The SBA Women-Owned Small Business Program is intended to provide greater access to Federal contracting opportunities for firms that are women-owned small business (WOSBs) and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs) that meet program requirements. In the 2015 NDAA, Congress provided more access to the program by authorizing the sue of sole-source contracts for program set-aside contract but it also required that firms be certified by a Federal agency, a State government, the SBA Administrator, or a national certifying entity approved by SBA. In October 2015, SBA issued regulations that allowed contracting officers to award program contracts on a sole-source basis. According to the Inspector General of the SBA however, SBA did not implement the required certification process.
New Regulation Formalizes Ombudsman Practice and Identity for IDIQ Contracts
An ‘ombudsman’ is an official charged with addressing and/or investigating the interests of individuals’ or companies’
