[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 90 (Monday, May 12, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 20134-20135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-08294]
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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
13 CFR Parts 124 and 125
Tribal Consultation for 8(a) Business Development Program and
Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program Issues and Best Practices
AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.
ACTION: Notice of tribal consultation meeting.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announces that it
is holding a tribal consultation meeting in Anchorage, Alaska
requesting comments and input on a variety of topics relating to the
8(a) program and the mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] program. SBA is
requesting general comments and input on how the 8(a) program is
working and is inviting suggestions on potential avenues for making the
program more efficient or reducing the regulatory burden on
participants in the program. Additionally, SBA requests comments and
input on best practices for how entity-owned firms market their
capabilities to procuring agencies. SBA is also requesting comments and
input on how to ensure the mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] program is
operating as intended.
DATES: The Tribal Consultation meeting date is Friday, June 13, 2025,
9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (AKDT), Anchorage, Alaska. The Tribal Consultation
meeting pre-registration deadline date is June 6, 2025.
ADDRESSES:
1. The Tribal Consultation meeting will be held at Z.J. Loussac
Public Library, 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, AK 99503.
2. Send pre-registration requests to attend and/or testify to Diane
Cullo, Assistant Administrator, Office of Native American Affairs, U.S.
Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street SW, Washington, DC 20416;
[email protected]; or Facsimile to (202) 481-2177.
3. You may submit written comments to SBA by sending them to Diane
Cullo, Assistant Administrator, Office of Native American Affairs, U.S.
Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street SW, Washington, DC 20416;
or
[[Page 20135]]
[email protected]; or Facsimile to (202) 481-2177. If you wish to
submit confidential business information (CBI), please submit the
information to Diane Cullo, Assistant Administrator, Office of Native
American Affairs, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 3rd Street
SW, Washington, DC 20416 and highlight the information that you
consider to be CBI and explain why you believe this information should
be held confidential. SBA will review the information and make a final
determination of whether the information will be published or not.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Cullo, Assistant Administrator,
Office of Native American Affairs, at [email protected] or (202) 619-
0518 or by facsimile to (202) 481-2177.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
SBA is seeking input from the Native American community on the
general management and operation of the 8(a) and mentor
prot[eacute]g[eacute] programs (particularly with respect to 8(a) firms
owned by tribes, Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), and Native Hawaiian
Organizations (NHOs)) as part of the Administration's desire to make
these programs more effective and improve the delivery of them to the
small business community. Accordingly, SBA is interested in receiving
comments from representatives of tribes, ANCs and NHOs offering their
perspective on how the 8(a) program is working generally and providing
suggestions for how the program could be made more efficient to better
suit the needs of small businesses owned by these entities.
Additionally, SBA is asking for input on best practices on how entity-
owned firms market their capabilities to procuring agencies. SBA has
found that certain practices may be negatively impacting entity-owned
firms' ability to receive awards. For example, contracting officers may
consider entity-owned firms to be affiliated with each other when
several appear on the same web page or where multiple firms owned by
the same entity have the exact same capabilities and contact points.
SBA is seeking comments and input from firms who have encountered these
or similar issues and how they have been able to successfully market
their sophisticated capabilities while still making clear to procuring
agencies that they are independent small businesses. Lastly, SBA wishes
to discuss and is inviting comments on the mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute]
program. In particular, SBA is interested in receiving comments and
input on whether prot[eacute]g[eacute] firms can truly direct and
manage mentor firms when performing a joint venture mentor-
prot[eacute]g[eacute] joint venture project. It has come to SBA's
attention that some mentors that have pre-existing relationships with
certain procuring agencies do not include prot[eacute]g[eacute] firms
in critical meetings with those agencies, despite the protege being the
project manager of the joint venture. SBA believes that this is
contrary to the intent of the mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] program.
Prot[eacute]g[eacute] firms should be the ones directing the actions of
a mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] joint venture, not the mentor. SBA is
concerned that this may also lead to instances of non-compliance with
the limitations on subcontracting requirements. SBA seeks comments and
guidance on this issue.
Tribal Consultation Meeting
The purpose of this tribal consultation meeting is to conform to
the requirements of Executive Order 13175, Tribal Consultations; to
provide interested parties with an opportunity to discuss their views
on the issues; and for SBA to obtain the views of SBA's stakeholders on
ways to maximize efficiency and reduce the burden on small businesses
in the 8(a) BD program and mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] program
regulations. SBA considers tribal consultation meetings a valuable
component of its deliberations and believes that this tribal
consultation meeting will allow for constructive dialogue with the
Tribal community, Tribal Leaders, Tribal Elders, elected members of
Alaska Native Villages or their appointed representatives, and
principals of tribally-owned and ANC-owned firms participating in the
8(a) BD and mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] programs.
The format of this tribal consultation meeting will consist of a
panel of SBA representatives who will preside over the session. The
oral and written testimony as well as any comments SBA receives will
become part of the administrative record for SBA's consideration.
Written testimony may be submitted in lieu of oral testimony. SBA will
analyze the testimony, both oral and written, along with any written
comments received. SBA officials may ask questions of a presenter to
clarify or further explain the testimony. The purpose of the tribal
consultation is to assist SBA with gathering information to guide SBA's
review process and to potentially develop new proposals. SBA requests
that the comments focus on issues as they pertain to the 8(a) BD and
mentor-prot[eacute]g[eacute] regulations, input related to what changes
could be made to make these programs more attractive to procuring
agencies and small businesses, or the unique concerns of the Tribal and
Native communities. SBA requests that commenters do not raise issues
pertaining to other SBA small business programs. Presenters are
encouraged to provide a written copy of their testimony. SBA will
accept written material that the presenter wishes to provide that
further supplements his or her testimony. Electronic or digitized
copies are encouraged.
The tribal consultation meeting will be held for one day. The
meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. (AKDT). SBA will
adjourn early if all those scheduled have delivered their testimony.
II. Registration
SBA respectfully requests that any elected or appointed
representative of the tribal communities or principal of a tribally-
owned, ANC-owned or NHO-owned 8(a) firm that is interested in attending
please pre-register in advance and indicate whether you would like to
testify at the hearing. Registration requests should be received by SBA
by June 6, 2025. Please contact Diane Cullo, Assistant Administrator,
Office of Native American Affairs in writing at [email protected] or
by facsimile to (202) 481-2950. If you are interested in testifying
please include the following information relating to the person
testifying: Name, Organization affiliation, Address, Telephone number,
Email address and Fax number. SBA will attempt to accommodate all
interested parties that wish to present testimony. Based on the number
of registrants it may be necessary to impose time limits to ensure that
everyone who wishes to testify has the opportunity to do so. SBA will
confirm in writing the registration of presenters and attendees.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 634 and E.O. 13175, 65 FR 67249.
Dated: May 7, 2025.
Diane Cullo,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Native American Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2025-08294 Filed 5-9-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8026-09-P