06/15/2026
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝟴(𝗮) 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻-𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀.
Two moves out of Washington this week:
1. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗕𝗔 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻-𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀. Firms are receiving a survey plus a request for three years of personal and business tax returns, with responses due by June 30. Miss that window, or fall short of the economic disadvantage standard, and your firm can be proposed for decertification. This is the same playbook that already produced more than 1,100 suspensions and over 150 terminations in the 8(a) program.
2. 𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭𝟭 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲. Individually owned firms would need to prove disadvantage with specific, fact-based evidence. Public comments are open through July 13.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆. The advantage that came with a socio-economic designation is narrowing. Some of it is being audited. Some of it is being rewritten.
So ask yourself one question: 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵-𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬?
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰. It is a reason to get ready. The firms that come out ahead will compete on capability, past performance, pricing, compliance, and proposals that actually score. The certification opens the door. Readiness keeps you in the room.
Find out exactly where your firm stands. Take the nDemand Pathway Assessment:
https://ndemandconsulting.com/pathway
