How are non-Native-owned 8(a) businesses different from Native enterprises?
An important distinction between Native enterprises and their counterparts in the 8(a) program is that Native enterprise profits flow directly to tribal members, Alaska Native shareholders and Native Hawaiians who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Non-Native owned businesses generally represent one individual or one family while tribes and ANCs typically represent thousands. The 8(a) program for Native Enterprises is working exactly as Congress intended – a way to help disadvantaged Native peoples improve their lives through developing selfsustaining companies that positively impact Native communities.
