FAR 52.219-28—Postaward Small Business Program Rerepresentation.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.219-28, Postaward Small Business Program Rerepresentation, tells contractors when they must update or confirm their small business and socioeconomic status after award. It covers the key definitions used in the clause, including long-term contract and small business concern, and it explains when rerepresentation is triggered by novation, merger or acquisition, long-term contract timing, and certain task or delivery orders. The clause also addresses how size status is determined using the NAICS code and current SBA size standards, including special rules for nonmanufacturer/end item suppliers and certain IT value-added resellers. In practice, this clause matters because a contractor’s status can change during performance, and the government needs current information to apply small business program rules correctly for options, orders, and contract administration. It also ties rerepresentation to SAM updates, which makes accurate registration data essential. For contracting officers, the clause is a tool for maintaining accurate small business records and ensuring proper set-aside and socioeconomic program treatment. For contractors, it creates recurring compliance obligations that can affect eligibility, reporting, and future order competition.
Key Rules
Key definitions control scope
The clause defines "long-term contract" and "small business concern," including affiliation rules. These definitions determine when rerepresentation is required and how size status is measured under SBA affiliation principles and the applicable size standard.
Rerepresentation after business changes
If the contractor previously represented itself as a small business concern, it must rerepresent after a novation, or after a merger or acquisition that does not require novation, within the stated 30-day window. This ensures the government has current status information when ownership or control changes.
Long-term contracts require periodic updates
For contracts longer than five years, the contractor must rerepresent during the fifth year and again before exercising later options, within the 60- to 120-day windows specified. The rule excludes certain short extensions under FAR 52.217-8 or similar authority from making a contract "long-term" for this purpose.
Order-level rerepresentation may be required
The contractor must rerepresent for the NAICS code assigned to certain orders, especially set-aside or further set-aside orders under multiple-award contracts, and when the contracting officer explicitly requires it. The clause does not apply to orders under Federal Supply Schedule contracts for the listed order-level triggers, except where other provisions require it.
Current SBA size standards apply
Size status must be rerepresented using the size standard in effect at the time of rerepresentation for the NAICS code(s) assigned to the contract. Contractors must check the current SBA table of size standards rather than relying on the standard that applied at award.
Special nonmanufacturer rule applies
For certain supply contracts where the contractor does not manufacture the end item, the applicable size standard is generally 500 employees, or 150 employees for IT value-added resellers under NAICS 541519, when the acquisition meets the listed set-aside, HUBZone preference, or socioeconomic program conditions. This rule can change how a contractor qualifies at rerepresentation time.
SAM is the primary mechanism
Except as provided in paragraph (h), the contractor makes the required rerepresentation by validating or updating its representations and certifications in SAM and updating other SAM data as needed. Accurate SAM records are therefore part of the compliance obligation, not just an administrative convenience.
Responsibilities
Contractor
Monitor corporate events, contract duration, and order activity that trigger rerepresentation; update or validate size and socioeconomic representations in SAM; use the correct current SBA size standard for the assigned NAICS code; and submit rerepresentation within the required time windows after novation, merger/acquisition, or during long-term contract and order triggers.
Contracting Officer
Include the clause when prescribed; identify when an order or contract action requires rerepresentation; ensure the contractor is notified of any required update; and use the updated status information for small business program administration, set-aside decisions, and order eligibility determinations.
Agency
Maintain acquisition records and contract structures that support proper rerepresentation; apply the correct small business program rules to orders and options; and rely on current SAM and contractor representations when tracking small business participation and compliance.
SBA
Establish and publish size standards and affiliation rules that govern whether a concern qualifies as small; provide the regulatory framework used to evaluate size status under the clause.
Practical Implications
Contractors should treat ownership changes, mergers, and acquisitions as compliance events, not just corporate transactions, because they can trigger a 30-day rerepresentation deadline.
Long-term contracts need calendar controls: missing the 60- to 120-day rerepresentation window before year five or before later options can create compliance problems and delay option exercise.
