The Federal Government Achieves Small Business Contracting Goal for the Fifth Consecutive Year with Record-Breaking $105B to Small Businesses

Staff Report

Wednesday, June 6th, 2018

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that the federal government met its small business federal contracting goal for the fifth consecutive year  awarding 23.88 percent in federal contract dollars to small businesses totaling $105.7 billion, an increase of $5 billion. This marks the first time more than $100 billion in prime contracts has been awarded to small businesses. The federal government earned an "A" on this year's government-wide scorecard.   

"I am happy to report that for the fifth consecutive year, the federal government has not only met and exceeded its small business contracting goal, but it has awarded $105 billion to small businesses for the first time earning the government an A on SBA's scorecard for this remarkable achievement," said SBA Administrator Linda McMahon. "This grade reflects significant efforts by federal agencies toward meeting the 23 percent statutory goal to award prime contracts to small businesses. Every contract that gets in the hands of a small business owner is a win-win for the business, creating jobs in their communities, and boosting the nation's economy."

In fiscal year 2017, the federal government exceeded the service-disabled veteran-owned small business and small disadvantaged business goals.  Prime contract dollars in all categories increased.  The prime contract goal achievements by dollars and percentages for all categories are as follows:

 

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Category

Goal

$(B)

%SB

$(B)

%SB

$(B)

%SB

$(B)

%SB

$(B)

%SB

Small
Business

23%

$83.1

23.4%

$91.7

24.9%

$90.7

25.7%

$99.7

24.4%

$105.7

23.8%

Small
Disadvantaged
Business

5%

$30.6

8.6%

$34.7

9.5%

$35.4

10.1%

$39.1

9.4%

$40.2

9.1%

Service
Disabled
Veteran
Owned
Small
Business

3%

$12.0

3.4%

$13.5

3.7%

$13.8

3.9%

$16.3

4.0%

$17.9

4.1%

Women
Owned
Small
Business

5%

$15.4

4.3%

$17.2

4.7%

$17.8

5.1%

$19.7

4.8%

$20.8

4.7%

HUBZone

3%

$6.2

1.8%

$6.7

1.8%

$6.4

1.8%

$6.9

1.7%

$7.3

1.7%

The federal government also exceeded its subcontract goals for awards to Women-Owned Small Business and Small Disadvantaged Businesses and awarded $75 billion in subcontracts to all small businesses. The fiscal year 2017 prime and subcontracting awards to small businesses equate to nearly one million jobs created to support the nation's economy. 

SBA continues to collaborate with federal agencies to expand small business opportunities for small business contractors to compete and win federal contracts. The FY2017 Small Business Procurement scorecard analyzed the prime contracting and subcontracting performance, and other contributing factors which resulted in an overall "A" grade for the federal government. Eight agencies received A+, 12 received a grade of "A", three received a "B" grade and one received a "C" grade.