13 CFR Part 121, Subpart B - Other Applicable Provisions

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to implement section 1614 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (NDAA 2014). Section 1614 amended the Small Business Act to provide that where a prime contractor has an individual subcontracting plan for a specific prime contract with an executive agency, the prime contractor shall receive credit towards its subcontracting plan goals for awards made to small business concerns at any tier under the contract. The changes authorized by this statute will allow an other than small prime contractor that has an individual subcontracting plan for a contract to receive credit towards its small business subcontracting goals for subcontract awards made to small business concerns at any tier, to the extent reported on the subcontracting plans of its lower tier subcontractors. The final rule also implements the statutory requirements related to the subcontracting plans of all subcontractors that are required to maintain such plans, including the requirement to monitor subcontractors' performance and compliance toward reaching the goals set out in those plans as well as their compliance with subcontracting reporting requirements. SBA is also clarifying that the size standard for a particular subcontract must appear in the solicitation for the subcontract.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on January 26, 2016 (81 FR 4469). The rule increased small business size standards for a number of industries in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector 31-33, Manufacturing. The rule also stated that SBA was amending Footnote 5 to the table of size standards relating to NAICS 326211, Tire Manufacturing (except Retreading), to reflect the current Census Product Classification Codes 3262111 and 3262113. However, SBA inadvertently omitted code 3262111 from the revised text in Footnote 5. This action corrects the omission. This correction does not affect the 1,500-employee small business size standard for NAICS 326211.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 25, 2016 (81 FR 48557), amending its regulations to establish a new Government-wide mentor-protégé program for all small business concerns, consistent with SBA's mentor-protégé program for Participants in SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) program. The rule also made several additional changes to current size, 8(a), Office of Hearings and Appeals, and HUBZone regulations, concerning among other things, ownership and control, changes in primary industry, economic disadvantage of a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO), standards of review, and interested party status for some appeals. This document makes several technical corrections to that final rule, including correcting citations, eliminating a paragraph that conflicts with a new provision added by that final rule, and making conforming amendments.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is proposing to amend the rules of practice of its Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) to implement Section 869 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016. This legislation authorizes OHA to decide Petitions for Reconsideration of Size Standards. This rule also proposes to revise the rules of practice for OHA appeals of agency employee grievances.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on October 2, 2013. The rule, which described how supply procurements should be classified, mistakenly attempted to amend a regulation by removing words that did not exist in the particular paragraph. This notice corrects that rule document by removing the instruction.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on October 2, 2013 (78 FR 61113). The rule, which described how supply procurements should be classified, mistakenly attempted to amend a regulation by removing words that did not exist in the particular paragraph. This document corrects that rule document by removing the instruction.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) seeks comments on a proposed amendment to its regulations governing the small business timber set-aside program (hereafter referred to as the “timber program”) so that appraisals on small business set-aside sales be made to the nearest small business mill. Timber sale appraisals are performed for small business qualifying set-aside and non-set-aside sales. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Forest Service (FS) offers timber for sale, it appraises its potential market value and sets the minimum bid that it will accept based on that appraisal. Currently, appraisals in small business set-aside timber sales take into account the haul costs to the nearest mill regardless of that mill's size. Since set-aside timber sales require the use of small business mills, SBA proposes that the appraisal on set-aside timber sales be made to the nearest small business mill in order to accurately reflect the estimated cost to an eligible bidder. SBA is also requesting comment on a possible policy alternative that would use a weighted approach to appraising.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is amending its regulations to implement provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Based on authorities provided in these two statutes, the rule establishes a Government-wide mentor-protégé program for all small business concerns, consistent with SBA's mentor-protégé program for Participants in SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) program. The rule also makes minor changes to the mentor-protégé provisions for the 8(a) BD program in order to make the mentor-protégé rules for each of the programs as consistent as possible. The rule also amends the current joint venture provisions to clarify the conditions for creating and operating joint venture partnerships, including the effect of such partnerships on any mentor-protégé relationships. In addition, the rule makes several additional changes to current size, 8(a) Office of Hearings and Appeals and HUBZone regulations, concerning among other things, ownership and control, changes in primary industry, standards of review and interested party status for some appeals. Finally, SBA notes that the title of this rule has been changed.

