(a) To be eligible to receive a benefit as a prime contractor based on its disadvantaged status, a concern, at the time of its offer, must either be certified as a small disadvantaged business (SDB) concern or have a completed SDB application pending at the SBA or a Private Certifier (see 19.001).
(b) The contracting officer may accept an offeror’s representation that it is an SDB concern for general statistical purposes. The provision at 52.219-1, Small Business Program Representations, or 52.212-3(c)(4), Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, is used to collect SDB data for general statistical purposes.
(c) The provision at 52.219-22, Small Disadvantaged Business Status, or 52.212-3(c)(9), Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, is used to obtain SDB status when the prime contractor may receive a benefit based on its disadvantaged status. The mechanisms that may provide benefits on the basis of disadvantaged status as a prime contractor are a price evaluation adjustment for SDB concerns (see Subpart 19.11), and an evaluation factor or subfactor for SDB participation (see 19.1202).
(1) If the apparently successful offeror has represented that it is currently certified as an SDB, the contracting officer may confirm that the concern is identified as a small disadvantaged business concern by accessing SBA’s database (PRO-Net) or by contacting the SBA’s Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Certification and Eligibility.
(2) If the apparently successful offeror has represented that its SDB application is pending at the SBA or a Private Certifer, and its position as the apparently successful offeror is due to the application of the price evaluation adjustment, the contracting officer shall follow the procedure in paragraph (d) of this section.
(d) Notifications to SBA of potential awards to offerors with pending SDB applications
(1) The contracting officer shall notify the-
The notification shall contain the name of the apparently successful offeror, and the names of any other offerors that have represented that their applications for SDB status are pending at the SBA or a Private Certifier and that could receive the award due to the application of a price evaluation adjustment if the apparently successful offeror is determined not to be an SDB by the SBA.
(2) The SBA will, within 15 calendar days after receipt of the notification, determine the disadvantaged status of the apparently successful offeror and, as appropriate, any other offerors referred by the contracting officer and will notify the contracting officer.
(3) If the contracting officer does not receive an SBA determination within 15 calendar days after the SBA’s receipt of the notification, the contracting officer shall presume that the apparently successful offeror, and any other offerors referred by the contracting officer, are not disadvantaged, and shall make award accordingly, unless the contracting officer grants an extension to the 15-day response period. No written determination is required for the contracting officer to make award at any point following the expiration of the 15-day response period.
(4) When the contracting officer makes a written determination that award must be made to protect the public interest, the contracting officer may proceed to contract award without notifying SBA or before receiving a determination of SDB status from SBA during the 15-day response period. In both cases, the contracting officer shall presume that the apparently successful offeror, or any other offeror referred to the SBA whose SDB application is pending, is not an SDB and shall make award accordingly.
