FAR 19.308—Protesting a firm’s status as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business concern or women-owned small business concern eligible under the Women-Owned Small Business Program.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 19.308 explains how a firm’s status as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) or women-owned small business (WOSB) may be protested and decided under the WOSB Program. It covers who may protest, when protests may be filed, how protests must be submitted, what facts SBA will consider, how protests interact with small business size protests, and what the contracting officer must do while SBA reviews the protest. The section also addresses special timing rules for sealed bids, negotiated procurements, and certain orders under multiple-award contracts, including orders under Federal Supply Schedule contracts. In practice, this rule is important because WOSB/EDWOSB eligibility can affect set-aside and sole-source awards, and a timely, properly supported protest can stop or delay award until SBA resolves the issue. It also creates a clear division of labor between the protester, the contracting officer, and SBA, so agencies can protect procurement integrity while avoiding unsupported challenges. The section further highlights that protests must be specific and evidence-based, not just conclusory allegations, and that separate protests are required when both size and WOSB/EDWOSB status are challenged.
Key Rules
Who may protest
For sole-source acquisitions, either the contracting officer or SBA may protest the offeror’s EDWOSB or WOSB status. For all other acquisitions, only an interested party may protest the apparent successful offeror’s status.
Separate size protests
Challenges to small business size status follow FAR 19.302 and must be handled separately from WOSB or EDWOSB status protests. If a party wants to challenge both size and WOSB/EDWOSB status, it must file two separate protests.
Protests must be specific
All protests must be in writing and state specific grounds. SBA will not consider bare assertions that a concern is ineligible; the protest must include facts or allegations supporting the challenge.
Grounds SBA will consider
SBA will consider protests alleging lack of 51 percent ownership and control by women U.S. citizens, or by economically disadvantaged women U.S. citizens for EDWOSB contracts. For certain WOSB/EDWOSB set-aside or sole-source service contracts or orders, SBA will also consider allegations that the prime is unduly reliant on a subcontractor that is not similarly situated, or that the subcontractor is performing the primary and vital requirements.
Timing for filing
Protests must be received by the contracting officer by the close of business on the fifth business day after bid opening for sealed bids, or the fifth business day after receipt of the special notification identifying the apparent successful offeror for negotiated acquisitions. If written notice is not required, the protest is due by the fifth business day after other notification.
Contracting officer referral to SBA
The contracting officer must forward all protests to SBA, with a referral letter containing the solicitation and key timing and award information so SBA can determine timeliness and standing. The protests are sent to SBA’s Director for Government Contracting at the designated email address.
Award may be delayed or proceed
After a protest is received, the contracting officer must generally withhold award until SBA decides. Award may proceed only if the contracting officer makes a written public-interest determination, or later makes a written finding of immediate need and disadvantage to the Government if SBA has not issued a decision within the allowed time.
SBA decision timeline
SBA generally must decide the protest within 15 business days after receipt, unless the contracting officer grants an extension. If SBA does not decide within the allowed time, the contracting officer may award only after making the required written determination.
Responsibilities
Interested Party / Protester
File a written protest with specific factual grounds within the applicable deadline; if challenging both size and WOSB/EDWOSB status, file separate protests; submit the protest to the contracting officer rather than directly to SBA.
Contracting Officer
Receive timely protests, forward all protests to SBA with the required referral information, and generally withhold award until SBA decides. If award must proceed before SBA’s decision, document the public-interest or immediate-need basis in writing and place the determination in the contract file.
SBA
Review the protest, determine whether it is timely and supported by specific allegations, decide the merits within the prescribed time, and notify the protester, the contracting officer, and the protested concern of the decision and receipt date.
Protested Concern
Respond to SBA’s review process as applicable and be prepared to demonstrate eligibility, including ownership, control, and any subcontracting arrangements relevant to the protest allegations.
Agency
Support the contracting officer in preserving procurement integrity, ensure award actions comply with protest timing rules, and maintain the contract file documentation required when award proceeds before SBA’s decision.
Practical Implications
A protest can stop or delay award, so contracting officers need to track the fifth-business-day deadline carefully and know when notice was actually received.
Contractors should not rely on generic complaints; protests that do not identify concrete facts about ownership, control, or subcontracting risk dismissal or no consideration by SBA.