This final rule amends the regulations pertaining to the determination of size eligibility based on affiliation by creating distinctive requirements for small business applicants for assistance from the Business Loan, Disaster Loan and Surety Bond Guarantee Program (“SBG”). For purposes of this rule, the Business Loan Programs consist of the 7(a) Loan Program, the Microloan Program, the Intermediary Lending Pilot Program (“ILP”), and the Development Company Loan Program (“504 Loan Program”). Note: the Intermediary Lending Pilot Program was inadvertently left out of the proposed rule. There are currently intermediaries with revolving funds for eligible small businesses, so the program has been included in this final rule. The Disaster Loan Programs consist of Physical Disaster Business Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and Immediate Disaster Assistance Program loans. This rule redefines and establishes separate affiliation guidance applicable only to small business applicants in these Programs.

This rule amends the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA or Agency) regulations to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertain to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set-aside contracts and small business subcontracting. This rule also amends SBA's regulations concerning the nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules. Further, this rule allows a joint venture to qualify as small for any government procurement as long as each partner to the joint venture qualifies individually as small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned in the solicitation.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) hereby gives notice of its intended application and interpretation of the interaffiliate transactions exclusion from annual receipts set forth in its Small Business Size Regulations. Effective at the issuance of this notice, SBA will apply the exclusion to properly documented transactions between a concern and its domestic or foreign affiliates, regardless of the type of relationship that resulted in the finding of affiliation.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to adjust for inflation the amount of certain civil monetary penalty that is within the jurisdiction of the agency. This adjustment is required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015. This rule also makes technical amendments to the regulations governing misrepresentations in SBA contracting programs to add a cross reference to the regulation that contains the applicable penalty amounts for misrepresentations and to correct a citation in the same regulations. Finally, the rule makes a technical amendment to an existing regulation governing small business investment companies to add a cross reference to a new civil penalty provision.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement Section 1614 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The proposed amendments authorized by this statute would allow an other than small prime contractor that has an individual subcontracting plan for a contract to receive credit towards its small business subcontracting goals for subcontract awards made to small business concerns at any tier. The prime contractor shall incorporate the lower tier subcontracting performance into its subcontracting plan goals. Currently, other than small business prime contractors establish small business subcontracting goals at the first tier level, and receive credit toward their subcontracting plan goal performance at the first tier level. The rule also proposes to implement the statutory requirements related to the subcontracting plans of all subcontractors that are required to maintain such plans, including the requirement to monitor subcontractors' performance and compliance towards reaching the goals set out in those plans as well as their compliance with subcontracting reporting requirements. SBA is also proposing to clarify that the size standard for a particular subcontract must appear in the solicitation for the subcontract.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has determined that changing conditions in the American economy and a constantly evolving small business community compel it to seek ways to improve program efficiency for its Surety Bond Guarantee (“SBG”) Program, and the business loan programs consisting of the 7(a) Loan Program, the Business Disaster Loan Programs (collectively, the Economic Injury Disaster Loans, Reservist Injury Disaster Loans, Physical Disaster Business Loans, Immediate Disaster Assistance Program loans), the Microloan Program, and the Development Company Program (the “504 Loan Program”). As a result, SBA proposes to simplify guidelines for determining affiliation for eligibility based on size as it relates to these programs. This proposed rule would redefine affiliation for all five Programs, thereby simplifying eligibility determinations.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is extending the comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on February 5, 2015. The comment period is scheduled to close on April 6, 2015. SBA is extending the comment period an additional 30 days in response to the significant level of interest generated by the proposed rule and requests from multiple stakeholders for an extension. Given the scope of the proposed rule and the nature of the issues raised by the comments received to date, SBA believes that affected businesses need more time to review the proposal and prepare their comments.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is seeking comments on possible amendments to its Small Business Timber Set-Aside Program (the Program) regulations. The Small Business Timber Set-Aside Program is rooted in the Small Business Act, which tasked SBA with ensuring that small businesses receive a fair proportion of the total sales of government property. Several timber industry stakeholders have petitioned SBA to make changes to the Program because they believe that the current regulations do not provide adequate protections to ensure that small businesses maintain a fair share of the National Forest timber sale market. In response, SBA, in consultation with the United States Forest Service, is seeking comment on several issues to assist the agency in formulating potential regulatory proposals. SBA will share the comments received in response to this advance notice of proposed rulemaking with the United States Forest Service for their use in determining whether, and if so how, to make any corresponding changes to the United States Forest Service Handbook. First, SBA seeks comments on the possibility of including saw timber volume sold as part of a stewardship timber or stewardship services contract in the calculation of the timber sale share of small business. Second, SBA seeks comments on how timber sale appraisals should be performed for small business set aside sales and associated costs and benefits to stakeholders. The SBA is also seeking input on various policy options.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reopening the comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2014 at 79 FR 77955. In that rule SBA proposed to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertain to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set aside contracts and small business subcontracting. SBA also proposed to make changes to its regulations concerning the nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules. Further, SBA proposed to allow a joint venture to qualify as small for any government procurement as long as each partner to the joint venture qualifies individually as small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned in the solicitation. Finally, SBA requested comments on the timeline and procedures for North American Industry Classification System code appeals. The comment period closed on February 27, 2015. SBA is reopening the comment period in response to the significant level of interest generated by the proposed rule and due to the request of multiple stakeholders. Given the scope of the proposed rule and the nature of the issues raised by the comments received to date, SBA believes that affected businesses need more time to review the proposal and fully prepare their comments.

