Justification and Approval Threshold Change for Small Business Association 8(a) Participants

As an certified 8a, HUBZone, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, and Women Owned federal contractor, Applied Development is able to participate in the Small Business Associations 8(a) program. This program’s main goal is to award at least 5% of government contracts to small, disadvantaged businesses each year.  

Earlier this week, we received a notification that for any government procurements of $100 million or less, within the Department of Defense (DoD), businesses in the 8(a) program are no longer required to submit Justification and Approval. The previous threshold was $22 million, making this a substantial change for 8(a) participants. 

What This Means for 8(a) Participants

The threshold change allows us to pursue much larger contracts without the time intensive Justification and Approval process.

For 8(a) businesses like ours, this is an enormous opportunity that we’re very grateful for, especially in a time of such upheaval and uncertainty. 

In the case of Applied Development specifically, it allows us to help even more government entities improve their inclusion efforts for employees and audiences with diversabilities (diverse abilities) while meeting 504/508 compliance. 

How Applied Development Plans to Utilize The New Threshold

Back in January, CEO, Kimberly Citizen, talked about her 2020 vision for Applied Development. One of her primary objectives for the year is to continue leading the company with intention. This new opportunity for 8(a) companies opens up new ways for her to drive this commitment. 

As a company, we plan to continue to pursue government contracts that align with our mission in order to grow and continue serving causes that matter to us. A wider pool of potential contracts allows us to be even more intentional and specific about what we do and who we work with.

Contact Applied Development Today

The team at Applied Development will continue to be available for questions, comments, and new contracts for the duration of the coronavirus situation. If you would like to speak to someone about accessibility options, inclusion training, or strategic communications, give us a call today at 410.571.4016 or contact us on the website.