Size Standards Rules in Federal Register

The U.S. Small Business Administration published four final rules to modify monetary-based size standards across 16 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sectors. These changes will increase small business eligibility for SBA’s loan and federal contracting programs for approximately 59,000 additional firms. The new size standards will become effective on May 2, 2022.

You can find links to rules published to the Federal Register in the chart below. More information about specific NAICS codes impacted can be found in each rule.

Final Rule (FR)	NAICS Sector	Sector Name	No. of Size Standards Reviewed	No. of Size Standards Increased
87 FR 18607	11	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	64	60
	21	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	4	3
	22	Utilities	3	3
	23	Construction	32	2
87 FR 18627	48-49	Transportation and Warehousing	43	18
	51	Information	19	8
	52	Finance and Insurance	39	10
	53	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	25	9
87 FR 18665	54	Professional, Scientific and Technical Services	48	27
	55	Management of Companies and Enterprises	2	2
	56	Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services	44	17
87 FR 18646	61	Education Services	18	14
	62	Health Care and Social Assistance	39	18
	71	Arts, Entertainment and Recreation	25	11
	72	Accommodation and Food Services	15	4
	81	Other Services	48	23
	Total		468	229

To arrive at these size standards, SBA evaluated the economic characteristics of industries, including average firm size, the degree of competition, and federal government contracting trends. This ensures that small business size standards reflect current industry structure and market conditions in those industries. SBA also considered program data, comments to the proposed rules, and the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated Government response.

The increases to size standards will enable some mid-sized businesses to regain their small business status and current small businesses to retain their small business status for a longer period, thereby allowing them to benefit from SBA’s procurement and loan programs.

As part of the ongoing review of size standards, in the coming months, SBA plans to issue additional rulemakings on size standards in Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade), Sector 44-45 (Retail Trade), and Sector 31-33 (Manufacturing).

For more information about SBA’s revisions to its small business size standards, visit the size standards web site at https://www.sba.gov/size.