FY2024 federal contracting at a glance
- ✓ Total federal contract spending: $773.68 billion.
- ✓ Small-business share: $183 billion (28.8% of total).
- ✓ Number of small businesses receiving contracts: 78,677.
- ✓ Fourth consecutive year of growth in small-business contracting.
Sources: SBA FY2024 Procurement Scorecard, GovSpend Federal Contract Analysis.
8(a) Business Development Program
- ✓ FY2024 spending: $15.4 billion in set-aside contracts.
- ✓ Goal: 15% of all federal contracts by 2025 for SDB-eligible firms.
- ✓ Active participation: 5,679 certified 8(a) firms (November 2024).
- ✓ Sole-source authority up to $4.5M (services) or $7M (manufacturing).
- ✓ Nine-year business-development track.
Eligibility: small disadvantaged businesses owned by U.S. citizens who are socially and economically disadvantaged. Source: SBA Certify, SBA FY2024 Procurement Scorecard.
Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)
- ✓ FY2024 spending: $31.7 billion total to women-owned firms; $1.3 billion in WOSB-specific set-asides.
- ✓ Goal: 5% of all federal contracts (currently 3.44%).
- ✓ Active participation: 13,289 certified WOSBs (November 2024).
- ✓ Recent: December 2024 Federal Register published program updates and clarifications.
Eligibility: at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens. Source: GovSpend WOSB Impact Analysis FY24, SBA Certify.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)
- ✓ FY2024 spending: $32.8 billion (exceeded the 5% goal).
- ✓ Year-over-year increase: $3.8 billion.
- ✓ Goal: 5% (raised from 3% in the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act).
- ✓ Active participation: 32,729 VOSB/SDVOSBs (November 2024).
Congress raised the SDVOSB goal from 3% to 5% in the FY2024 NDAA, the largest single increase to a federal small-business socioeconomic goal in over a decade. Source: Congress.gov IN12313, SBA FY2024 data.
HUBZone
- ✓ FY2024 spending: under $1 billion in set-asides (smallest of the four programs).
- ✓ Goal: 3% (historically never achieved government-wide).
- ✓ Active participation: 4,015 HUBZone firms (November 2024).
- ✓ 2025 updates: certification required at offer time (not annual); residency requirement reduced to 90 days; minimum 10 hours/week work requirement; 12-month grace period for the 35% residency compliance threshold.
HUBZone is the least-utilized federal small-business program, which means proportionally less competition for set-aside contracts. Source: SBA HUBZone Program Updates 2025.
How federal contracting actually works
Step 1: Get registered.
- ✓ Register on SAM.gov (mandatory for any federal contractor).
- ✓ Receive your Unique Entity ID (UEI). DUNS is no longer used.
- ✓ Identify your CAGE code if not auto-assigned during SAM registration.
Step 2: Get certified.
- ✓ Apply through certify.sba.gov for 8(a), WOSB, SDVOSB, or HUBZone.
- ✓ Processing time varies: WOSB 10–15 business days, others 30–120 days.
- ✓ Apply for multiple certifications in parallel if eligible. They don't conflict.
Step 3: Find opportunities.
- ✓ SAM.gov contract opportunities (the authoritative source).
- ✓ Agency forecast portals (each major agency publishes upcoming acquisitions).
- ✓ Subcontracting directories (DSBS for small-business subcontracting plans).
- ✓ APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC) counseling: free in every state.
Step 4: Compete. Build a capability statement, develop relationships with the contracting officers and OSDBU directors at your target agencies, and start with subcontracting positions on existing primes' contracts before pursuing prime IDIQ vehicles.
Top agencies by diverse-supplier spending
- ✓ Department of Defense: largest procurement budget by far.
- ✓ Department of Health and Human Services: strong small-business programs.
- ✓ Department of Homeland Security: active diverse-supplier outreach.
- ✓ Department of Veterans Affairs: 29% small-business goal for FY2025.
- ✓ General Services Administration: GSA Schedule contracts provide ongoing IDIQ opportunities.
Search agency-level federal spending data to find where your NAICS sees the most diverse-supplier awards.
Explore the federal spending dashboard →Action plan
- ✓ Take the certification quiz to identify which federal certifications match your eligibility.
- ✓ Register on SAM.gov.
- ✓ Apply for certifications through SBA Certify.
- ✓ Contact your local APEX Accelerator for free counseling.
- ✓ Build a capability statement tailored to government buyers.
- ✓ Track opportunities in your NAICS codes.
Find which federal certifications match your business profile in two minutes.
Take the eligibility quiz →Sources
- ✓ SBA FY2024 Small Business Contracting Report (April 2024)
- ✓ GovSpend Federal Contract Awards FY24 Analysis
- ✓ Federal News Network SBA Goals Commentary 2025
- ✓ SBA Certify Program Data (November 2024)
- ✓ Maynard Nexsen 2025 SBA/FAR Updates for Small Business Government Contractors
- ✓ Congress.gov IN12313 (SDVOSB Program Changes)
- ✓ Federal Register WOSB Program Updates (December 2024)
