To Present And Examine The Result Of A Survey Of The Graduates Of The Small Business Administration Section 8a Minority Business Development Program PDF Download

The Section 8(a) Program of the Small Business Act is the central area for discussion in this paper as this program purports to assist minority and small business economically, technically, and managerially. The Air Force, as are all federal agencies, is enjoined to support the 8(a) Program through the procurement process. Numerous 8(a) contracts are written yearly that total in the millions of dollars. The subject to be discussed concerns how much or in what ways these contracts contribute to minority and small business development and expansion, i.e., the purpose of the Section 8(a) Program. A combination of published and unpublished materials augmented by personal interview conducted by the author are used in this study. Results of a quantitative analysis concerning Air Force participation in the 8(a) Program are also offered for review. Air Force experience with the Section 8(a) Program has been satisfactory from a monetary expenditure viewpoint. However, further research is required to determine the business development impact that Air Force procurements have had on small minority business development and expansion.