FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2

FAR 52.219-18 Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This clause tells contractors that only certain SBA-certified 8(a) participants, or qualifying joint ventures involving them, may submit offers on this solicitation. It also explains that any resulting award goes to the Small Business Administration, which then subcontracts the work to the selected 8(a) offeror. By submitting an offer, the offeror represents that it meets the eligibility criteria in the clause.

Applies to: Offerors on solicitations limited to eligible 8(a) program participants

What it requires

  • Meet the applicable 8(a) eligibility criteria in paragraph (a) at the time of offer submission
  • By submitting an offer, represent that it meets those applicable criteria
  • The SBA contractor must notify the contracting agency's Contracting Officer in writing immediately upon agreeing to transfer all or part of its stock

Key terms: 8(a) program · Small Business Administration (SBA) · joint venture · mentor-protégé agreement · Business Activity Targets

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

As prescribed in 19.811-3(d), insert the following clause:

Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants (OCT 2022)

(a) Offers are solicited only from—

(1) Small business concerns expressly certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for participation in SBA's 8(a) program and which meet the following criteria at the time of submission of offer—

(i) The Offeror is in conformance with the 8(a) support limitation set forth in its approved business plan; and

(ii) The Offeror is in conformance with the Business Activity Targets set forth in its approved business plan or any remedial action directed by SBA;

(2) A joint venture, in which at least one of the 8(a) program participants that is a party to the joint venture complies with the criteria set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this clause, that complies with 13 CFR 124.513(c); or

(3) A joint venture—

(i) That is comprised of a mentor and an 8(a) protégé with an approved mentor-protégé agreement under the 8(a) program;

(ii) In which at least one of the 8(a) program participants that is a party to the joint venture complies with the criteria set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this clause; and

(iii) That complies with 13 CFR 124.513(c).

(b) By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents that it meets the applicable criteria set forth in paragraph (a) of this clause.

(c) Any award resulting from this solicitation will be made to the Small Business Administration, which will subcontract performance to the successful 8(a) offeror selected through the evaluation criteria set forth in this solicitation. A contracting officer may consider a joint venture for contract award. SBA does not approve joint ventures for competitive awards, but see 13 CFR 124.501(g) for SBA's determination of participant eligibility.

(d) The __________ [insert name of SBA's contractor] shall notify the __________ [insert name of contracting agency] Contracting Officer in writing immediately upon entering an agreement (either oral or written) to transfer all or part of its stock.

(End of clause)

Alternate I (MAR 2023). If the competition is to be limited to 8(a) participants within one or more specific SBA regions or districts, add the following paragraph (a)(1)(iii) to paragraph (a) of the clause:

(iii) The offeror's approved business plan is on the file and serviced by __[Contracting Officer completes by inserting the appropriate SBA District and/or Area Office(s) as identified by the SBA].

Sections it refers to

Sections that refer to it

← 52.219-17 Section 8(a) Award. · 52.219-19-52.219-26 [Reserved] →

Rule changes for FAR Part 52

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 52.219-18 Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants · SpendQuery