In plain English
FAR 52.219-18, Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants, is a contract clause prescribed at FAR 19.811-3(d), most recently dated Oct 2022. The complete official text is reproduced below, verbatim, from GSA's published FAR source files.
Its text contains no sentence requiring insertion into subcontracts; see the flowdown section below for what that does and does not mean.
Does it flow down to subcontracts?
No flowdown mandate found in the clause text
We scanned the full clause text and found no sentence directing the contractor to insert this clause into subcontracts. That is a statement about the text, not legal advice: a prime contractor may still flow terms down contractually, an agency supplement (DFARS, VAAR, …) may add requirements, and clauses listed below (if any) may order this clause into subcontracts from the outside.
Where it's prescribed
As prescribed in 19.811-3(d), insert the following clause:
Prescribing reference: FAR 19.811-3(d).
The official text, verbatim
As prescribed in 19.811-3(d), insert the following clause:
Notification of Competition Limited to Eligible 8(a) Participants (Oct 2022)
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(a) Offers are solicited only from—
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(1) Small business concerns expressly certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for participation in SBA's 8(a) program and which meet the following criteria at the time of submission of offer—
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(i) The Offeror is in conformance with the 8(a) support limitation set forth in its approved business plan; and
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(ii) The Offeror is in conformance with the Business Activity Targets set forth in its approved business plan or any remedial action directed by SBA;
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(2) A joint venture, in which at least one of the 8(a) program participants that is a party to the joint venture complies with the criteria set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this clause, that complies with 13 CFR 124.513(c); or
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(3) A joint venture—
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(i) That is comprised of a mentor and an 8(a) protégé with an approved mentor-protégé agreement under the 8(a) program;
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(ii) In which at least one of the 8(a) program participants that is a party to the joint venture complies with the criteria set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this clause; and
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(iii) That complies with 13 CFR 124.513(c).
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(b) By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents that it meets the applicable criteria set forth in paragraph (a) of this clause.
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(c) Any award resulting from this solicitation will be made to the Small Business Administration, which will subcontract performance to the successful 8(a) offeror selected through the evaluation criteria set forth in this solicitation. A contracting officer may consider a joint venture for contract award. SBA does not approve joint ventures for competitive awards, but see 13 CFR 124.501(g) for SBA's determination of participant eligibility.
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(d) The ____________ [insert name of SBA's contractor]will notify the____________ [insert name of contracting agency]Contracting Officer in writing immediately upon entering an agreement (either oral or written) to transfer all or part of its stock.
(End of clause)
Alternate I (Mar 2023). If the competition is to be limited to 8(a) participants within one or more specific SBA regions or districts, add the following paragraph (a)(1)(iii) to paragraph (a) of the clause:
(iii) The offeror's approved business plan is on the file and serviced by __ [ Contracting Officer completes by inserting the appropriate SBA District and/or Area Office(s) as identified by the SBA].