Federal Acquisition Regulation
Relationship among small business programs
FAR 19.203
(a) General . There is no order of precedence among the 8(a) Program (subpart Contracting with the Small Business Administration (The 8(a) Program) (FAR 19.8) ), HUBZone Program (subpart Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Program (FAR 19.13) ), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Program (subpart Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Program (FAR 19.14) ), or the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program (subpart Women-Owned Small Business Program. (FAR 19.15) ). (b) At or below the simplified acquisition threshold . For acquisitions of supplies or services that have an anticipated dollar value above the micro-purchase threshold, but at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, the requirement at 19.502-2 (a) to set aside acquisitions for small business concerns does not preclude the contracting officer from awarding a contract to a small business under the 8(a) Program, HUBZone Program, SDVOSB Program, or WOSB Program. (c) Above the simplified acquisition threshold . For acquisitions of supplies or services that have an anticipated dollar value exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold definition at Definitions (FAR 2.101) , the contracting officer shall first consider an acquisition for the small business socioeconomic contracting programs (i.e. , 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB programs) before considering a small business set-aside (see 19.502-2 (b)). However, if a requirement has been accepted by the SBA under the 8(a) Program, it must remain in the 8(a) Program unless the SBA agrees to its release in accordance with 13 CFR parts 124, 126, 127, and 128. (d) In determining which socioeconomic program to use for an acquisition, the contracting officer should consider, at a minimum- (1) Results of market research that was done to determine if there are socioeconomic firms capable of satisfying the agency’s requirement; and (2) Agency progress in fulfilling its small business goals. (e) Small business set-asides have priority over acquisitions using full and open competition. See requirements for establishing a small business set-aside at subpart Small Business Total Set-Asides, Partial Set-Asides, and Reserves (FAR 19.5) .
GovGazette