Order-level rerepresentation is easy to overlook on multiple-award contracts, especially when an order is further set aside for a different socioeconomic category than the base contract.
SAM accuracy is critical; stale representations or outdated NAICS/size data can cause incorrect eligibility determinations and protest or audit risk.
Contracting officers should verify whether the order falls into one of the clause’s exceptions, especially Federal Supply Schedule orders, before requiring rerepresentation.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 19.309 (c)(1) , insert the following clause: Postaward Small Business Program Rerepresentation (Jan 2025) (a) Definitions . As used in this clause— Long-term contract means a contract of more than five years in duration, including options. However, the term does not include contracts that exceed five years in duration because the period of performance has been extended for a cumulative period not to exceed six months under the clause at 52.217-8 , Option to Extend Services, or other appropriate authority. Small business concern — (1) Means a concern, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field of operation, and qualified as a small business under the criteria in 13 CFR part 121 and the size standard in paragraph (d) of this clause. (2) Affiliates , as used in this definition, means business concerns, one of whom directly or indirectly controls or has the power to control the others, or a third party or parties control or have the power to control the others. In determining whether affiliation exists, consideration is given to all appropriate factors including common ownership, common management, and contractual relationships. SBA determines affiliation based on the factors set forth at 13 CFR 121.103. (b) If the Contractor represented that it was any of the small business concerns identified in 19.000 (a)(3) prior to award of this contract, the Contractor shall rerepresent its size and socioeconomic status according to paragraph (f) of this clause or, if applicable, paragraph (h) of this clause, upon occurrence of any of the following: (1) Within 30 days after execution of a novation agreement or within 30 days after modification of the contract to include this clause, if the novation agreement was executed prior to inclusion of this clause in the contract. (2) Within 30 days after a merger or acquisition that does not require a novation or within 30 days after modification of the contract to include this clause, if the merger or acquisition occurred prior to inclusion of this clause in the contract. (3) For long-term contracts- (i) Within 60 to 120 days prior to the end of the fifth year of the contract; and (ii) Within 60 to 120 days prior to the date specified in the contract for exercising any option thereafter. (c) If the Contractor represented its status as any of the small business concerns identified at 19.000(a)(3) prior to award of this contract, the Contractor shall rerepresent its size and socioeconomic status according to paragraph (f) of this clause or, if applicable, paragraph (h) of this clause, for the NAICS code assigned to an order (except that paragraphs (c)(1) through (3) of this clause do not apply to an order issued under a Federal Supply Schedule contract at subpart 8.4)— (1) Set aside exclusively for a small business concern identified at 19.000(a)(3) that is issued under an unrestricted multiple-award contract, unless the order is issued under the reserved portion of an unrestricted multiple-award contract ( e.g., an order set aside for a woman-owned small business under a multiple-award contract that is not set-aside, unless the order is issued under the reserved portion of the multiple-award contract); (2) Issued under a multiple-award contract set aside for small businesses that is further set aside for a specific socioeconomic category that differs from the underlying multiple-award contract ( e.g., an order set aside for a HUBZone small business concern under a multiple-award contract that is set aside for small businesses); (3) Issued under the part of the multiple-award contract that is set aside for small businesses that is further set aside for a specific socioeconomic category that differs from the underlying set-aside part of the multiple-award contract ( e.g., an order set aside for a WOSB concern under the part of the multiple-award contract that is partially set aside for small businesses); and (4) When the Contracting Officer explicitly requires it for an order issued under a multiple-award contract, including for an order issued under a Federal Supply Schedule contract (see 8.405-5(b) and 19.301-2(b)(2)). (d) The Contractor shall rerepresent its size status in accordance with the size standard in effect at the time of this rerepresentation that corresponds to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code(s) assigned to this contract. The small business size standard corresponding to this NAICS code(s) can be found at https://www.sba.gov/document/support--table-size-standards . (e) The small business size standard for a Contractor providing an end item that it does not manufacture, process, or produce itself, for a contract other than a construction or service contract, is 500 employees, or 150 employees for information technology value-added resellers under NAICS code 541519, if the acquisition— (1) Was set aside for small business