8(a) Business Development Program
Small Business Administration
To foster business ownership by individuals who are both socially and economically disadvantaged; and to promote the competitive viability of such firms by providing business development and mentoring assistance including, but not limited to, management and technical assistance, access to capital and other forms of financial assistance, business training and counseling, and access to sole source and limited competition Federal contract opportunities, to help the firms to achieve competitive viab
Jargon-free version
Helps socially and economically disadvantaged individuals start and grow their businesses. Provides mentoring, training, and access to federal contracts.
Quick Facts
Preview our US grants database — free Excel sample
Real Excel sample. Just your email.
You'll also get our weekly grants digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
Free Excel sample of the US Grants Database, contextually offered on the 8(a) Business Development Program program page.
What Is This Program?
What Benefits Are Offered?
Chat with Grant experts
Browse our directory of vetted grant professionals who can help with your application.
Browse Partner Directory🏆 Detailed Application Guide
📋What Are the Application Steps & Timeline?
- 📝Steps to Apply
- Determine eligibility for the 8(a) Business Development Program
- Complete the application form
- Submit the application to SBA
- Await SBA's review and decision
- 🌐Application Portal
- http://www.sba.gov/
- 📤Submission Method
- online
- 🔄Intake Type
- rolling
📄What Documents Are Required?
- ✅Required Documents
- SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
- SF-424A (Budget Information - Non-Construction)
- SF-424B (Assurances)
- Project Narrative
- Budget Narrative
- Indirect cost rate agreement
- 📎Optional Documents
- Letters of support
- 📐Format Requirements
- PDF only, max 10MB
- ✉️Supporting Letters
- Letters of support/reference are required.
Still searching one grant at a time?
See this grant and hundreds more like this in the database instantly.
💰What Expenses Are Eligible?
- 🧾Eligible Expenses
- Acquiring real estate
- Refinancing current business debt
- Purchasing machinery and equipment
- Working capital
- Furniture and fixtures
- 🚫Ineligible Expenses
- Non-profit activities
- Passive activities
- Speculative activities
- 📏Expense Caps
- None stated
- 💳Payment Model
- mixed
- ⏪Retroactive Expenses Eligible
- No
🤝Is Matching Funding Required?
📊What Are the Reporting Requirements?
- 🗓️Reporting Frequency
- annual
- 📑Reporting Requirements
- SF-425 Federal Financial Report
- performance progress report
- 🔍Audit Requirements
- OMB Uniform Guidance Single Audit if the recipient expends $750,000 or more in federal awards.
- 📢Branding Requirements
- Acknowledgment of federal funding is required.
- 🗄️Record Retention Period
- 3 years post-final-report
How Do I Apply?
Know a grant consultant who should be listed here? Refer them.
More Programs Like This
Women's Business Ownership Assistance
Small Business Administration
Women's Business Centers (WBCs) are a part a national network of entrepreneurship centers throughout the United States a...
Small Business Development Centers
Small Business Administration
To provide management counseling, training, and technical assistance to the small business community through a network o...
Prime Technical Assistance
Small Business Administration
To increase the number of microenterprises and to enhance the management capability of microentrepreneurs in starting, e...
FAQFrequently Asked Questions
Visit the program page for detailed eligibility requirements.
This program offers funding up to $9,999,999,999 (minimum $5).
This program accepts applications on a rolling basis.
Choose your tier
One-time purchase, instant .xlsx download. USD.
Promo codes can be entered at checkout.
Basic
5 columns per program
Quick reference, simple lookups, sales prospecting
- Program title and CFDA number
- Issuing organization + URL
- Short program description
- 2,812 active US federal assistance listings
- .xlsx workbook (README + All Grants tabs)
Pro
24 columns per program
Grant consultants, nonprofit grant writers, proposal teams
- Everything in Basic, plus 23 more columns
- Funding range (min / max) and application deadline
- Eligibility: business sizes, industries, geographic restrictions
- Primary program contact (email, phone)
- Audience + activity tags for filtering (Nonprofits, Universities, etc.)
- Application intake type, submission method, matching required
- "For Nonprofits" tab — 1,500+ programs in one curated view
- Aggregation tabs: By Organization, By Theme, By Audience, Deadlines
Intelligence
49 columns per program
Data teams, AI builders, large grant operations, due-diligence research
- Everything in Pro, plus 25 more deep-extracted columns
- Long-form description + ideal-applicant summary + success tips
- Application steps, required documents, NOFO URLs, key dates
- Eligible / ineligible expenses, expense caps, payment model
- Matching ratios, eligible sources, stacking rules
- Reporting frequency, requirements, single-audit thresholds
- Plain-English 1-2 sentence rewrite of every program
- Contact Directory tab — outreach-ready contact list
A detailed invoice will be emailed to you after purchase. Use it for company reimbursement.