, Subcontracting, Agency Forecasting, and Mentor-Protégé
Programs. It also includes contacts with the Small Disadvantaged Business
Utilization Offices, the Women Business Advocates, the On-Line Women's
A. Section
8 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637) is amended by adding at the end
the following: 811(m) PROCUREMENT PROGRAM FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS
CONCERNS- (A) CONTRACTING OFFICER-The term "contracting officer"
has the meaning given such term in section 27(f)(5) of the Office of Federal
Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 423(f)(5)). (B) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY WOMEN-The
term "small business concern owned and controlled by women" has the
meaning given such term in section 3(n), except that ownership shall be
determined without regard to any community property law. (2) AUTHORITY TO RESTRICT COMPETITION-In accordance with this
subsection, a contracting officer may restrict competition for any contract
for the procurement of goods or services by the Federal Government to small
business concerns owned and controlled by women, if- (A) each of the concerns is not less than 51 percent owned by 1
or more women who are economically disadvantaged (and such ownership is
determined without regard to any community property law); (B) the contracting officer has a reasonable expectation that 2
or more small business concerns owned and controlled by women will submit
offers for the contract; (C) the contract is for the procurement of goods or services
with respect to an industry identified by the Administrator pursuant to
paragraph (3); (D) the anticipated award price of the contract (including
options) does not exceed- (i) $5,000,000, in the case of a
contract assigned an industrial classification code for manufacturing; or (ii) $3,000,000, in the case of all other contracts; (E) in the estimation of the contracting officer, the contract
award can be made at a fair and reasonable price; and (F) each of the concerns- (i) is certified by a Federal agency,
a State government, or a national certifying entity approved by the
Administrator, as a small business concern owned and controlled by women; or (ii) certifies to the contracting
officer that it is a small business concern owned and controlled by women and
provides adequate documentation, in accordance with standards established by
the Administration, to support such certification. (3) WAIVER-With respect to a small business concern owned and
controlled by women, the Administrator may waive subparagraph (2)(A) if the
Administrator determines that the concern is in an industry in which small business
concerns owned and controlled by women are substantially underrepresented. (4) IDENTIFICATION OF INDUSTRIES-The Administrator shall conduct
a study to identify industries in which small business concerns owned and
controlled by women are underrepresented with respect to Federal procurement
contracting. (5) ENFORCEMENT; PENALTIES.- (A) VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY-—In carrying out this
subsection, the Administrator shall establish procedures relating to- (i) the filing, investigation, and
disposition by the Administration of any challenge to the eligibility of a
small business concern to receive assistance under this subsection (including
a challenge, filed by an interested party, relating to the veracity of a
certification made or information provided to the Administration by a small
business concern under paragraph (2)(F)); and (ii) verification by the Administrator
of the accuracy of any certification made or information provided to the
Administration by a small business concern under paragraph (2)(F). (B) EXAMINATIONS-—The procedures established under subparagraph
(A) may provide for program examinations (including random program
examinations) by the Administrator of any small business concern making a
certification or providing information to the Administrator under paragraph
(2)(F). (C) PENALTIES.-In addition to the penalties described in section
16(d), any small business concern that is determined by the Administrator to
have misrepresented the status of that concern as a small business concern owned
and controlled by women for purposes of this subsection, shall be subject to— (i) section 1001 of title 18, United
States Code; and (ii) sections 3729 through 3733 of title 31, United States Code;
(6) PROVISION OF DATA-Upon the request of the Administrator, the
head of any Federal department or agency shall promptly provide to the
Administrator such information as the Administrator determines to be
necessary to carry out this subsection.
If you have any questions about a specific
agency’s WOSB initiatives, you can contact that agency directly or
visit its web site. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments for this
Federal Agency Advocate Group, please e-mail them to Pamela M. Fenderson at Pamela.Fenderson@sba.gov.