This rule implements provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) pertaining to small business size. This rule amends the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA or Agency) program regulations to implement statutory provisions establishing limitations of liability from fraud penalties for individuals or firms that misrepresent business concerns as being small for purposes of Federal procurement opportunities if they acted in good faith reliance upon small business status advisory opinions received from Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) or Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs). The rule also amends SBA's regulations to establish the criteria small business status advisory opinions must meet in order to be deemed adequate and specify the review process for such opinions. Finally, the rule further amends SBA's regulations to update the circumstances under which SBA may initiate a formal size determination.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Based on authorities provided in these two statutes, the proposed rule would establish a Government-wide mentor-protégé program for all small business concerns, consistent with SBA's mentor-protégé program for Participants in SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) program. The proposed rule would also make minor changes to the mentor-protégé provisions for the 8(a) Business Development program in order to make the mentor-protégé rules for each of the programs as consistent as possible. The proposed rule would amend the current joint venture provisions to clarify the conditions for creating and operating joint venture partnerships, including the effect of such partnerships on any mentor-protégé relationships. Finally, the proposed rule would make several additional changes to current size, 8(a) Office of Hearings and Appeals or HUBZone regulations, concerning among other things, ownership and control, changes in primary industry, standards of review and interested party status for some appeals.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which pertain to performance requirements applicable to small business and socioeconomic program set aside contracts and small business subcontracting. SBA is also proposing to make changes to its regulations concerning the nonmanufacturer rule and affiliation rules. Further, SBA is proposing to allow a joint venture to qualify as small for any government procurement as long as each partner to the joint venture qualifies individually as small under the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code assigned in the solicitation. Finally, SBA is requesting comments on the timeline and procedures for North American Industry Classification System code appeals.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting an interim final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on August 20, 2012 (75 FR 49991), effective October 1, 2012. The interim rule amended SBA's Small Business Size Regulations by incorporating the Office of Management and Budget's 2012 North American Industry Classification System update (NAICS 2012) into its table of small business size standards. The NAICS 2012 revised the definitions of some NAICS industries by deleting some and merging others with the new or other revised industries. This action corrects the small business size standard for NAICS 334419, Other Electronic Component Manufacturing, from 500 employees to 750 employees, effective immediately.

