Guide

SBA published the final social disadvantage rule on August 11, 2026. It takes effect September 10. It applies to firms applying to 8(a), and SBA says plainly that it does not apply to individuals already determined to be socially disadvantaged.

A sources sought notice is not a bid and cannot be accepted as one. It is the market research that decides whether work gets set aside for small business. Here is what to send and what it has to say.

SAM.gov shows you what is open right now. It does not show you who has been buying. That is a different search, it moved in February 2026, and most guides still point at the old address.

A quarter of the 8(a) program was suspended in January 2026. Not one of those firms lost standing over the social-disadvantage rewrite. They lost it over paperwork.

SBA has proposed changing who counts as socially disadvantaged under 8(a). It is not final. Here is what that actually means for a certified firm today.