About the 8(a) Center of Excellence

8(a) COE expands the Bowie BIC 8(a) Accelerator Program model through America’s HBCU network. The 8(a) COE is a place where HBCUs and 8(a) firms can collaborate to pursue federal procurement opportunities that advance efforts in research and development, entrepreneurship, and workforce development.

The 8(a) COE is a partnership between BSU and Bowie BIC. The Center exposes and engages 8(a) companies and HBCUs to best practices, training, and business support that equips, elevates, and expands, a government contractor’s infrastructure and capacity to win federal contracts. The 8(a) COE will assist both 8(a) firms and HBCUs with procurement capture strategies, mentoring, access to commercial online market intelligence tools, and access to legal expertise in government contracting.

$3 Million Congressional Investment

U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Chair Ben Cardin and U.S. Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee Chair Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) announced $3 million in congressionally directed spending for the new Bowie Business Innovation Center (Bowie BIC) Center of Excellence for 8(a) Government Contracting.

Read Press Release

A Model for Strategic Collaboration

The 8(a) COE helps 8(a) firms and HBCUs accelerate growth through federal procurement. SBA information indicates that as many as 80% of the minority, women-owned and veteran-owned business certified as 8(a) businesses may be out of business within 24 months of graduating from its 8(a) program. Therefore, the majority of 8(a) businesses do not develop sustainable business practices and relationships to grow financially while they participated in the 8(a) program. This also means that the communities where 8(a) firms operate are dramatically affected by the loss of these existing companies, as well as jobs, tax revenues, leases for office space, and the economic vitality they generate.

The 8(a) COE uses best practices from the 8(a) Accelerator to address the training, networking, resources, and infrastructure gaps that organizations lack with traditional consulting services.

Strategic Training
Legal Expertise
Procurement Capture Strategies
Market Intelligence
Mentoring

The 8(a) COE uses best practices from the 8(a) Accelerator to address the training, networking, resources, and infrastructure gaps that organizations lack with traditional consulting services.

The 8(a) COE partners with Justis Connections and other legal resources, connecting businesses with top-rated attorneys across the country.

A successful foundation in federal procurement is developing a strong procurement capture strategy when pursuing contracts. The 8(a) COE assists 8(a) firms and HBCUs with understanding the procurement lifecycle, business capture planning, research, and acquisition strategy.

The 8(a) COE supports 8(a) firms and HBCUs with identifying and tracking federal procurement opportunities.

The 8(a) COE is a place where HBCUs and 8(a) firms can collaborate to pursue federal procurement opportunities that advance efforts in research and development, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. The 8(a) COE will assist participants with Identifying mentors and cultivating mentoring relationships.

Benefits for 8(a) Firms

Access to capacity-building resources.
Opportunities to collaborate and team up to pursue federal contract opportunities.
Recruitment and direct hire opportunities for workforce development.

Benefits for HBCUs

Access to capacity-building resources to pursue federal procurement opportunities.
Increase in funding opportunities and revenue streams.
Increase economic development activities in historically disadvantaged communities.