Small Business:
Status of SBA's 8(a) Minority Business Development Program
T-RCED-95-122: Published: Mar 6, 1995. Publicly Released: Mar 6, 1995.
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Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Small Business Administration's (SBA) 8(a) business development program and the Department of Defense's (DOD) small disadvantaged business program. GAO noted that: (1) while SBA has improved certain aspects of the 8(a) program and increased the total value of new 8(a) contracts awarded, it has not yet implemented key changes mandated by Congress; (2) SBA contract dollars are still concentrated among a small percentage of firms; (3) of the 5,155 firms in the SBA program at the end of fiscal year (FY) 1994, about 56 percent did not receive any contracts during the year; (4) federal agencies direct sole-source contracts to firms they are familiar with to avoid competition thresholds; (5) SBA is requiring each of its district offices to develop specific initiatives to increase contracting opportunities for more 8(a) firms; and (6) SBA field offices are not conducting annual business plan reviews to ensure that they accurately reflect the firms' business development goals and non-8(a) contract needs. GAO also noted that DOD: (1) awarded $6.1 billion in prime contracts to small disadvantaged businesses in FY 1994 and about 18 percent of these contract dollars through small business set-asides; and (2) contracting officials prefer the 8(a) program because it allows them to select contractors they are familiar with.
Nov 23, 2020
Consumer Privacy:
Better Disclosures Needed on Information Sharing by Banks and Credit UnionsGAO-21-36: Published: Oct 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 23, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
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Consumer Product Safety Commission:
Actions Needed to Improve Processes for Addressing Product Defect CasesGAO-21-56: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Oct 30, 2020
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Small Business Loans:
SBA Generally Incorporated Key Elements for Estimating Subsidy Cost of 7(a) ProgramGAO-20-618: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 30, 2020.
Oct 13, 2020
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Aviation Consumer Protection:
Increased Transparency Could Help Build Confidence in DOT's Enforcement ApproachGAO-21-109: Published: Oct 13, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 13, 2020.
Oct 1, 2020
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Small Business Administration:
COVID-19 Loans Lack Controls and Are Susceptible to FraudGAO-21-117T: Published: Oct 1, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 1, 2020.
Sep 30, 2020
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Small Business Research Programs:
Many Agencies' Award Issuances Are Not Timely; Some Practices May Improve TimelinessGAO-20-693: Published: Sep 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 30, 2020.
Sep 28, 2020
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Intellectual Property:
Additional Agency Actions Can Improve Assistance to Small Businesses and InventorsGAO-20-556: Published: Aug 27, 2020. Publicly Released: Sep 28, 2020.
Jul 30, 2020
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Small Business Contracting:
Better Documentation and Reporting Needed on Procurement Center RepresentativesGAO-20-462: Published: Jun 30, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2020.
Jun 29, 2020
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Small Business Subcontracting:
Oversight of Contractor Compliance with Subcontracting Plans Needs ImprovementGAO-20-464: Published: May 28, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 29, 2020.
Jun 22, 2020
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Small Business Development Centers:
Reevaluation of How SBA Sets Initial Funding Estimate Needed to Help Reduce BurdenGAO-20-457: Published: May 22, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 22, 2020.
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