04-27424. Small Business Size Standards: Waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule

AGENCY:

U.S. Small Business Administration.

ACTION:

Notice to waive the nonmanufacturer rule for general aviation turboprop aircraft with six or more passenger seats.

SUMMARY:

The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is granting a waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for General Aviation Turboprop Aircraft With Six Or More Passenger Seats. The basis for waivers is that no small business manufacturers are supplying these classes of products to the Federal government. The effect of a waiver would be to allow otherwise qualified regular dealers to supply the products of any domestic manufacturer on a Federal contract set aside for small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, SBA's Very Small Business Program or 8(a) businesses to provide the products of small business manufacturers or processors on such contracts.

DATE:

This waiver is effective December 30, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Edith Butler, Program Analyst, by telephone at [phone]; by FAX at [phone]; or by e-mail at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 8(a)(17) of the Small Business Act, (Act) 15 U.S.C. 637(a)(17), requires that recipients of Federal contracts set aside for small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, SBA's Very Small Business Program or 8(a) businesses to provide the products of small business manufacturers or processor, if the recipient is other than the actual manufacturer or processor of the product. This requirement is commonly referred to as the Nonmanufacturer Rule. The SBA regulations imposing this requirement are found at 13 CFR 121.406 (b). Section 8(a)(17)(b)(iv) of the Act authorizes SBA to waive the Nonmanufacturer Rule for any “class of products” for which there are no small business manufacturers or processors available to participate in the Federal market.

As implemented in SBA's regulations at 13 CFR 121.1204, in order to be considered available to participate in the Federal market for a class of products, a small business manufacturer must have submitted a proposal for a contract solicitation or received a contract from the Federal government within the last 24 months. The SBA defines “class of products” based on six digit coding systems. The first coding system is the Office of Management and Budget North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The second is the Product and Service Code established by the Federal Procurement Data System.

The SBA received a request on September 7, 2004 to waive the Nonmanufacturer Rule for General Aviation Turboprop Aircraft With Six Or More Passenger Seats. In response, on October 18, 2004, SBA published in the Federal Register, and October 19, 2004 in FedBizOpps notices of intent to the waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for General Aviation Turboprop Aircraft With Six Or More Passenger Seats.

In response to theses notices, comments were received from interested parties. SBA has determined from these sources that there are no small business manufacturers of this class of product, and is therefore granting the waiver of Nonmanufacturer Rule for General Aviation Turboprop Aircraft With Six Or More Passenger Seats NAICS 336411.

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 637(a)(17).

Emily Murphy,

Acting Associate Administrator for Government Contracting.