St. Louis County Business Receives Government Contract 

St. Louis ...Mak Architects, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., has been awarded an SBA 8(a) Business Development Program contract for architectural services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.

            The SBA's 8(a) Business Development Program, named for a section of the Small Business Act, is a business development program created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market.

            The 8(a) applicant firm must 

                        *be a small business,

                        *be unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who are of good character and  citizens of the United States, and

                        *demonstrate potential for success.

            Participants of the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program can receive sole-source contracts, up to a ceiling of $3 million for goods and services and $5 million for manufacturing.  While SBA helps 8(a) firms build their competitive and institutional know-how, the agency also encourages them to participate in competitive acquisitions.

            For additional information about the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program, contact the St. Louis District SBA Office at 314-539-6600, ext. 250 or ext. 229.

For more information about all of the SBA's programs for small businesses, call the SBA Answer Desk at 1-800-U-ASK-SBA or TDD 704-344-6640.  Also, visit the SBA's extensive Web site at <http://www.sba.gov/> or our local Web site at <http://www.sba.gov/mo/stlouis>.