Size and WOSB/EDWOSB status are different issues, so parties often make a mistake by filing only one protest when both issues are in play.
For set-aside and sole-source service contracts or orders, subcontracting relationships can become a protest issue if the prime appears unduly reliant on a non-similarly-situated subcontractor or if that subcontractor is doing the primary and vital work.
Contracting officers need written documentation whenever they decide to award before SBA rules, because the file must show the public-interest or immediate-need rationale and the timing basis for the action.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Definition. Interested party, as used in this section, has the meaning given in 13 CFR 127.102 . (b) (1) For sole source acquisitions, the contracting officer or SBA may protest the offeror’s status as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) concern or as a WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program. For all other acquisitions, an interested party (see 13 CFR 127.102 ) may protest the apparent successful offeror’s EDWOSB or WOSB status. (2) SBA’s protest regulations are found in subpart F "Protests" at 13 CFR 127.600 through 127.605. (c) Protests relating to small business size status are subject to the procedures of 19.302 . An interested party seeking to protest both the small business size and WOSB or EDWOSB status of an apparent successful offeror shall file two separate protests. (d) All protests shall be in writing and must state all specific grounds for the protest. (1) SBA will consider protests challenging the status of a concern if- (i) The protest presents evidence that the concern is not at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women who are United States citizens; (ii) The protest presents evidence that the concern is not at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more economically disadvantaged women who are United States citizens, when it is in connection with an EDWOSB contract; or (iii) For WOSB or EDWOSB set-aside or sole-source service contracts or orders, the protest presents evidence that the prime contractor is unduly reliant on a small entity subcontractor that is not a similarly-situated entity as defined in 13 CFR 125.1 , or a protest alleging that such subcontractor is performing the primary and vital requirements of a set-aside or sole-source WOSB or EDWOSB contract. For allegations that the prime contractor is unduly reliant on an other-than-small subcontractor, see size protests at 19.302, and 13 CFR 121.103(h)(2) , which treats the pair as joint venturers for size determination purposes (the “ostensible subcontractor rule”). (2) Assertions that a protested concern is not an EDWOSB or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, without setting forth specific facts or allegations, will not be considered by SBA (see 13 CFR 127.603(a) ). (e) Protest by an interested party . (1) An offeror shall submit its protest to the contracting officer— (i) To be received by the close of business by the fifth business day after bid opening for sealed bid acquisitions; (ii) To be received by the close of business by the fifth business day after receipt of the special notification from the contracting officer (see 15.503 (a)(2)) that identifies the apparently successful offeror for negotiated acquisitions including— (A) Orders placed under multiple-award contracts where the contracting officer requested rerepresentation for the order (see 13 CFR 127.603(c)(1) ); and (B) Orders set aside for EDWOSB or WOSB concerns under multiple-award contracts that are not partially or totally set aside or reserved for EDWOSB or WOSB concerns (see 13 CFR 127.603(c)(1) ), except for orders and blanket purchase agreements placed under a Federal Supply Schedule contract (see 8.405 and 19.302 (d)(5)); or (iii) To be received by the close of business on the fifth business day after receipt of notification using other communication means when written notification is not required. (2) Any protest received after the designated time limit is untimely, unless it is from the contracting officer or SBA. (f) (1) The contracting officer shall forward all protests to SBA. The protests are to be submitted to SBA's Director for Government Contracting by email at wosbprotest@sba.gov . (2) The protest shall include a referral letter written by the contracting officer with information pertaining to the solicitation. The referral letter must include the following information to allow SBA to determine timeliness and standing: (i) The solicitation number or electronic link to or a paper copy of the solicitation. (ii) The name, address, telephone number, email address, and facsimile number of the contracting officer. (iii) Whether the protestor submitted an offer. (iv) Whether the protested concern was the apparent successful offeror. (v) When the protested concern submitted its offer. (vi) Whether the acquisition was conducted using sealed bid or negotiated procedures. (vii) The bid opening date, if applicable. (viii) The date the contracting officer received the protest. (ix) The date the protestor received notification about the apparent successful offeror, if applicable. (x) Whether a contract has been awarded. (g) SBA will notify the protester and the contracting officer of the date SBA received the protest. (h) Before SBA decision . (1) After receiving a protest involving the apparent successful offeror’s status as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, the contracting officer shall either- (i) Withhold award of the contract until SBA determines the status of the protested concern; or (ii) Award the contract after receipt of the protest but before SBA issues its decision