Do Indian tribes and Alaska Native Corporations have any special rules for applying to the 8(a) BD program?

(a) Special rules for ANCs. Small business concerns owned and controlled by ANCs are eligible for participation in the 8(a) program and must meet the eligibility criteria set forth to the extent the criteria are not inconsistent with this section. ANC-owned concerns are subject to the same conditions that apply to tribally-owned concerns, as described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, except that the following provisions and exceptions apply only to ANC-owned concerns:

(1) Alaska Natives and descendants of Natives must own a majority of both the total equity of the ANC and the total voting powers to elect directors of the ANC through their holdings of settlement common stock. Settlement common stock means stock of an ANC issued pursuant to 43 U.S.C. 1606(g)(1), which is subject to the rights and restrictions listed in 43 U.S.C. 1606(h)(1).

(2) An ANC that meets the requirements set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this section is deemed economically disadvantaged under 43 U.S.C. 1626(e), and need not establish economic disadvantage as required by paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(3) Even though an ANC can be either for profit or non-profit, a small business concern owned and controlled by an ANC must be for profit to be eligible for the 8(a) program. The concern will be deemed owned and controlled by the ANC where both the majority of stock or other ownership interest and total voting power are held by the ANC and holders of its settlement common stock.

(4) The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act provides that a concern which is majority owned by an ANC shall be deemed to be both owned and controlled by Alaska Natives and an economically disadvantaged business. Therefore, an individual responsible for control and management of an ANC-owned applicant or Participant need not establish personal social and economic disadvantage.

(5) Paragraphs (b)(3)(i), (ii) and (iv) of this section are not applicable to an ANC, provided its status as an ANC is clearly shown in its articles of incorporation.

(6) Paragraph (c)(1) of this section is not applicable to an ANC-owned concern to the extent it requires an express waiver of sovereign immunity or a “sue and be sued” clause.

(b) Tribal eligibility. In order to qualify a concern which it owns and controls for participation in the 8(a) BD program, an Indian tribe must establish its own economic disadvantaged status under paragraph (b)(2) of this section. Thereafter, it need not reestablish such status in order to have other businesses that it owns certified for 8(a) BD program participation, unless specifically required to do so by the AA/8(a)BD or designee. Each tribally-owned concern seeking to be certified for 8(a) BD participation must comply with the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section.

(1) Social disadvantage. An Indian tribe is considered to be socially disadvantaged.

(2) Economic disadvantage. In order to be eligible to participate in the 8(a) BD program, the Indian tribe must demonstrate to SBA that the tribe itself is economically disadvantaged. This must involve the consideration of available data showing the tribe's economic condition, including but not limited to, the following information:

(i) The number of tribal members.
(ii) The present tribal unemployment rate.
(iii) The per capita income of tribal members, excluding judgment awards.
(iv) The percentage of the local Indian population below the poverty level.
(v) The tribe's access to capital.
(vi) The tribal assets as disclosed in a current tribal financial statement. The statement must list all assets including those which are encumbered or held in trust, but the status of those encumbered or in trust must be clearly delineated.
(vii) A list of all wholly or partially owned tribal enterprises or affiliates and the primary industry classification of each. The list must also specify the members of the tribe who manage or control such enterprises by serving as officers or directors.

(3) Forms and documents required to be submitted. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Indian tribe generally must submit the forms and documents required of 8(a) BD applicants as well as the following material:

(i) A copy of all governing documents such as the tribe's constitution or business charter.
(ii) Evidence of its recognition as a tribe eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States or by its state of residence.
(iii) Copies of its articles of incorporation and bylaws as filed with the organizing or chartering authority, or similar documents needed to establish and govern a non-corporate legal entity.
(iv) Documents or materials needed to show the tribe's economically disadvantaged status as described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(c) Business eligibility. In order to be eligible to participate in the 8(a) BD program, a concern which is owned by an eligible Indian tribe (or wholly owned business entities of such tribe) must meet the conditions set forth in paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(7) of this section.

(1) Legal business entity organized for profit and susceptible to suit. The applicant or participating concern must be a separate and distinct legal entity organized or chartered by the tribe, or Federal or state authorities. The concern's articles of incorporation, partnership agreement or limited liability company articles of organization must contain express sovereign immunity waiver language, or a “sue and be sued” clause which designates United States Federal Courts to be among the courts of competent jurisdiction for all matters relating to SBA's programs including, but not limited to, 8(a) BD program participation, loans, and contract performance. Also, the concern must be organized for profit, and the tribe must possess economic development powers in the tribe's governing documents.

