Comment on FR Doc # 2026-11765

Programs like 8(a) exist because opportunity has not always been distributed equally. For many Black business owners and other socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs, the challenge is not a lack of talent, work ethic, or innovation. The challenge is often access. Access to capital. Access to contracting opportunities. Access to established business networks. Access to decision makers. Access to the relationships and resources that help businesses grow. The 8(a) program helps address these gaps by creating pathways for qualified small businesses to compete in markets that might otherwise remain inaccessible. While no program can eliminate every barrier, it can help create opportunities for capable entrepreneurs to demonstrate their value and build sustainable businesses. Adding additional evidentiary requirements risks creating another barrier for the very business owners the program was designed to support. Many small business owners do not have legal teams, researchers, or compliance specialists available to gather extensive documentation. As a result, the proposed changes could discourage qualified applicants from participating or create uncertainty that limits access to economic opportunity. For many Black entrepreneurs, business ownership represents more than personal success. It represents job creation, community investment, economic mobility, and the opportunity to build assets that can be passed to future generations. The 8(a) program has played an important role in helping make that possible for many business owners across the country. I respectfully urge the SBA to preserve the program's development mission and ensure that any changes do not create unnecessary barriers for the socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs the program was created to serve.