Business Size Coding Definitions
Business Size
Concern or Business Concern — a business entity organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States, and which operates primarily within the United States or which makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials or labor.
Small Business — A concern that is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in the field of operations in which it is bidding and meets the NAICS size standards as prescribed in https://www.census.gov/epcd/naics02/naicod02.htm and Code of Federal Regulations, Title 13, Part 121. Consult your regional or district SBA office if further clarification is needed.
Large Business — A business concern that exceeds the small business size code standards established by the SBA.
Foreign Business — A business organized under the law of a country other than the U.S., its territories or possessions. A foreign business does not have a place of business located in the U.S., does not operate primarily within the U.S or does not make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes and/or use of American products, material, and/or labor, etc.
Non-Profit Organization — Any organization not conducted or maintained for the purpose of making profit (excluding HBCUs/MIs). Includes sheltered workshops, universities, colleges, and local, state, and federal governments.
Historically Black College/University or Minority Institution (HBCU/MI) — HBCUs are institutions that were established before 1964 and have a principal mission that was, and is, the education of Black Americans. MIs are institutions that substantially increase the higher education opportunities for minority and/or low-income students who are educationally disadvantaged or underrepresented in post-secondary education. HBCUs and MIs must meet the requirements of Title 34 of the CFR, Parts 608.2 and 607.2, respectively.
Non-Profit Organization — National Institute for the Blind & National Institution for the Severely handicapped (NIB/NISH) — NIB/NISH is a business affiliated with NIB or NISH. NIB/NISH are national not-for-profit agencies that create employment opportunities for people who are blind or severely disabled. https://www.nib.org and https://www.nish.org
Business Ownership — person(s) with 51% or more ownership must be a U.S. Citizen
Minority Owned* — A business that is at least 51% owned by one or more minorities; or in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more minorities; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more minorities.
Woman Owned* — A business that is at least 51% owned by one or more women; or, in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more women; and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more women.
SBA Certified Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) — A business certified by the SBA as a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB).
SBA 8(a) Certified Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) — A business concern certified by the SBA as qualifying for 8(a) Business Development Program for consideration of government set-a-side contracting opportunities and business development.
Self-Certified SDB — A business concern (for more information, refer to https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-124/subpart-B/section-124.1001):
- qualifies as small per the SBA Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to North American Industry Classification System Codes. https://www.sba.gov/index.html; and
- is at least 51% unconditionally owned by one or more U.S. citizens who are socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; and
- whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more U.S. citizens who are socially and economically disadvantaged individuals; and
- the personal net worth of each individual claiming economic disadvantage is less than $750,000 (except for tribes, ANCs, CDCs and NHOs).
Note: ANCs, NHOs, or CDCs, must meet the ownership, management, and control criteria in Title 13 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 124.109, 124.110 and 124.111, respectively.
SBA Certified HUBZone Small Business — A business certified by the SBA as a HUBZone Small Business. Validate HUBZone boundaries at https://eweb1.sba.gov/hubzone/internet and https://www.sba.gov/size/indextableofsize.html
Veteran (American) Owned* — A business that is at least 51% owned by one or more veterans, or in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more veterans, and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more veterans. Veteran means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released there from under conditions other than dishonorable as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101 (2.) https://www.vetbiz.gov
Service Disabled Veteran (American) Owned* — A business that is at least 51% owned by one or more service-disabled veterans, or in the case of any publicly owned business, at least 51% of the stock is owned by one or more service-disabled veterans and whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans or the spouse or permanent caregiver of a service-disabled veteran with permanent and severe disability. Service-disabled veteran means a veteran, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(2), with a disability that is service-connected, as defined in 38 U.S.C. 101(16).
National Minority Supplier Development Council, (NMSDC), Canadian Aboriginal Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC), Minority Supplier Development-UK (MSD-UK), Minority Supplier Development-China (MSD-China) or other NMSDC affiliates — A business certified by the NMSDC. https://www.nmsdc.org, https://www.camsc.ca/, https://www.msduk.org.uk, and https://www.msdchina.org/page/english.asp
National Association of Woman Business Owners (NAWBO) Certified — A business with NAWBO membership. NAWBO is a dues-based organization that represents the interests of women entrepreneurs in all types of businesses. https://nawbo.org/
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and WEConnect (International, Canada, UK) — A business certified by WBENC. WBENC is an organization formed to advocate and provide growth and development opportunities for women business owners. WBENC is a national third-party certifier of a business owned and operated by women. https://www.wbenc.org, https://www.weconnectinternational.org/ and https://www.weconnectcanada.org/
Business Owner-Ethnicity Information
Asian Pacific American — Persons with origins from Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, China (including Hong Kong), Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Vietnam, Korea, The Philippines, U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Republic of Palau), Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, the Common Wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Samoa, Macao, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, or Nauru.
African American — Persons having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Hispanic American — Persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Native American — American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, or Native Hawaiians.
Subcontinent Asian American — Persons with origins from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives Islands or Nepal. Reference: Title 13 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 124.103. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-124/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR4ef1291a4a984ab/section-124.103
