What SBA may appeal. The Administrator of SBA may appeal the following matters to the head of the procuring agency:

A contracting officer's decision not to make a particular procurement available for award as an 8(a) contract;

A contracting officer's decision to reject a specific Participant for award of an 8(a) contract after SBA's acceptance of the requirement for the 8(a) BD program; and

The terms and conditions of a proposed 8(a) contract, including the procuring activity's NAICS code designation and estimate of the fair market price.

Procedures for appeal. (1) SBA must notify the contracting officer of the SBA Administrator's intent to appeal an adverse decision within 5 working days of SBA's receipt of the decision.

Upon receipt of the notice of intent to appeal, the procuring activity must suspend further action regarding the procurement until the head of the procuring agency issues a written decision on the appeal, unless the head of the procuring agency makes a written determination that urgent and compelling circumstances which significantly affect interests of the United States will not permit waiting for a consideration of the appeal.

The SBA Administrator must send a written appeal of the adverse decision to the head of the procuring agency within 15 working days of SBA's notification of intent to appeal or the appeal may be considered withdrawn.

By statute (15 U.S.C. 637(a)(1)(A)), the procuring agency head must specify in writing the reasons for a denial of an appeal brought by the Administrator under this section.