This notice makes corrections to the proposed rule that appeared in the Federal Register on September 10, 2014, entitled Small Business Size Standards; Industries with Employee Based Size Standards Not Part of Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade, or Retail Trade. This document corrects several incorrect figures in the preamble text.

This rule proposes to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 (NDAA) pertaining to small business size. Specifically, the rule proposes to amend the Small Business Administration's (SBA or Agency) program regulations to implement statutory provisions establishing a safe harbor from fraud penalties for individuals or firms that misrepresent business concerns as being small for purposes of Federal procurement opportunities if they acted in good faith reliance upon small business status advisory opinions received from Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) or Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs). The rule also proposes to amend SBA's regulations to establish the criteria small business status advisory opinions must meet in order to be deemed adequate and specify the review process for such opinions. Finally, the proposed rule would amend SBA's regulations to update the circumstances under which SBA may initiate a formal size determination.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is adjusting the monetary based industry size standards ( i.e., receipts, assets, net worth, and net income) for inflation that has occurred since the last adjustment in 2008. These adjustments are in addition to the recent revisions to size standards as part of the current comprehensive size standards review, as mandated by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Jobs Act). Also adjusted for inflation are program based size standards, with the exception of the new alternative size standard for SBA's 7(a) and 504 loan programs that was established under the Jobs Act. The new alternative size standard will remain in effect until SBA establishes a permanent alternative size standard for the 7(a) and 504 loan programs. SBA is also deleting references to Surety Bond Guarantee size standards for contracts awarded in 2005 in the Presidentially declared disaster areas following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. In addition, SBA is deleting the determination date for eligibility under the Agency's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program in connection with the same 2005 hurricanes. Finally, SBA is clarifying that footnote 9 to its table of size standards is not limited to NAICS 531190, but rather applies to all industries in Industry Group 5311, Lessors of Real Estate.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 16, 2013 (78 FR 42391), amending its regulations governing small business subcontracting. That document amended § 121.411 without incorporating the amendments made to that section by a final rule published on June 28, 2013 (78 FR 38811), which unintentionally resulted in duplicate paragraphs. This document corrects the final regulations by properly designating the paragraphs in § 121.411.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) proposes to increase employee based size standards for 46 industries in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, and one industry in NAICS Sector 44-45, Retail Trade and retain the current size standards in the remaining industries in those sectors. SBA also proposes to retain the current 500-employee size standard for Federal procurement of supplies under the nonmanufacturer rule. As part of its ongoing comprehensive size standards review, SBA reviewed all 71 industries in NAICS Sector 42 as well as the two industries in NAICS Sector 44-45 that have employee based size standards. The proposed revisions, if adopted, will primarily affect eligibility for SBA's financial assistance programs. This proposed rule is one of a series of proposed rules that will review size standards of industries grouped by NAICS Sector.

