On May 20, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a program update to firms participating in the Women Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program.
The announcement provided SBA certified Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB) an additional year of eligibility to those firms whose three-year certification renewal date occurs between June 1 and May 31, 2025. This means WOSB Program participants whose renewal date is on or between June 1 and May 31, 2025, will not need to complete a three-year renewal until June 1, 2025.
Firms that have already submitted a renewal application and their three-year expiration date on or between June 1 and May 31, 2025, these recertification applications will be administratively removed by SBA. Participants must continue to meet the WOSB or EDWOSB requirements of all times while certified.
Specifically, firms should remain aware of the regulation at 13 C.F.R. at 127.401: Once certified, a WOSB or EDWOSB must notify the SBA of any material changes that could affect its eligibility within 30 calendar days of any such change.
“Material changes include but are not limited to, a change in the ownership, business structure, or management,” according to the SBA.
The notification must be in writing and must be uploaded into the concern’s profile with SBA.
Additionally, the method for notifying SBA can be found on WOSB.Certify.
A concern’s failure to notify SBA of such material change may result in decertification and removal from SAM and DSBS (or any successor system) at a designated certified WOSB/EDWOSB concern.