and has a value above the simplified acquisition threshold; (2) Used the HUBZone price evaluation preference regardless of dollar value, unless the Contractor waived the price evaluation preference; or (3) Was an 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, economically disadvantaged women-owned, or women-owned small business set-aside or sole-source award regardless of dollar value. (f) Except as provided in paragraph (h) of this clause, the Contractor shall make the representation(s) required by paragraphs (b) and (c) of this clause by validating or updating all its representations in the Representations and Certifications section of the System for Award Management (SAM) and its other data in SAM, as necessary, to ensure that they reflect the Contractor's current status. The Contractor shall notify the contracting officer in writing within the timeframes specified in paragraph (b) of this clause, or with its offer for an order (see paragraph (c) of this clause), that the data have been validated or updated, and provide the date of the validation or update. (g) If the Contractor represented that it was other than a small business concern prior to award of this contract, the Contractor may, but is not required to, take the actions required by paragraphs (f) or (h) of this clause. (h) If the Contractor does not have representations and certifications in SAM, or does not have a representation in SAM for the NAICS code applicable to this contract, the Contractor is required to complete the following rerepresentation and submit it to the contracting office, along with the contract number and the date on which the rerepresentation was completed: (1) The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not a small business concern under NAICS Code _____ assigned to contract number _____ . (2) [ Complete only if the Contractor represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (h)(1) of this clause .] The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not, a small disadvantaged business concern as defined in 13 CFR 124.1001 . (3) [ Complete only if the Contractor represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (h)(1) of this clause. ] The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not a women-owned small business concern. (4) Women-owned small business (WOSB) joint venture eligible under the WOSB Program. The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not a joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 127.506(a) through (c) . [ The Contractor shall enter the name and unique entity identifier of each party to the joint venture: __ .] (5) Economically disadvantaged women-owned small business (EDWOSB) joint venture. The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not a joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 127.506(a) through (c) . [ The Contractor shall enter the name and unique entity identifier of each party to the joint venture: __ .] (6) [ Complete only if the Contractor represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (h)(1) of this clause. ] The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not a veteran-owned small business concern. (7) [ Complete only if the Contractor represented itself as a veteran-owned small business concern in paragraph (h)(6) of this clause. ] The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not a service-disabled veteran-owned small business concern. (8) Service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) joint venture eligible under the SDVOSB Program . The Contractor represents that it □ is, □ is not an SDVOSB joint venture eligible under the SDVOSB Program that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR 128.402. [ The Contractor shall enter the name and unique entity identifier of each party to the joint venture : . ] (9) [ Complete only if the Contractor represented itself as a small business concern in paragraph (h)(1) of this clause. ] The Contractor represents that— (i) It □ is, □ is not a HUBZone small business concern listed, on the date of this representation, on the List of Qualified HUBZone Small Business Concerns maintained by the Small Business Administration, and no material changes in ownership and control, principal office, or HUBZone employee percentage have occurred since it was certified in accordance with 13 CFR part 126; and (ii) It □ is, □ is not a HUBZone joint venture that complies with the requirements of 13 CFR part 126, and the representation in paragraph (h)(8)(i) of this clause is accurate for each HUBZone small business concern participating in the HUBZone joint venture. [ The Contractor shall enter the names of each of the HUBZone small business concerns participating in the HUBZone joint venture: . ] Each HUBZone small business concern participating in the HUBZone joint venture shall submit a separate signed copy of the HUBZone representation. [ Contractor to sign and date and insert authorized signer's name and title._____________________ ] (End of clause) Alternate I (Mar 2020) . As prescribed in 19.309 (c)(2), substitute the following paragraph (h)(1) for paragraph (h)(1) of the basic clause: (h)(1) The Contractor represents its small business size status for each one of the NAICS codes assigned to this contract. NAICS Code Small business concern (yes/no) ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ [ Contracting Officer to insert NAICS codes. ]