SBA Minority Enterprise Development and 8(a) ProgramsThe Minority Enterprise Development Program (MED) and the awards of 8(a) contracts remain the Federal Government's primary tools for providing opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses (businesses owned by individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged) to enter the nation's economic mainstream. The MED program assists small disadvantaged businesses to gain access to the resources needed to develop and compete on an equal basis in the mainstream of the American economy. Using the tools authorized by Sections 8(a) and 7(j) of the Small Business Act, the SBA carries out its mandate to level the playing field for small disadvantaged businesses that have encountered inequities in their attempts to develop, grow, and prosper. SBA District Office The Small Business Administration |