Size Regulations

The United States of America requires use of small business subcontracting suppliers on programs funded by agencies of the U.S. government. Many subcontracting opportunities are therefore limited to small businesses that are U.S. owned and operated. To determine your company’s status, this reference guide may be helpful. To be considered a U.S. Small Business for subcontracting purposes, a company must be organized for profit, independently owned and operated, and not dominant in its field of operation. It must also operate primarily within the United States; or, if not, it must make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials, or labor. Finally, it must meet the size standard for the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) of the product or service it is providing under the terms of its contract or subcontract. These rules are set forth in SBA’s regulations (Code of Federal Regulations, or CFR, Title 13, Part 121). Of particular importance to Lockheed Martin’s suppliers are the rules set forth in 13 CFR 121.404(e), 121.410, and 121.411. Small business size regulations are available here.

Self-Certification

Small Business Information

System for Award Management (SAM), a new government data system that replaces several legacy systems.  It is used by many government agencies as well as prime contractors to those agencies to locate suppliers to meet their unique requirements.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created by Congress in 1953 to help America's entrepreneurs form successful small enterprises. Today, SBA's program offices in every state offer financing, training and advocacy for small firms. In addition, the SBA works with thousands of lending, educational and training institutions nationwide.

The Small Business Administration offers a variety of loan programs for very specific purposes. To learn more, visit the website. 

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was developed by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to provide comparable statistics across the three countries. For the first time, government and business analysts will be able to compare directly industrial production statistics collected and published in the three North American Free Trade Agreement countries. NAICS also provides for increased comparability with the International Standard Industrial Classification System (ISIC, Revision 3), developed and maintained by the United Nations.

Post Small Business Opportunity

Prime contractors use SUB-Net to post subcontracting opportunities. These may or may not be reserved for small business, and they may include either solicitations or other notices - for example, notices of sources sought for teaming partners and subcontractors on future contracts. Small businesses can review this web site to identify opportunities in their areas of expertise. While the web site is designed primarily as a place for large businesses to post solicitations and notices, it is also used by Federal agencies, state and local Governments, non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, and even foreign Governments for the same purpose.

The FedBizOpps system allows government buyers to post synopses, solicitations and related documents on the internet and interfaces with other agency applications. The system also provides the functionality to search for business opportunities and to assist suppliers to register to receive notices of interest to their companies.

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