Indian Tribe-Owned Business

Eligibility Requirements

• •Must be owned by a federally recognized Indian Tribe listed in the Federal Register
• •Tribe must exercise governmental authority over the enterprise
• •Business entity must be organized under tribal, state, or federal law
• •For 8(a) participation, subsidiary must meet SBA small business size standards
• •For Buy Indian Act contracts, enterprise must be at least 51% Indian-owned
• •Must demonstrate that profits benefit the tribal community

Certification Process

For 8(a) participation, Tribe-owned subsidiaries apply through SBA's certification portal with documentation of tribal ownership, BIA recognition, and subsidiary business plan. For Buy Indian Act set-asides, certification is through the Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) representation in SAM.gov. BIA and IHS verify tribal enrollment and ownership for Buy Indian eligibility.

Contracting Benefits

• +No dollar limit on sole-source 8(a) contracts for Tribe-owned 8(a) firms
• +Buy Indian Act set-asides exclusively for Indian-owned businesses (DOI and IHS)
• +Multiple tribal subsidiaries can hold 8(a) certification simultaneously
• +Tribal sovereignty protections in contracting relationships
• +Indian Incentive Program rebates for primes subcontracting with tribal firms
• +Profits directly support tribal community development and self-determination