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Federal Market Intelligence for Small Business |
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Set-Aside Alert exclusive analysis:SBA says 48% of WOSB certs took more than 90 days in 2021Agency aims to streamline applications in 2022-2023; WOSB set-asides remain a small share of WOSB awardsThe Small Business Administration’s first year of certifying Women-Owned Small Business Program participants got off to a relatively slow start. Forty-eight percent of WOSB applications in fiscal 2021 took more than 90 days to process, the agency recently reported. The new data on the WOSB Program was presented in SBA’s recent Annual Performance Report for Fiscal 2021. It covers Economically Disadvantaged WOSBs as well, known as EDWOSBs. The SBA measured what percentage of WOSB Program applications were processed within the statutory limit of 90 days: 52%. That means 48% exceeded the 90-day deadline. Also, the agency announced that 3,705 WOSBs and EDWOSBs participated in the WOSB Program in fiscal 2021, the first time a count was released. Another data point offered in the report for the first time is that 7,983 WOSBs and EDWOSBs were “assisted” by SBA last year. Additionally, Set-Aside Alert reviewed WOSB awards from USASpending.gov, SBA Procurement Scorecards and the Congressional Research Service (CRS). While SBA and CRS have not released data for fiscal 2021, the numbers reported to date on USASpending.gov show that WOSB Program set-aside awards dipped slightly in fiscal 2021. Those set-asides continue to comprise a small share of total WOSB and EDWOSB awards. That trend has been ongoing for many years, reflecting the fact that WOSBs and EDWOSBs win the large majority of their awards either with other types of small business set-asides or through full competition. In fiscal 2020, about 61% of WOSB and EDWOSB awards were from other types of set-asides and 34% were from open competition, the CRS said. CRS data generally showed higher numbers for WOSB Program set-aside awards than did USASpending.gov. SBA’s certification of WOSBs In 2015, Congress required the SBA to take charge of WOSB certification, setting the 90-day target for processing of applications. Six years later, SBA began implementing in-house WOSB and EDWOSB certification through an online application process. Self-certification is no longer allowed; third-party certifications continue. In fiscal 2022 and 2023, SBA said it intends to improve the user experience in its application process and to reduce processing times for certification. Steps include revising Standard Operating Procedures and the Desk Guides to standardize application processes. SBA also will continue to carry out reviews of its third-party certifiers and to attract and train new applicants through the ChallengeHer outreach program. In addition, WOSB Program eligibility will be updated as a result of the recent NAICS codes study determining in which industries WOSBs are underrepresented and substantially underrepresented. WOSB performance data The federal government has three prominent data sets for measuring WOSB Program awards and measuring all WOSB and EDWOSB awards. Here are USASpending.gov’s figures for WOSB Program set-aside awards to WOSBs and EDWOSBs. It includes the most recent data for fiscal 2021. All years are fiscal years for all charts.
Here is the CRS data for WOSB Program set-aside awards. Information was not immediately available on why the figures differ from USASpending.gov’s:
Here is the SBA data showing all WOSB and EDWOSB awards, including set-asides, and their combined percentage of all eligible federal contract awards. The goal is 5%.
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