SBA's final rule removing the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage became effective 10 September 2026 and applies to pending applications from individually owned firms. SBA is returning those applications through its Return to Business system, has restored the potential for success review, and will prioritize ten defense-critical NAICS codes.

Class Deviation 2026-O0037, Revision 1, issued 24 July 2026, absorbs the standalone SDVOSB class deviation, points eligibility verification at SBA's certification search, and corrects the sole-source 8(a) threshold to $100 million.

A final rule published 11 August 2026 removes the rebuttable presumption of social disadvantage for individually owned 8(a) firms and replaces it with a group-discrimination showing plus certification. Effective 10 September 2026, it applies to applications already in the queue. Entity-owned firms are not affected.