14th September 2004 - The US Small Business Administration will now provide a new electronic online application form for  small businesses. This form will make it easier, faster and less expensive for small entrepreneurs to obtain the 8(a) Business Development and Small Disadvantaged Business certification. Small businesses can now download the form directly from the federal agency's website.

SBA administrator Hector V Barreto, announced during a luncheon at the Minority Enterprise Development (MED) that the new automated application system will reduce the time and cost burdens forced on small business owners who apply for this certification.

Barreto also said that the user-friendly application form represents another achievement of SBA in developing e-Gov tools. 

This will make access to information less burdensome for small business owners.

The 8(a) program from SBA helps small businesses, which are owned, controlled, and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. This program provides management, technical, financial and federal contracting assistance to small entrepreneurs.

At present, about 8,300 companies have been certified in the 8(a) program. During the financial year 2003, around $9.56 billion in federal contracts were awarded to 8(a) companies.

The new online application does not require any software to be downloaded or for any plug-in. It is only a replacement of the previous four-page written application that used to require substantial supporting documentation.