Center for the Integrity of Small Business Status

Why Use the Center?

• Asset Protection + Increased Profitability
  

A new law could require your company to pay the government back three times the contract amount it received on a federal contract, and subject the company and its owners to debarment if the company is out of compliance with the SBA's new rules. The sanctions also apply to subcontractors and grant recipients.  The Center provides a free Evaluator App and support to help avoid that new exposure.

• Fight Unlawful Competition

Has your company ever lost business to a company you suspected was dishonest about its eligibility as a small or preferenced business? The Center provides a free app and support to help you either capture that business, or sideline that competition in the future. Why lose work to a company that is ineligible to compete with you?

• Increase Marketshare

The increasing number and value of set aside opportunities is strongly encouraging small and large companies to enter into teaming, venturing and mentor protégé relationships. The rules on these are very complex, and the cost of mistakes is quite high. The Center’s free resources help companies understand and comply with the requirements.

Mission Statement

The Center is a resource for current and prospective federal contractors focused on the complex area of federal small business contracting.  We provide information and support in four recurring problems areas for contractors.

• Eligibility for small or preferenced status,
• Unlawful competition
• Teaming/Joint ventures, and
• Mentor Protégé relationships

Eligibility for Small or Preferenced Status

The Evaluator App helps contractors address key areas of concern relative to small business eligibility and compliance. Even experienced federal contractors have difficulty understanding the changing maze of laws and regulations that govern status as a small business, or other preferenced category. The Evaluator App provides user friendly structured information, and software tools that simplify the eligibility and compliance processes.

Due to sharply increased audit activity and a new forfeiture law, getting eligibility right is no longer just an option. There is no margin for error, or for fraud. Now, if a small business has mis-certified its small business or preference status, it may have to forfeit three times the amount of its contract revenues, plus more, even if it fully performed the contract to the government’s satisfaction. The law will also impact large businesses that subcontract or team with small businesses on set aside contracts, and large businesses seeking to acquire small businesses.

Go to the Evaluator App now.

Unlawful Competition

The Challenger App addresses the widespread problem of eligible small businesses losing contracts to competitors who improperly claim they are small, disadvantaged, or entitled to some other preferenced status. If you are competing against a company that is misrepresenting its status, you are not on a level playing field, and your hard earned dollars invested in preparing bids and proposals is being wasted. The Center helps contractors of all sizes win business by helping them identify when they are not competing on a level playing field, and arming them with the information and tools necessary to correct the situation.

Go to the Challenger App now.

Teaming/Joint Ventures

The Teaming/Joint Ventures Center assists contractors in avoiding the pitfalls associated with teaming with, or joint venturing with or from small businesses. The rules in this area are constantly changing, and the consequences of mistakes or errors in structuring relationships can be very costly.

The Center’s mission is to educate and inform. The information provided by the Center should not be regarded or relied upon as legal or consulting advice covering a particular transaction. The Center is able to refer you to professionals at your request should your situation warrant more specific guidance.

View the Teaming/Joint Venture FAQ now.

Mentor Protégé Relationships

Mentor protégé relationships between a large business mentor and a small business protégé are a powerful mechanism that allow large and small businesses to jointly pursue federal contract opportunities which neither one could pursue on their own. There are many requirements ancillary to the mentor protégé relationship and one must take care in structuring the agreement so as to strictly comply with the regulatory requirements.

View the Mentor Protégé Relationships FAQ now.