Office of Hearings and Appeals

The Office of Hearings and Appeals decides SBA program decision appeals, NAICS appeals, and CVE protests and appeals.

What we do

The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is an independent office of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) established in 1983 to provide an independent, quasi-judicial appeal of certain SBA program decisions. 

OHA hears the following appeals: 

  • Size determinations, 
  • Contracting officer designations of North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes on federal contracts, 
  • Eligibility determinations for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB),
  • Eligibility of Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), 
  • Eligibility of Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB), and 
  • 8(a)BD eligibility determinations, suspensions and terminations.
  • PPP final SBA loan review decisions.

More information regarding OHA’s jurisdiction can be found at 13 C.F.R. 134.102. 

Publication policy

It is OHA’s policy to publish final decisions, which include the names of the parties appearing before OHA. Read our full appeal publication policy.

File an appeal with OHA

Search OHA decisions

Search the OHA decisions database

You may be able to find an OHA decision with similar factual or legal questions to those in your appeal.

Information for SBA employees

SBA's Office of Hearing and Appeals also handles certain SBA employee grievances.

  • OHA’s rules of practice for employee disputes are available at 13 C.F.R. 134.801-809. 
  • See SBA SOP 37 71 04 for SBA’s Grievance Appeals Process 

Protective orders

OHA has regulatory authority to issue protective orders under 13 C.F.R. 134.205(e). A protective order allows counsel for an opposing private party (generally a protestor) to have access to the entire appeal file, except for income tax returns and privileged information, while protecting the subject firm’s confidential and proprietary information.

Learn more about protective orders.

Contact us

U.S. Small Business Administration
Office of Hearings and Appeals
409 3rd St. SW, Eighth floor
Washington, DC 20416

Email: ohafilings@sba.gov