NASA obligated roughly $8.3 billion in FY2023. Small businesses captured about $1.7 billion of that. The agency runs one of the more structured small business programs in the federal government, with a dedicated Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), a Mentor-Protégé program that has graduated dozens of firms, and a procurement vehicle — SEWP — that diverse IT firms use to compete directly with the big integrators.
This guide covers what NASA actually buys, which set-aside vehicles it uses, where to find open opportunities, and how to get in front of contracting officers before a solicitation drops.
What NASA buys and in what volume
NASA's spend falls into a few heavy categories:
- Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E): Spacecraft systems, propulsion, materials science, Earth observation sensor development. This is the largest bucket and historically dominated by large primes like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman — but subcontracting opportunities are real.
- Information Technology: Cybersecurity, cloud migration, data analytics, enterprise software support. This is where diverse small businesses win standalone prime contracts, often through SEWP V.
- Professional and Management Support: Program management support, financial analysis, HR, training. Standard PSC codes: D-series (IT) and R-series (professional services).
- Facilities and Operations: Ground support, janitorial, maintenance at the ten NASA centers. HUBZone firms do well here.
- Scientific and Engineering Services: Mission support at Johnson Space Center, Goddard, JPL (Caltech-operated), Stennis, Kennedy. Each center has its own contracting office and its own pipeline.
The ten field centers matter. Kennedy Space Center in Florida handles launch operations. Goddard in Maryland focuses on Earth science and astrophysics. Johnson in Texas runs human spaceflight programs. Each center has its own contracting officers, its own small business specialist, and its own forecast. Treating NASA as a single buyer is a mistake.
Set-aside programs and how prominently NASA uses them
NASA uses all five major small business set-aside designations. Here's the breakdown based on FPDS data:
8(a) Business Development: Strong usage, especially at Goddard and Marshall Space Flight Centers. NASA regularly sole-sources 8(a) contracts for engineering support and IT services under the $4.5M threshold (manufacturing) and $22.5M (services/everything else with SBA approval for competitive 8(a) awards above that). If you hold an 8(a) certification and your NAICS code aligns with NASA's needs, you can approach contracting officers directly for sole-source consideration.
HUBZone: Used consistently for facilities-related work and some technical support contracts, particularly at centers in qualifying areas. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and the surrounding area has HUBZone-qualifying tracts, which creates an opening for firms in those zones.
WOSB/EDWOSB: Women-owned small business set-asides appear regularly in the professional services and IT categories. NASA's NAICS codes for IT services (541512, 541519, 518210) are designated industries for WOSB set-asides.
SDVOSB: NASA's service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside usage is lower than some agencies, but present. DoD drives more SDVOSB volume; at NASA it comes up in support services and engineering.
SDB (Small Disadvantaged Business): The agency tracks SDB spending as a goal category. FY2023 goal was 15%; actual performance has historically come in around that mark. SDB status doesn't give you a set-aside vehicle by itself, but it factors into source selection evaluation criteria at some centers.
NASA's FY2023 small business scorecard is publicly available through the SBA's goaling report. The agency has consistently hit or come close to its small business prime contracting goals, which means contracting officers are motivated to use set-asides, not just track them.
SEWP V: the vehicle diverse IT firms are actually using
The Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP V) is a NASA-managed government-wide acquisition contract. Any federal agency can order off it. It covers IT products and product-based services: hardware, software, cloud, cybersecurity, networking.
Why it matters for diverse firms: SEWP V has multiple pools, and Pool B is restricted to 8(a) firms. If you hold an 8(a) certification and sell IT products or product-based services, getting on SEWP V Pool B puts you on a vehicle that 180+ federal agencies use. The total SEWP V spend across government runs roughly $6-8 billion annually.
The current SEWP V base period ends in 2024; NASA is developing SEWP VI. Watch the SEWP website (sewp.nasa.gov) for the next on-ramp or recompete. Getting on SEWP is a multi-year play, but it is one of the higher-return investments a diverse IT firm can make in business development.
Finding NASA opportunities
beta.SAM.gov filters that matter: - Department/Agency: NASA - Set-Aside Code: filter by SB, 8A, HZ, WOSB, SDVOSB - NAICS: use the codes specific to your work; common ones include 541330 (engineering), 541512 (custom computer programming), 541519 (other computer services), 517210 (wireless telecom) - Place of Performance: filter by specific NASA center if you're building a geographic strategy
Set a saved search with email alerts. Contracting offices at individual centers post requirements separately; you cannot just watch HQ.
