Mountain Point, LLC, one of the newest subsidiaries for Cape Fox Corporation’s Federal Contract Group, is pleased to announce that it has received its certification in the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 8(a) Program. The SBA is the only federal agency dedicated to providing programs, services, and certifications for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
What does becoming part of the SBA 8(a) Program mean? The 8(a) Program assists small, disadvantaged businesses by offering assistance and benefits to small businesses owned and controlled by 51% minority or socially, economically disadvantaged individuals.
What are those benefits? There are several benefits for Mountain Point to receive its 8(a) certification, including:
- Compete for set-aside and sole-source contractsin the program
- Get a Business Opportunity Specialist to help navigate federal contracting
- Form joint ventures with established businesses through the SBA’s mentor-protégé program
- Receive management and technical assistance, including business training, counseling, marketing assistance, and high-level executive development
- Limited Competition An 8(a) certification limits the field of competition for bidding on federal contracts. There are approximately 24 million businesses in the United States; only 6,500 have successfully completed the process of obtaining their 8(a) certification. 5% of all federal spending is earmarked for 8(a) firms, accounting for more than $34 billion per year in federal contracts. This is more than $4 million per year in federal spending per 8(a) firm.
- Large Contracts – Contract size for 8(a) firms can be large from a small business standpoint. These contracts can be accomplished by teaming with other partners. This is because 8(a) firms are permitted to partner with other firms in what is known as a joint venture or mentor protégé arrangement.
- Better Pricing – Due to the limited number of 8(a) firms and the fact that they are all small businesses, 8(a) firms are able to receive better pricing than their non-8(a) small business peers.
- Construction Contractor Friendly – 8(a) firms are very successful in their award of federal construction contracts and therefore outperform their peers. As a result, 40%+ of all 8(a) firms are in the construction field like Mountain Point that offers construction services expertise.
- FEMA Contracts – When national disasters strike, due to the quick nature of 8(a) sole-source contracting mechanism, 8(a) firms are administratively better equipped to be awarded contracts and help disaster victims. In the past ten years, there have been 560 designated presidential disasters, with $11.5 billion spent annually with a large amount of these dollars going to 8(a) firms.
The federal government’s goal is to award at least five percent of all federal contracting dollars to small businesses in the 8(a) Program. We are excited that Mountain Point will be one of the companies. Welcome to the Cape Fox Family!
