Federal Set-Aside Programs

A nine-year SBA program reserved for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Participants compete for sole-source and competitive set-aside contracts unavailable to non-participants.

A federal set-aside program for small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones with the majority of employees living in those zones. Provides set-aside contracts and a 10% price evaluation preference on full-and-open competitions.

A federal set-aside program for small businesses that are at least 51% owned, controlled, and managed by women. Provides set-aside opportunities in industries where the federal government has identified women-owned firms as under-represented.

A more restrictive subset of the WOSB program for women-owned small businesses whose owners also meet economic disadvantage criteria. Eligible for additional set-asides reserved exclusively for EDWOSB-certified firms.

A federal set-aside program for small businesses that are at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans. Eligible for SDVOSB-only set-asides and sole-source contracts.

A small-business program for firms 51% or more owned by veterans (without the service-disabled requirement of SDVOSB). The VA's Vets First program prioritizes VOSB firms on VA contracts.

A federal contracting requirement that restricts competition on certain contracts to small businesses, as defined by the SBA size standard for the contract's NAICS code. The most common federal set-aside type.

A contract awarded without competition because the agency has determined only one source can perform the work — a procurement method, not a small-business program. Several set-aside programs allow sole-source awards within certain dollar thresholds.