SBA
Small Business Administration
Government AgenciesDefinition
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal agency responsible for supporting small businesses, including managing government contracting certification programs (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB), setting small business size standards, and advocating for small business participation in federal procurement.
In government contracting, the SBA's most important role is certifying small businesses for set-aside programs. The agency manages VetCert (for SDVOSB certification), the 8(a) Business Development Program, HUBZone certification, and WOSB certification through its online portal.
The SBA also sets size standards — the revenue or employee thresholds that determine whether a business qualifies as "small" under each NAICS code. These standards are updated periodically and can significantly affect your eligibility for set-aside contracts.
The federal government's goal is to award at least 23% of prime contract dollars to small businesses. The SBA monitors agencies' performance against this goal and publishes scorecards annually.
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