(a) The SBA Administrator may submit the following matters for determination to the agency head if the SBA and the contracting officer fail to agree on them:
(1) The decision not to make a particular acquisition available for award under the 8(a)Program.
(2) A contracting officer’s decision to reject a specific 8(a) firm for award of an 8(a) contract after SBA’s acceptance of the requirement for the 8(a) Program.
(3) The terms and conditions of a proposed 8(a) contract, including the contracting activity’s NAICS code designation and estimate of the fair market price.
(b) Notification of a proposed appeal to the agency head by the SBA must be received by the contracting officer within 5 working days after the SBA is formally notified of the contracting officer’s decision. The SBA shall provide the agency Director for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization a copy of this notification of the intent to appeal. The SBA must send the written appeal to the head of the contracting activity within 15 working days of SBA’s notification of intent to appeal or the contracting activity may consider the appeal withdrawn. Pending issuance of a decision by the agency head, the contracting officer must suspend action on the acquisition. The contracting officer need not suspend action on the acquisition if the contracting officer makes a written determination that urgent and compelling circumstances that significantly affect the interests of the United States will not permit waiting for a decision.
(c) If the SBA appeal is denied, the decision of the agency head shall specify the reasons for the denial, including the reasons why the selected firm was determined incapable of performance, if appropriate. The decision shall be made a part of the contract file.