This document corrects an error in the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) interim final rule that appeared in the Federal Register , which adopted North American Industry Classification System 2012 (NAICS 2012) for small business size standards. This document also removes the entry for NAICS 315192 in its entirety. These corrections do not affect small business size standards.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations governing small business contracting procedures. Specifically, this rule amends SBA's regulations to establish policies and procedures for setting aside, partially setting aside and reserving Multiple Award Contracts for small business concerns. SBA is also is establishing policies and procedures for setting aside task and delivery orders for small business concerns under Multiple Award Contracts. In addition, SBA is addressing how it will determine size under certain Agreements and when recertification of status will be required. Finally, SBA is establishing a new definition of consolidation and reorganizing its prime contracting assistance regulations.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on June 20, 2013 (78 FR 37404). The document amended SBA's Small Business Size Regulations by increasing small business size standards for three of the four industries in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Subsector 213, Support Activities for Mining, that are based on average annual receipts. This correction does not affect the revised size standards themselves or the Code of Federal Regulations.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA or Agency) is amending its regulations governing small business subcontracting to implement provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. In particular, this rule adds a provision providing that for a “covered contract” (a contract for which a small business subcontracting plan is required), a prime contractor must notify the contracting officer in writing whenever the prime contractor does not utilize a small business subcontractor used in preparing its bid or proposal during contract performance. This rule also adds a provision requiring a prime contractor to notify a contracting officer in writing whenever the prime contractor reduces payments to a small business subcontractor or when payments to a small business subcontractor are 90 days or more past due. In addition, this rule clarifies that the contracting officer is responsible for monitoring and evaluating small business subcontracting plan performance. The rule also clarifies which subcontracts must be included in subcontracting data reporting, which subcontracts should be excluded, and the way subcontracting data is reported. The rule also makes changes to update its subcontracting regulations, including changing subcontracting plan thresholds and referencing the electronic subcontracting reporting system (eSRS). Further, the rule adds a provision to the regulations which addresses subcontracting plan requirements and credit towards subcontracting goals in connection with multiple award multi-agency, Federal Supply Schedule, Multiple Award Schedule and government-wide acquisition indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts.

This rule implements provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Jobs Act) pertaining to small business size and status integrity. This rule amends the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA or Agency) program regulations to implement statutory provisions establishing that there a presumption of loss equal to the value of the contract or other instrument when a concern willfully seeks and receives an award by misrepresentation. The rule implements statutory provisions that provide that: The submission of an offer or application for an award intended for small business concerns will be deemed a size or status certification or representation in certain circumstances; an authorized official must sign in connection with a size or status certification or representation for a contract or other instrument; and concerns that fail to update their size or status in the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) database or a successor thereto (such as the System for Award Management (SAM) database) at least annually shall no longer be identified in the database as small or some other socioeconomic status, until the representation is updated. The rule also amends SBA's regulations to clarify when size is determined for purposes of entry into the 8(a) Business Development, HUBZone and Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) programs.

This document corrects the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on Monday, September 24, 2012. The rule, effective October 24, 2012, increased small business size standards for nine industries in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector 61, Educational Services, while retaining the existing size standards for the remaining eight industries and the Job Corps Centers exception under NAICS 611519, Other Technical and Trade Schools, within that Sector. However, the Job Corps Centers exception and its size standard were deleted in error from SBA's table of size standards. This correction reinstates the Job Corps Centers exception under NAICS 611519 and its $35.5 million size standard.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) has determined that changing conditions in the American economy and persistent high levels of unemployment compel the agency to seek ways to improve access to its two flagship business lending programs: the 504 Loan Program and the 7(a) Loan Program. The purpose of this proposed rulemaking is to reinvigorate these programs as vital tools for creating and preserving American jobs. SBA proposes to strip away regulatory restrictions that detract from the 504 Loan Program's core job creation mission as well as the 7(a) Loan Program's positive job creation impact on the American economy. The 504 Loan Program and 7(a) Loan Program are SBA's two primary business loan programs authorized under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 and the Small Business Act, respectively. This proposed rule will enhance job creation through increasing eligibility for loans under SBA's business loan programs, including its Microloan Program, and by modifying certain program participant requirements applicable to the 504 Loan Program. In addition, SBA proposes to revise Certified Development Company (CDC) operational requirements to clarify certain existing regulations.

This document contains corrections to the final regulations which were published in the Federal Register on Thursday, December 27, 2012. The regulations related to size and eligibility for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has amended its regulations governing size and eligibility for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. This rule implements provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. The rule addresses ownership, control and affiliation for participants in the SBIR and STTR programs. This includes participants that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, private equity firms or hedge funds.