if the contracting officer determines in writing that an award must be made to protect the public interest. (2) SBA will determine the merits of the status protest within 15 business days after receipt of a protest, or within any extension of that time granted by the contracting officer. (3) If SBA does not issue its determination within 15 business days, or within any extension of time granted, the contracting officer may award the contract after determining in writing that there is an immediate need to award the contract and that waiting until SBA makes its determination will be disadvantageous to the Government. This determination shall be provided to the SBA Director for Government Contracting and a copy shall be included in the contract file. (i) After SBA decision . SBA will notify the contracting officer, the protester, and the protested concern of its determination. The determination is effective immediately and is final unless overturned on appeal by OHA pursuant to 13 CFR part 134 . (1) If the contracting officer has withheld contract award and SBA has denied or dismissed the protest, the contracting officer may award the contract to the protested concern. If OHA subsequently overturns the SBA Director for Government Contracting’s determination or dismissal, the contracting officer may apply the OHA decision to the procurement in question. (2) If the contracting officer has withheld contract award, SBA has sustained the protest and determined that the concern is not eligible under the WOSB Program, and no OHA appeal has been filed, then the contracting officer shall not award the contract to the protested concern. (3) If the contracting officer has made a written determination in accordance with (h)(1)(ii) or (h)(3) of this section, awarded the contract, and SBA’s ruling is received after award, and no OHA appeal has been filed, then- (i) The contracting officer shall terminate the contract, unless the contracting officer has made a written determination that termination is not in the best interests of the Government. However, the contracting officer shall not exercise any options or award further task or delivery orders; (ii) The contracting officer shall update the FPDS to reflect the final SBA decision; and (iii) SBA will remove the concern's designation in the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program. The concern shall not submit an offer as an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, until SBA issues a decision that the ineligibility is resolved. (4) If the contracting officer has made a written determination in accordance with (h)(1)(ii) or (h)(3) of this section, contract award has occurred, SBA has sustained the protest and determined that the concern is not eligible under the WOSB Program, and a timely OHA appeal has been filed, then the contracting officer shall consider whether performance can be suspended until an OHA decision is rendered. (5) If OHA affirms the SBA Director for Government Contracting’s determination finding the protested concern is ineligible, then- (i) The contracting officer shall terminate the contract, unless the contracting officer has made a written determination that termination is not in the best interests of the Government. However, the contracting officer shall not exercise any options or award further task or delivery orders; (ii) The contracting officer shall update the FPDS to reflect OHA’s decision; and (iii) SBA will remove the concern's designation in DSBS as an EDWOSB or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program. The concern shall not submit an offer as an EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB Program, until SBA issues a decision that the ineligibility is resolved or OHA finds the concern is eligible on appeal. (j) Appeals of EDWOSB or WOSB concerns eligible under the WOSB Program status determinations. (1) The protested EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB program, the protester, or the contracting officer may file an appeal of a WOSB or EDWOSB status protest determination with OHA. (2) OHA must receive the appeal no later than 10 business days after the date of receipt of the protest determination. SBA will dismiss an untimely appeal. (3) See subpart G "Rules of Practice for Appeals From Women-Owned Small Business Concerns (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB Concern (EDWOSB) Protests" at 13 CFR 134.701 through 134.715 for SBA’s appeals regulations. (k) The appeal must be in writing . The appeal must identify the protest determination being appealed and must set forth a full and specific statement as to why the EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB program protest determination is alleged to be based on a clear error of fact or law, together with an argument supporting such allegation. (l) The party appealing the decision must provide notice of the appeal to- (1) The contracting officer; (2) Director, Office of Government Contracting, U.S. Small Business Administration, by email at wosbprotest@sba.gov ; (3) The protested EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB program, or the original protester, as appropriate; and (4) SBA’s Office of General Counsel, Associate General Counsel for Procurement Law, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 Third Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416, or e-mail at OPLService@sba.gov . (m) OHA will make its decision within 15 business days of the receipt of the appeal, if practicable. SBA will provide a copy of the decision to the contracting officer, the protester, and the protested EDWOSB concern or WOSB concern eligible under the WOSB program. The OHA decision is the final agency decision and is binding on the parties.