Back in college, I joined the rowing club. Since we didn’t have a formal coach, we relied on older students to teach us the ropes. Early on, I got frustrated because we struggled to “set” the boat, keeping the racing shell balanced so it didn’t rock back and forth, which makes rowing significantly harder.
About a month into the season, I asked an experienced rower why our progress was so poor. He looked at me surprised and said, “Poor? You guys are doing great! I never expected you to be this far along.”
That experience taught me a vital lesson: Without clear milestones, you can’t accurately gauge your own success.
In the federal contracting world, thousands of small business owners enter the SBA 8(a) program expecting an immediate flood of sole-source sales, only to get discouraged when contracts don’t materialize in month three. Just like learning to row without a coach, navigating government contracting without a baseline leaves you operating in the dark.
To solve this, I built a year-by-year milestone roadmap outlining what to expect and which actions to take at every stage of the 8(a) lifecycle. While the official 8(a) program lasts nine years, this framework extends through Year 10 to address the critical transition into life as a mature, post-graduation federal contractor.
8a Yearly Milestones – (IT firm as example)
| Year | Sales Target | Agencies | What You Should Have | What You Should Be Doing |
| 1 | $100K–$750K | 1 | 8(a), strong capability statement; MAS underway | Find the first customer. Direct calling, Sources Sought, 8(a) sole-source opportunities. Start GSA immediately. |
| 2 | $500K–$1.5M | 1 | GSA MAS, first past performance, repeat customer | Go deeper. Get award #2 from customer #1. Work MAS 8(a)/eBuy. Team with STARS/IDIQ primes. |
| 3 | $1M–$3M | 1–2 | GSA producing; 3–6 prime past performances; strong partners | Add buying channels. Pursue OASIS+ if scope fits, agency IDIQs, GWAC teams. Start customer #2. |
| 4 | $2M–$5M | 1–2 | 1 anchor customer; 2+ acquisition channels | Turn wins into a franchise. Multiple contracts/task orders inside the anchor agency. Pursue prime vehicle positions. |
| 5 | $2M–$5M | 2–3 | 1–2 anchors; GSA + IDIQ/GWAC activity | Begin transition. Certification still drives growth, but vehicle revenue should become meaningful. |
| 6 | $5M–$12M | 2–3 | Multiple vehicles; repeat customers | Build non-8(a) muscle. SB competitions, unrestricted work, recompetes. Start relationships with younger 8(a)s. |
| 7 | $7M–$18M | 2–4 | 2+ anchors; substantial non-8(a) pipeline | Prepare for graduation now. Prime larger orders; reduce certification dependence. |
| 8 | $10M–$25M | 2–4 | Mature past performance; strong vehicle portfolio | Rehearse post-8(a) life. New 8(a) teammates, SB/full-open competitions, recompetes. |
| 9 | $15M–$35M+ | 3–5 | Business capable of surviving without new 8(a) awards | Graduate. Protect incumbencies and transition pipeline to vehicles/SB/unrestricted/team opportunities. |
| 10 | $15M–$40M+ | 3–5 | Mature graduate + teaming ecosystem | Become the experienced partner. Mentor/partner/team with newer 8(a)s and pursue work based on capability and past performance. |
If you would like to have a conversation about qualifying or anything else 8(a) Certification or how to grow your firm using this certification feel free to give me us a call at 859-442-3300.