(2) Size.

(i) A tribally-owned applicant concern must qualify as a small business concern as defined for purposes of Federal Government procurement. The particular size standard to be applied is based on the primary industry classification of the applicant concern.
(ii) A tribally-owned Participant must certify to SBA that it is a small business pursuant for the purpose of performing each individual contract which it is awarded.
(iii) In determining the size of a small business concern owned by a socially and economically disadvantaged Indian tribe (or a wholly owned business entity of such tribe) for either 8(a) BD program entry or contract award, the firm's size shall be determined independently without regard to its affiliation with the tribe, any entity of the tribal government, or any other business enterprise owned by the tribe, unless the Administrator determines that one or more such tribally-owned business concerns have obtained, or are likely to obtain, a substantial unfair competitive advantage within an industry category.

(3) Ownership.

(i) For corporate entities, a tribe must own at least 51 percent of the voting stock and at least 51 percent of the aggregate of all classes of stock. For non-corporate entities, a tribe must own at least a 51 percent interest.
(ii) A tribe cannot own 51% or more of another firm which, either at the time of application or within the previous two years, has been operating in the 8(a) program under the same primary SIC code as the applicant. A tribe may, however, own a Participant or an applicant that conducts or will conduct secondary business in the 8(a) BD program under the same SIC code that a current Participant owned by the tribe operates in the 8(a) BD program as its primary SIC code.
(iii) The restrictions of click here do not apply to tribes; they do, however, apply to non disadvantaged individuals or other business concerns that are partial owners of a tribally-owned concern.

(4) Control and management.

(i) The management and daily business operations of a tribally-owned concern must be controlled by the tribe, through one or more disadvantaged individual members who possess sufficient management experience of an extent and complexity needed to run the concern, or through management as follows:

(A) Management may be provided by committees, teams, or Boards of Directors which are controlled by one or more members of an economically disadvantaged tribe, or

(B) Management may be provided by non-tribal members if SBA determines that such management is required to assist the concern's development, that the tribe will retain control of all management decisions common to boards of directors, including strategic planning, budget approval, and the employment and compensation of officers, and that a written management development plan exists which shows how disadvantaged tribal members will develop managerial skills sufficient to manage the concern or similar tribally-owned concerns in the future.

(ii) Members of the management team, business committee members, officers, and directors are precluded from engaging in any outside employment or other business interests which conflict with the management of the concern or prevent the concern from achieving the objectives set forth in its business development plan. This is not intended to preclude participation in tribal or other activities which do not interfere with such individual's responsibilities in the operation of the applicant concern.

(5) Individual eligibility limitation. SBA does not deem an individual involved in the management or daily business operations of a tribally-owned concern to have used his or her individual eligibility within the meaning of click here.

(6) Potential for success.

(i) A tribally-owned applicant concern must be in business for at least two years, as evidenced by income tax returns for each of the two previous tax years showing operating revenues in the primary industry in which the applicant is seeking 8(a) BD certification, or demonstrate potential for success as set forth in paragraph (c)(6)(ii) of this section.
(ii) In determining whether a tribally-owned concern has the potential for success, SBA will look at a number of factors including, but not limited to:

(A) The technical and managerial experience and competency of the individual(s) who will manage and control the daily operation of the concern;
(B) The financial capacity of the concern; and
(C) The concern's record of performance on any previous Federal or private sector contracts in the primary industry in which the concern is seeking 8(a) certification.

(7) Other eligibility criteria.

(i) As with other 8(a) applicants, a tribally-owned applicant concern shall not be denied admission into the 8(a) program due solely to a determination that specific contract opportunities are unavailable to assist the development of the concern unless:

(A) The Government has not previously procured and is unlikely to procure the types of products or services offered by the concern; or

(B) The purchase of such products or services by the Federal Government will not be in quantities sufficient to support the developmental needs of the applicant and other program participants providing the same or similar items or services.

(ii) Except for the tribe itself, the concern's officers, directors, and all shareholders owning an interest of 20% or more must demonstrate good character.

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