FPDS (Federal Procurement Data System): Go to fpds.gov and pull awards by agency (NASA) and your NAICS code. This tells you which contracting offices at which centers awarded contracts in your space over the past three years, the dollar values, and whether they used set-asides. That data tells you which program offices to target.
NASA's Small Business Opportunities page: osbp.nasa.gov lists forecast opportunities by center. The forecast is updated periodically and shows anticipated procurements before they hit SAM.gov. This is where you identify targets 6-18 months out.
Agency Forecast of Contract Opportunities (AFCO): NASA participates in the federal-wide AFCO system. Filter by agency, review the out-year forecasts, and identify requirements that match your capabilities.
Registration and portal requirements beyond SAM.gov
SAM.gov registration is the baseline. NASA adds the following:
NASA Vendor Portal (NVP): Some centers use this for supplier qualification and to track small business capabilities. Check the specific center's acquisition page.
Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS): Not a registration, but past performance records in CPARS affect source selection. If you have prior federal work, make sure your CPARS entries are accurate. Dispute anything that seems incorrect.
NASA SEWP registration: If you are pursuing SEWP, there is a separate registration and application process at sewp.nasa.gov. This is independent of SAM.gov.
Center-specific requirements: Kennedy Space Center has security access requirements for on-site work. Johnson Space Center similarly. Factor in badging timelines when estimating contract start dates.
Subcontracting through major NASA primes
NASA's large prime contractors are required to have subcontracting plans on contracts over $750,000 (services) and $1.5 million (construction). The prime contractors with the largest NASA footprints include:
- Jacobs Engineering (now Amentum): Holds large technical support contracts at Johnson and Kennedy. Active subcontracting outreach program.
- Leidos: IT infrastructure and mission support at multiple centers.
- KBR: Engineering and operations support, particularly at Johnson.
- Booz Allen Hamilton: Analytics, cybersecurity, program management.
- SAIC: IT and engineering support across several centers.
Each of these firms has a supplier diversity or small business subcontracting team. Approaching them with a specific capability and a specific contract vehicle — rather than a generic capability statement — improves the response rate. If you know Amentum holds the contract at Johnson for engineering support and you provide specialized simulation software, lead with that alignment.
NASA also runs Forecast meetings and Industry Days at individual centers. These events often include roundtables where small businesses meet prime contractors. The Johnson Space Center OSBP posts these events on its site.
NASA Mentor-Protégé Program
NASA's Mentor-Protégé Program pairs large prime contractors with small disadvantaged businesses for 12-24 month developmental agreements. Mentors provide technical assistance, facilities access, business development support, and sometimes subcontracts.
To apply, you need to be an 8(a) firm, a HUBZone firm, a WOSB, or an SDVOSB. The mentor must be a NASA prime contractor. NASA's OSBP manages the program and publishes the list of active agreements on its website.
The practical value here is access. A Mentor-Protégé agreement with Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman means you get inside their teaming networks and past performance citations that support future proposals. Firms that have completed NASA mentor-protégé agreements consistently report it as a primary source of their first sizable federal prime win.
Practical first steps
Step 1: Pull your NAICS codes and cross-reference against NASA FPDS data at the center level. Identify two or three contracting offices that have awarded contracts in your space. Target those specifically, not NASA broadly.
Step 2: Contact the small business specialist at the relevant center. Each NASA center has a dedicated small business specialist whose job is to match firms with contracting opportunities. Their contact information is on osbp.nasa.gov. Send a one-page capability statement, not a full proposal.
Step 3: If you hold an 8(a) certification, approach the contracting officer at your target center for sole-source consideration on requirements under $22.5M. You need to know the requirement exists first; the forecast and FPDS history will tell you.
Step 4: Attend the relevant center's Industry Day or small business outreach event. These happen at least once a year at most centers. Get your name in front of both the contracting office and the primes that attend.
Step 5: If you sell IT products or services, start the SEWP V application process. Even if the base period is ending, understanding the vehicle structure and getting a relationship with the SEWP program office prepares you for SEWP VI.
NASA is a buying organization that genuinely uses set-asides and runs real small business programs. The barrier is specificity. The firms that win here know which center, which program office, which contracting officer, and which upcoming requirement they are going after. Generic outreach produces nothing.
