Size Protest
A challenge alleging an awardee exceeds the size standard for a small business set-aside.
A size protest challenges whether an apparent awardee actually qualifies as small under the size standard assigned to the contract, often raising affiliation or the ostensible subcontractor rule. It is filed with the contracting officer, who forwards it to the SBA Area Office for a formal size determination; the decision can be appealed to the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA). Size protests must be filed within five business days of notification of the apparent awardee. A successful protest can result in the awardee being found ineligible.
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