19.1500 General
Source: FAR 19.1500 on acquisition.gov
FAR 19.1500 establishes the foundation for the Women-Owned Small Business Program, ensuring equal contracting opportunities for WOSBs and supporting federal agency participation goals.
Overview
FAR 19.1500 introduces the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program, established under Section 8(m) of the Small Business Act. The section outlines the program's purpose: to provide women-owned small businesses with equal opportunities in federal contracting and to help agencies meet their WOSB participation goals. It also clarifies that both economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs) and WOSBs eligible under the program are considered subcategories of "women-owned small business concern" as defined in FAR 2.101. This section serves as the foundational framework for the WOSB Program, referencing further details in 13 CFR Part 127 and subsequent FAR sections.
(a) Section 8(m) of the Small Business Act (http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section637(m)&num=0&edition=prelim" target="_blank">15 U.S.C. 637(m)) created the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program.
(b) The purpose of the WOSB Program is to ensure women-owned small business concerns have an equal opportunity to participate in Federal contracting and to assist agencies in achieving their women-owned small business participation goals (see 13 part CFR 127).
(c) An economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concern and a WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program are subcategories of “women-owned small business concern” as defined in section 2.101.