Under the Small Business Act, businesses that meet the SBA's size standards for their primary NAICS code are eligible for small business set-aside contracts, SBA loan programs, and GWAC pools reserved for small businesses. Being classified as small dramatically expands your addressable market in federal contracting.
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Small Business Size Standard Checker
Enter your NAICS code and revenue (or employee count) to instantly check your size status against the SBA's current thresholds — and see which set-asides and programs you qualify for.
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Enter your NAICS code and size metric
We'll check your size status against the current SBA threshold and show you which programs and set-asides you qualify for.
How SBA Size Standards Work
The SBA sets a unique size standard for every NAICS code. Standards are expressed as either maximum average annual receipts (revenue) or maximum number of employees, depending on the industry type. Here's what you need to know:
- Revenue-based standards:Used for most service industries. Calculated as a 3-year average of annual receipts. The SBA uses gross revenue before expenses, including subcontractor costs.
- Employee-based standards:Used for manufacturing, mining, and some technology industries. Calculated as a 12-month average, counting all full-time, part-time, and temporary employees.
- Affiliation rules:The SBA aggregates the size of all affiliated businesses. Affiliation can be triggered by common ownership (≥50%), common management, contractual control, or economic dependence. This is the most common source of SBA size protests.
- Self-certification:Unlike 8(a) or HUBZone certifications, small business status is self-certified in SAM.gov. You are responsible for ensuring you meet the standard at the time of contract award and for the life of the contract.
- When size is measured:Size is evaluated as of the date of self-certification in your offer, not at the time the solicitation is issued. If you grow beyond the threshold after award, you can typically complete the contract but will not receive new small business set-aside awards.
Frequently Asked Questions
The SBA uses two metrics depending on industry: average annual receipts (revenue) for most service industries, or number of employees for manufacturing, mining, and some tech sectors. Revenue is calculated as a 3-year average (or 5-year for businesses with receipts under the threshold). Employee count uses a 12-month average.
This tool covers the most common NAICS codes used in federal contracting. For codes not listed, visit the official SBA size standards tool at sba.gov/size-standards — it covers all NAICS codes. You can also contact your local PTAC (Procurement Technical Assistance Center) for guidance.
Yes. Size status is always evaluated relative to the NAICS code assigned to a specific solicitation — not your "primary" code. When pursuing an opportunity, check the size standard for that specific NAICS code listed in the solicitation. Companies that are small for services may be other-than-small for manufacturing.
You become "other-than-small" and lose access to small business set-asides, applicable GWAC small business pools, and SBA loan programs for that NAICS code. Exceptions exist for legacy contracts — you can generally complete an existing contract even if you grow above the threshold during performance, but you cannot receive new small business awards.
Yes — this is one of the most important and complex aspects of SBA size rules. The SBA aggregates the revenues and employees of all affiliated businesses when determining size. Affiliation can be triggered by common ownership, management, or contractual relationships. If you have affiliates, consult an SBA size specialist or attorney before self-certifying as small.
SamSearch monitors set-aside opportunities specifically tailored to your certifications and NAICS codes. Instead of sifting through all of SAM.gov, you see only the contracts where you're eligible — filtered by your size, certifications, and target agencies. Our recompete tracking also alerts you before incumbents lock in their renewals.