Size Standards & Affiliation

NAICS Code

NAICS

The six-digit North American Industry Classification System code that classifies a contract's industry and its size standard.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the standard used by federal agencies to classify business establishments by industry. Each procurement is assigned a single six-digit NAICS code describing the principal purpose of the requirement, and that code determines which SBA size standard applies. Choosing the proper NAICS code is consequential: it sets the dollar/employee threshold a firm must be under to bid as small, and it can be challenged via a NAICS code appeal to the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals.

Primary Sources

Last updated Update cadence: Quarterly, plus on regulatory changes
Change log (1)
  1. LaunchedPublished the glossary covering 48 federal contracting terms with DefinedTerm structured data, primary-source citations, and cross-links into the NAICS, PSC, agency, vehicle, and FAQ pages.

Related Terms

In the FAQ Knowledge Base

How do I choose the right NAICS code for my SDVOSB?β†’
What if I work under multiple NAICS codes?β†’

More in Size Standards & Affiliation

AffiliationAverage Annual ReceiptsOstensible Subcontractor RulePSCSize Standard

Related Tools & Directories

← All Glossary Terms