Advocates:
Director: James House WOBREP: Sherry Cohen VOBREP: Stella Hughes 202-720-7117 (office) 202-720-3001
(fax) Air Force Department/OSDBU Director: Joseph Diamond WOBREP: Sara Mitcho
703 696-1103 (office) 703 696-1170
(fax) Department of Army The Pentagon Director: Tracey L. Pinson WOBREP: Judy Shifflett 703-697-2868 (office) 703-693-3898 (fax)
Department of Commerce / OSDBU Director: T. J. Garcia WOBREP: Brenda Black 14 & 202-482-1472 (office) 202-482-0501
(fax) Defense Logistics Agency / OSDBU Director: Thomas D. Ray WOBREP: Pat Cleveland 703-767-1652 (office) 703-767-1670
(fax) Department of Education/OSDBU Director: Viola Jaramillo
202-708-9820 (office) 202-401-6477 (fax) Department of Energy / OSDBU Acting Director: Teresa Speake WOBREP: Marcia Haynes 202-586-7377 (office) 202-586-5488 (fax) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Director: Jeanette Brown WOBREP: Trina Porter 202-564- 4100 (office) 202-501-0756
(fax) GSA Office of Small Business
Utilization Associate Administrator: Felipe
Mendoza WOBREP: Liz Ivey 1800 F Street, NW Room 6029 202-501-1021 (office) 202-208-5938 (fax) Department of Health and Human Srvs./ OSDBU Director: Debbie Ridgely
WOBREP: Angel Graves 202-690-6670 (office) 202-260-4872 (fax) Department of HUD/ OSDBU Director: A. Jo Baylor WOBREP: Keira
Buggs 202-708-1428 ext. 3213 (office) 202-708-7642 (fax) Department of Homeland Security /OSDBU Director: Kevin Boshears WOBREP: Mary Ellen Dorsey 7th & D Streets, SW
(Attn: OSDBU/Rm 3514) 202-205-0050 (office) Department of Interior/OSDBU Director: Robert Faithful WOBREP: LaVanna
Stevenson-Harris
202-208-3493 (office)
202-208-7444 (fax) Department of Justice / OSDBU (Acting) Director: Ramona Glover WOBREP: Ramona Glover Room 202-616-0521 (office) 202-616-1717
(fax) Ramona.M.JohnsonGlover@usdoj.gov Department of Labor / OSDBU Acting Director: Fritz Trakowski WOBREP: Elaine Murrell 202-693-6460 (office) 202-693-6485 (fax) NASA/ OSDBU Associate Administrator: Ralph Thomas
III WOBREP: Shirley Perez 300 E Street, SW, Room 9F70, Code K 202-358-2088 (office) 202-358-3261(fax) Department of the Navy/OSDBU Director: Nancy Tarrant WOBREP: Linda G. Wright Naval Facilities Engineering Command,
Code FAC-00J 202-685-9129 (office) 202-685-1485
(fax) Department of State/OSDBU Director: Durie
White WOBREP: Trish Culbreth
SA-6, Room L500 703-875-6822 (office) 703-875-6825
(fax) Department of Transportation / OSDBU Director: Sean M. Moss WOBREP: Pat Hodge 202-366-1930 (office) 202-366-7228
(fax) Department of Treasury / OSDBU Acting Director: Jackie Barber WOBREP: Renee Fitzgerald
202-622-0376 (office)
202-622-4963 (fax) Veterans Affairs/OSDBU Director: Scott Denniston WOBREP: Ilene Waggoner 801 I Street, NW, 00SB - Room 1221 202 565 8124 (office) 202 565-8156 (fax) USAID/OSDBU/MRC Director: Marilyn Marton
WOBREP: Rhoda Issac
202-712-1500 (office) 202-216-3056
(fax) Defense Finance & Accounting
Service Director, Contract Services
Directorate, Ed Roden Office: (703) 607-5106 WOBREP: Lois Byrne Code RA, CM3 Room (703) 607-0573 (office) | Back
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