SBE Certification for Facilities & Janitorial Companies

For small businesses meeting SBA size standards.

Facilities and janitorial services is one of the strongest sectors for diverse supplier participation. Here's why certification matters:

Frequent Small Business Set-Asides: NAICS 561720 (Janitorial Services) is one of the most small-business-friendly codes in federal contracting, with frequent set-asides for 8(a), WOSB/EDWOSB, SDVOSB, and HUBZone businesses. The SBA size standard allows firms up to $22 million in annual revenue, making set-asides accessible to growing companies.

Recurring Contract Revenue: Facilities and janitorial contracts are typically multi-year (base year plus option years), providing stable, recurring revenue. Federal contracts often run 5 years total, and corporate contracts are similarly long-term.

Every Facility Needs Service: Unlike specialized industries, every office building, hospital, courthouse, military installation, and campus needs cleaning and maintenance. This creates a massive, diversified customer base.

Low Capital Requirements: Compared to construction or manufacturing, entry barriers are relatively low. You need trained staff, basic equipment, and insurance—not heavy machinery or factories.

AbilityOne Program: The AbilityOne Program is the largest source of employment for people who are blind or have significant disabilities, using federal purchasing power to buy services from qualifying nonprofits. Understanding this program helps diverse suppliers identify adjacent opportunities.

Must meet SBA size standards for your industry (based on employees or revenue).

To qualify as a small business:

Size Standards:

• Must meet SBA size standards for your primary NAICS code
• Size standards vary by industry
• Based on annual revenue or number of employees depending on industry
• Example: Most professional services = $16.5M - $41.5M annual revenue
• Example: Most manufacturing = 500-1500 employees

Ownership:

• No specific ownership requirements for basic SB status
• Just need to meet size standards

Location:

• Must be a U.S. business

Step 1: Get Your UEI SAM.gov will assign you a Unique Entity ID when you register.

Step 2: Register in SAM.gov Complete your SAM.gov registration (required for all federal contracting).

Step 3: Self-Certify Size In SAM.gov, self-certify your small business status under your NAICS codes.

Step 4: Maintain Registration SAM.gov registration must be renewed annually.

No Application Fee SAM.gov registration is completely free.

Federal Opportunities

Key agencies purchasing janitorial and facilities services:

• General Services Administration (GSA): Manages federal buildings nationwide, over $1.4B in Facilities category sales via GSA Schedule in FY2024
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): Hundreds of VA hospitals and clinics needing daily custodial and facilities services
• Department of Defense (DoD): Military installations, barracks, offices, and training facilities
• US Postal Service (USPS): Thousands of post offices requiring cleaning and maintenance

Contract Vehicles

• GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) - Facilities Category
• Agency-specific Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs)
• IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity) contracts for ongoing services
• 8(a) sole-source contracts up to $4.5 million

Set-Aside Opportunities

NAICS 561720 has extensive small business set-asides:

• Total Small Business set-asides
• 8(a) competitive and sole-source
• WOSB and EDWOSB set-asides
• SDVOSB set-asides (especially at the VA)
• HUBZone set-asides

State and Local

State buildings, public schools, universities, transit systems, and municipal buildings all contract for janitorial and facilities services, often with diverse supplier goals.