How federal agencies can meet obligations to tribes

Federal agencies with trust obligations to tribes can better support tribes and uphold trust responsibility by:

• Understanding how to use our acquisition tools.
• Knowing the funding authorities that support tribes and tribal use of our sources.

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Acquisition support for Buy Indian Act, 8(a), and other special set-asides

We can help you conduct market research to support the Buy Indian Act or other Indian economic set-asides (or other acquisition advantages). For example, you can refine your search for products and services specifically by Native business categories in GSA Advantage, GSA eBuy, and GSA eLibrary. The identifiers for community-owned entities include:

• Alaska Native Corporation Owned — an
• Native Hawaiian Organization Owned — hn
• Tribally Owned — to

And individually owned:

• American Indian Owned — ai

You can apply multiple search criteria at once in our eTools, such as looking for office supplies that have both 8(a) status and are tribally owned.

If you have questions about 8(a) or other Native small business programs, please visit the SBA Office of Native American Affairs page.

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Authorities that enable tribal entities to come to us

As a federal agency, you have various authorities under which you can provide federal funding to tribes and enable them to come to us. This table shows the specific authorities that agencies can use, paving the way for tribes and tribal organizations to use our sources to meet their product and service needs. Blank cells indicate no eligibility. 

To ensure efficiency for tribal customers, use our standardized contract template language for tribes looking to use our authority.

	ISDEAA	TCSA	NAHASDA	IHCIA
BIA	yes	yes
BIE	yes	yes
BLM	yes	yes
DOT	yes	yes
FWS	yes
HUD			yes
IHS	yes	yes		yes
NPS	yes
ONRR	yes
OSGS	yes
OST	yes
Reclamation	yes

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