Small Business Association for International Companies

04/30/2026

The U.S. Small Business Administration just changed how federal agencies are graded on small business contracting—and it could reshape where billions of dollars go.

In 2026, SBA overhauled its Small Business Procurement Scorecard methodology, shifting focus toward:
• Veteran-owned businesses
• Fraud reduction
• “Competitive value to the taxpayer”

Read why it matters for your business:

The Small Business Administration wants to put a bigger focus on contracting with veterans-owned firms and efforts to root out fraud.

04/24/2026

We were pleased to host Rudolf Strom, Director & Chief Acquisition Officer, Bureau of Global Acquisitions at the U.S. Department of State, at our April Membership Meeting.

Director Strom opened with a clear message: “The Department of State is open for business, and we want to work with American small businesses. We need your expertise—in technology, logistics, training, infrastructure, and countless other areas. Small businesses bring innovation, agility, and cost-effectiveness, and represent the entrepreneurial spirit that makes America competitive. We’re committed to making our procurement processes more accessible and transparent.”

SBAIC Chair Betsy Bassan recognized the Department’s strong track record on small business utilization—consistently exceeding their small business goals and earning A+ ratings from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The dialogue with Director Strom and his team was excellent, covering key topics such as:
- How foreign assistance procurements will evolve and be publicized
- Plans for small business set-asides
- Enforcement of subcontracting plans including on greenlit contracts
- Use of best-in-class General Services Admin (GSA) vehicles

We concluded with a firm commitment to ongoing dialogue. Many thanks to Director Strom and his team for their time, substantive discussion, and deep support for the role of U.S. small business in supporting the Department of State!

Learn more about SBAIC's work here: https://sbaic.org/about/

04/21/2026

$166 billion in tariff refunds are now available, but for small businesses, available and accessible are very different things.

Large corporations already have lawyers on it. Meanwhile, Matthew Seligman of Grayhawk Law cautions that "small and medium-sized importers are going to end up losing their refund rights because they haven’t had access to trade counsel."

SBAIC is here to advocate for the small businesses that risk being left behind.

Read the full article:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched an electronic tariff refund portal on Monday, the first step in U.S. importers getting their refunds.

04/13/2026

97% of U.S. exporters are small businesses according to the U.S. International Trade Administration. Yet, when policymakers talk about national security, small and medium businesses rarely are part of the conversation.

At SBAIC, we are working to change that. Small businesses diversify our trade networks, carry American standards into global markets, and compete directly with state-backed enterprises in places where U.S. leadership matters most.

Read Russ Webster's of Food Enterprise Solutions full article below to learn more:

https://sbaic.org/trade-small-businesses-as-economic-drivers/

04/02/2026

Tariffs remain an important tool of U.S. economic policy; however, for small businesses the primary challenge is often not the policy itself, but the uncertainty surrounding its implementation.

The New York Times unpacks recent shifts in tariff policy that have introduced unclear timelines, evolving rules, and complex refund processes. These dynamics are more difficult for smaller firms to navigate without significant legal or financial resources.

Read more about the impacts of evolving tariff policy:

Chocolate makers and fig-paste importers are facing a tangle of unknowns, including whether to seek refunds for tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court.

03/26/2026

Join us next Thursday for a workshop hosted by the Asian Development Bank Business Center. Register below and learn more from procurement specialists on how you can .

03/10/2026

Small businesses are quietly running some of America's most complex foreign assistance programs.

With contracts ranging from $100K to $42 million, our coalition members are doing work that rivals organizations many times their size. That is American entrepreneurism exported abroad, building stable economies, strengthening local capacity, and creating solutions that last.

Learn more about the work of our small business coalition who are advancing U.S. leadership abroad: https://sbaic.org/about/

03/03/2026

Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy, yet too often, they are left out of the conversations that shape the industries they sustain. The U.S. foreign assistance sector is no different.

That’s why our coalition is meeting with bipartisan members of Congress and industry leaders to ensure small businesses have a seat at the table—and are recognized for their role in making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.

Read more about the work we do: https://sbaic.org/vision/

02/23/2026

Thrilled to spotlight one of our small business members Aquila Leon-Soon, founder and CEO of ATS+Partners. Since founding her firm in 2013, Aquila has built a nationally recognized consulting practice specializing in change management, workforce development, and technology transformation.

Today, she is taking her expertise global with new partnerships launching in the UK, Philippines, and Japan through Maryland Department of Commerce's Soft Landing program.

Her advice for firms navigating today's federal contracting disruptions? Think bigger, and think beyond borders.

Read more:

As founder and CEO of ATS+Partners, Aquila E. Leon-Soon has built a career on leveraging diverse experiences to create opportunities. From working in New York City government under Mayor Michael Bloomberg to conducting international projects with the late President Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Le...

02/17/2026

The 8(a) program is shrinking: Last year, the SBA suspended roughly 1,000 firms for missing financial and operational filings, while only 65 new firms were admitted in FY2025.

With an active base of around 4,000 companies, that is a 25% reduction. What does this mean for small businesses contracting with the government?

Read the Forbess article below to see what this means and whether the 8(a) Program is still a development pipeline, or increasingly governed by admin. capacity?

The SBA’s 8(a) Program is shrinking as compliance rules reshape who can access federal contracts, raising questions about opportunity and participation.

02/13/2026

: A national survey of likely U.S. voters conducted at the end of last year found overwhelming bipartisan support for international assistance. At a time when foreign assistance is often framed as politically divisive, the data tell a different story:

• 81% of respondents support programs like Food for Peace, which has backed American farmers for decades while delivering food assistance around the world.
• More than 50% believe cuts to international assistance have had a negative effect on America’s ability to maintain its position as a global superpower.
• 77% support U.S. funding for international assistance programs that strengthen allies, reduce migration by addressing root causes, respond to natural disasters, and improve global health outcomes.

Explore poll results showing strong American support for international assistance programs, highlighting public backing for global aid and U.S. leadership.