Memo

The SBA Issues a Report on the Second Five-Year Comprehensive Review of Size Standards

SBA has completed its second five-year review of all size standards, in accordance with the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.

In accordance with Section 1344 of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (Jobs Act), (Pub. L. 111-240, 124 Stat. 2504, September 27, 2010), SBA has completed its second five-year review of all size standards. The Jobs Act directs SBA to conduct a detailed review of all size standards at least once every five years and to make appropriate adjustments to reflect market conditions. During the second five-year review of size standards, based on NAICS 2017, SBA reviewed a total of 1,037 size standards and revised 436. 

In accordance with the Jobs Act, the SBA has also submitted to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report on the factors SBA evaluated for reviewing size standards and the criteria it used for adjusting or not adjusting each size standard. Specifically, the report (see downloadable pdf) provides an overview of SBA’s “Size Standards Methodology,” including industry and Federal contracting factors and data sources the Agency evaluated when reviewing size standards. Also included in the report is information on the order in which SBA reviewed size standards in various North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sectors, number of size standards that were reviewed and revised in each sector, size standards of high public interest and concerns, and impacts of size standard revisions.

SBA is in the process of launching the third five-year review of size standards. As part of that effort, the Agency will first publish its revised “Size Standards Methodology” white paper for public comments. Once the revised methodology is finalized, SBA will start reviewing the size standards and issuing proposed rules for comments. For more details, interested parties are advised to contact SBA’s Office of Size Standards at sizestandards@sba.gov or 202-205-6618.

Related programs: Contracting