New Law Removes Cap on Set-Asides for Contracts with Women-Owned Small Business
In October 2010, the Small Business Administration implemented the Women-Owned Small Business Program, which authorized contracting officers for federal agencies to set aside certain federal contracts for eligible and qualified Women-Owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Businesses. Under the program, however, those set-asides were capped at $6.5 million for manufacturing contracts and $4 million for all other contracts.
However, the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Obama signed into law earlier this year, removed the statutory limits for set-asides for Women-Owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Businesses. Recently, the Small Business Administration issued an Interim Final Rule officially removing dollar value limits on set-asides for Women-Owned Small Businesses and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Businesses. A copy of the new Interim Final Rule, which details the new parameters under which set-asides may be made, can be found by following this link.