Set-aside programs · 8(a) Business Development
8(a) program contracts
In FY2026, 8(a) program firms won $24.38B in federal contracts, $10.11B of it through set-asides for the program; 49 set-aside notices are open now.
A small business at least 51% owned and controlled by US citizens who are socially and economically disadvantaged, in a nine-year program with set-aside and sole-source awards. Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations and Native Hawaiian Organizations can own 8(a) firms too.
Open 8(a) business development set-aside notices · Set-aside contracts coming up for re-bid · Get registered in SAM.gov · How set-asides work
How to qualify
SBA admits firms to the program; applications go through certify.sba.gov.
SBA's 8(a) program ↗ · Apply (certify.sba.gov) ↗
SBA decides who qualifies, not SpendQuery. You certify your own status when you register and when you make an offer.
What's changing · as of October 2026
- June 2026: SBA proposed ending the presumption that members of certain groups are socially disadvantaged. Individual owners would instead show harm from specific discriminatory policies. It is still a proposal; SBA said it doesn't plan to apply it to firms already in the program, and entity-owned firms (tribes, ANCs, NHOs) are outside it. The proposed rule ↗
- The government-wide goal for contracts with small disadvantaged businesses was cut to 5% for FY2025.
Not legal advice: check the current rules before you certify.
Money to 8(a) program participants, by year
Federal contract obligations to small businesses that report this status on the contract (FPDS), all set-asides and full and open competition together.
Money by year
Obligations (money committed) in prime awards, from USAspending.gov.
Agencies buying from them, FY2026
- Department of Defense $11.08B
- Department of Homeland Security $2.23B
- Department of Health and Human Services $1.98B
- Department of State $1.19B
- General Services Administration $1.08B
- Department of Transportation $775.93M
- Department of Justice $758.68M
- Department of the Interior $734.65M
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration $693.95M
- Department of Veterans Affairs $685.68M
Companies winning the most, FY2026
- Arctic Slope Regional Corporation $462.29M
- Asrc Federal Facilities Logistics, LLC $358.49M
- Cherokee Nation $343.73M
- Defense Systems and Solutions $341.10M
- Nana Regional Corporation, Inc. $336.55M
- New Tech Solutions, Inc. $320.34M
- The Chenega Corporation $266.19M
- IT Concepts, Inc. $245.83M
- Akima Infrastructure Protection LLC $196.20M
- Dni Emerging Technologies, LLC $151.00M
- Cynergy Professional Systems LLC $136.37M
- Kerberos International Inc $120.37M
What they're paid for, FY2026
- 541512 Computer Systems Design Services $2.53B
- 541519 Other Computer Related Services $2.43B
- 541330 Engineering Services $2.06B
- 561210 Facilities Support Services $2.04B
- 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction $1.91B
- 541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services $1.70B
- 541511 Custom Computer Programming Services $1.46B
- 561612 Security Guards and Patrol Services $998.94M
- 541990 All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services $644.50M
- 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (Except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) $550.25M
Where the work is, FY2026
- Virginia $4.42B
- Maryland $2.86B
- District of Columbia $2.68B
- California $1.45B
- Texas $1.21B
- Alabama $1.07B
- Alaska $1.03B
- Florida $1.02B
- New Jersey $735.72M
- Georgia $726.44M
Registered companies
- 3,906 active SAM.gov registrations in the 8(a) program
- 38,121 say they're a small disadvantaged business in SAM.gov
Contracts ending in the next 12 months
3,621 contracts, $37.94B with options. The largest:
| Contract | Incumbent | Ends | Value with options |
|---|---|---|---|
| W912DR23C0046 BUILDING 1822 RENOVATION PROJECT, FT. BELVOIR, VIRGINIA. | Pem Construction, LLC | 2026-10-23 | $29.14M |
| 75D30124C18619 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR DCLSR | Asrt, Inc. | 2026-10-23 | $4.69M |
| HE125423C8000 DODEA RM ACCOUNTING SUPPORT SERVICES | Commitpoint, Inc. | 2026-10-23 | $4.50M |
| N0018925P0255 NETWORK ENGINEER SERVICES | JFL Consulting, LLC | 2026-10-23 | $4.37M |
| FA302221C0009 FY21 AIRFIELD MANAGEMENT SERVICES | Syscom, Inc | 2026-10-23 | $2.91M |
| 47PD5426C0001 AWARD OF CONTRACT NO. 47PD5426C0001 - FBI CHILLER REPLACEMENT | Cebuana Construction Inc | 2026-10-23 | $2.20M |
| W912PP23C0022 PINON CANYON LAND RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT (LRAM) | Alaniz Associates Corp | 2026-10-24 | $5.06M |
| W911N226PA001 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SERVICES. DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENT TO SUPPORT THE LETTERKENNY ARMY DEPOT WARFIGHTERS. | Saliense Consulting LLC | 2026-10-24 | $3.49M |
| W912DR24C0042 DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY (DLA) DISPOSITION SERVICES SITE IMPROVEMENTS, FORT MEADE, MD | Evcon-Cwc JV LLC | 2026-10-25 | $14.65M |
| N6945025C0045 BARRACKS 460 RENOVATIONS. SOW IS HEREBY INCLUDED BY REFERENCE AND WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE AWARD EMAIL. | Benecorp Inc | 2026-10-25 | $3.80M |
Open notices
- X-132 Entrance at Northeast Loading Dock Renovations, NSN · Solicitation · due 2026-10-23 · 8(a) Set-Aside (FAR 19.8)
- CGC HEALY Main Propulsion Diesel Engine Component Salvage Inspection · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation · due 2026-10-23 · 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)
- USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD-8), Ships Service Diesel Generators (SSDGs) Long Lead Time Material (LLTM) Direct Item Replacements · Combined Synopsis/Solicitation · due 2026-10-23 · 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)
- 6" Flex Flo Bodies · Special Notice · due 2026-10-23 · 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)
- IBM AIX and Linux Server Consulting Service · Special Notice · due 2026-10-23 · 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)
- SABER FY 27-32 · Solicitation · due 2026-10-23 · 8(a) Set-Aside (FAR 19.8)
- Laboratory Proficiency Testing for the Red Lake Service Unit · Special Notice · due 2026-10-25 · 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)
- Diesel Injection Pumps · Special Notice · due 2026-10-26 · 8(a) Sole Source (FAR 19.8)
8(a) contracts by state
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Guam · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Puerto Rico · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
From USAspending.gov prime awards (FPDS business types and set-aside codes), SAM.gov registrations and notices. Sources and limits