What is a Small Business?

A small business is not dominant in its field of operation and qualifies as a small business concern under Title 13, Code of Federal Regulations, part 121 (13 CFR 121). SBA has established size standards for all for-profit economic activities as they are described under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Identifying Industry Codes. Size standards are critical in the government-contracting process because they ensure a “level playing field” for competition among small businesses of varying sizes. They also apply to other SBA programs, such as its Loans & Grants and Technology (SBIR/STTR) Programs. In fact, they apply to all Federal programs that provide a benefit to a small business concern.

What’s New with Size Standards

The government website Regulations.gov posts documents concerning federal regulations and published in the Federal Register, the government’s legal newspaper. Some of these pertain to government contracting. Members of the...
Small Business Size Regulations

The Small Business Act was created, in part, to help small businesses compete in our economic market. The passage of this act has made it necessary to establish standards of identifying small businesses. Below are the size...
Size Standards Methodology

For its ongoing comprehensive size standards review and future regulatory actions relating to size standards, SBA has developed a “Size Standards Methodology White Paper,”explaining how it establishes, reviews and...
Summary of Size Standards by Industry

Size guidelines define the maximum size that a firm (including its affiliates) may be to qualify as a small business for most SBA programs. Size standards are usually reflected in the business's number of employees and average...
Small Business Size Standards

Certain government programs, such as SBA loan programs and contracting opportunities, are reserved for small business concerns. In order to qualify, businesses must satisfy SBA's definition of a small business concern, along with...
Size Protests, Size Determinations, and Appeals

As you have learned in Small Business Size Regulation and Methodology and Use of Size Standards for Government Procurement, a contracting officer determines the size of the business according to the standards set forth in the Code...
Guide to Size Standards

Guide to SBA's Definitions of Small Business The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has prepared this Guide to SBA's Definitions of Small Business (Guide) to help the public understand how SBA defines a small business...
Affiliation

Affiliation Discussion When you calculate the size of your business to determine if you are a small business, you must include the annual receipts and the employees of your affiliates. Affiliation is determined by the ability to...
Businesses Determined Other Than Small

The SBA has compiled a list of business entities that its Office of Government Contracting has determined are other than "small" under specific size standards. This list is available in PDF and Excel formats. In most...
Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program

Repeal of the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program Effective Immediately The President of the United States signed the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Jobs Act) on Sept. 27, 2010. The Jobs Act amended the...