Small Business Self-Certification

Eligibility Requirements

• •Business must meet the SBA size standard for its primary NAICS code
• •Size standards are either employee-based (e.g., 500 or 1,000 employees) or revenue-based (e.g., $16.5M or $41.5M)
• •Must include affiliates when calculating size (SBA affiliation rules at 13 CFR 121.103)
• •Must be organized for profit and located in the United States
• •Must not be dominant in its field of operation on a national basis
• •Must be independently owned and operated

Certification Process

Self-certification is completed through SAM.gov registration. The firm selects its primary and secondary NAICS codes and represents its size status for each. No SBA review or approval is required for basic small business status. However, any interested party can file a size protest with the contracting officer, who forwards it to the SBA Area Office for determination. False certifications can trigger False Claims Act liability.

Contracting Benefits

• +Eligibility for small business set-aside contracts (23% government-wide goal)
• +Foundation for all other socioeconomic certifications
• +Access to small business subcontracting opportunities with large primes
• +No application fee or processing time — immediate upon SAM.gov registration
• +Eligibility for SBA loan programs, bonding assistance, and counseling
• +Subcontracting plan credit for large prime contractors