The Federal Contract Pipeline Part 3 of 8 | How to Get on the Right Radar - SAM, NAICS Codes & Set-Asides

If the government is going to pay you, they first have to be able to find you.

That sounds simple. But this is exactly where most small business owners stall out. They know government contracting is possible for them. They've heard the numbers, the federal government spends over $700 billion on contracts every year. They're motivated. And then they hit a wall of acronyms, government portals, and certification processes that nobody bothered to explain in plain English.

This post is going to fix that.

There are three things that put you on the government's radar: your SAM registration, your NAICS codes, and your set-aside certifications. We're going to go deep on all three - what they are, why they matter, and exactly what you need to do.

Step One: SAM.gov - Your Front Door to Federal Contracting

SAM stands for System for Award Management, and it is the federal government's official vendor database. Every business that wants to receive federal contract dollars must be registered here. There are no workarounds and no exceptions.

Registration is free. Anyone charging you to register in SAM is overcharging you - the government portal is open to everyone at no cost.

Here's what you'll need to register:

• Your EIN (Employer Identification Number)
• Your UEI (Unique Entity Identifier - this replaced the old DUNS number and is now assigned automatically through SAM)
• Your legal business name as it appears on your IRS records
• Your physical business address
• Your NAICS codes (we'll cover these in detail next)
• A bank account for Electronic Funds Transfer (this is how the government pays you)

The registration process walks you through several sections, including your business information, financials, and representations and certifications - a section where you answer yes/no questions about your business that help determine your eligibility for certain contract types and set-asides.

Plan for the process to take one to three hours if you have everything ready. Once submitted, approval can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. After approval, your registration is active for 365 days. You must renew it every year - if it lapses, you become ineligible to receive payments on active contracts, not just new ones. Put a reminder on your calendar now.

One important note: SAM.gov has been a target for fraud. Make sure you are always going directly to sam.gov — not a third-party site that mimics it. And never pay anyone to register you or "expedite" your registration.

Step Two: NAICS Codes - How the Government Categorizes What You Do

NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System. These are six-digit codes that classify every type of business by industry. The federal government uses them to organize procurement, meaning contracting officers search by NAICS code when they're looking for vendors to solicit for a contract.

If your NAICS codes are wrong, incomplete, or missing, you simply won't show up. You could be perfectly qualified for a contract and never know it existed.

How NAICS Codes Work

Every code is six digits. The first two digits represent the broad industry sector. Each additional digit narrows the classification further. For example:

• 54 = Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
• 541 = Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (same sector, narrowed)
• 5418 = Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
• 54181 = Advertising Agencies
• 541810 = Advertising Agencies (the full six-digit code)

When you're selecting codes for SAM, you always use the full six-digit version.

How to Find Your NAICS Codes

Go to census.gov/naics and use the search tool. You can search by keyword - type in what you do, and it will return relevant codes. Don't stop at the first one that sounds right. Search multiple terms that describe your work.

For example, if you're a marketing consultant, you might search: marketing, consulting, advertising, public relations, social media, communications, content, branding. Each search may return a different code, and several of them may apply to your business.

You Can - and Should - Have Multiple NAICS Codes

There is no limit to how many NAICS codes you can list in SAM. Think through every service you offer, every product you sell, and every industry you serve. Each one may have a corresponding code.

Why does this matter? Because different contracts are issued under different NAICS codes. A graphic design contract might be listed under 541430. A communications consulting contract might be listed under 541820. If you only have one of those codes in your profile, you'll only see one of those opportunities.

Primary NAICS Code

SAM will ask you to designate one primary NAICS code. This should represent the majority of your revenue or the core of your business. It's also the code used to determine your size standard (more on that in a moment).

Size Standards

Each NAICS code has a corresponding size standard set by the Small Business Administration. This is the threshold that defines whether your business qualifies as a "small business" under that code. Size standards are expressed either as annual revenue (in millions) or number of employees, depending on the industry.

For example, the size standard for NAICS code 541810 (Advertising Agencies) is $19 million in average annual receipts. If your business earns less than that, you qualify as a small business under that code and are eligible for small business set-aside contracts in that category.

You can look up size standards at sba.gov/size-standards or use the SBA's Size Standards Tool.

This matters because the government is required to set aside a significant portion of contracting dollars exclusively for small businesses. But "small" is defined differently depending on what you do - so knowing your size standard for each NAICS code you use is important.

Step Three: Set-Asides and Certifications — Your Competitive Edge

Federal law requires government agencies to direct a percentage of their contracting spending to small businesses. On top of that baseline, there are additional set-aside programs for specific categories of business owners. These programs are not charity - they are federal policy, and they create real contracting opportunities that large corporations are legally excluded from competing for.

Here's a breakdown of the major programs and how to get certified for each one.

Small Business (SB)

This is the baseline designation. If your business meets the size standard for your NAICS code, you qualify as a small business and are eligible for contracts set aside for small businesses generally.

This is self-certified in SAM - there is no separate application. You simply answer the relevant questions in the Representations and Certifications section of your SAM registration accurately.

Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB)

The WOSB program was created specifically to expand federal contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses in industries where they are underrepresented.

To qualify as a WOSB, your business must:

• Be at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more women who are U.S. citizens
• Be a small business under the SBA size standard for your primary NAICS code
• Have women in control of day-to-day management and long-term decision-making

To qualify as an EDWOSB (the economically disadvantaged tier), the woman or women who own the business must also meet personal financial thresholds set by the SBA - including limits on personal net worth, adjusted gross income, and total assets.

How to get certified: Certification is handled through the SBA's MySBA platform at certify.sba.gov. As of 2023, third-party certification through organizations like WBENC is no longer accepted for federal contracts - you must certify directly through the SBA. The application requires documentation including your business formation documents, proof of ownership, financial statements, and personal financial information for the qualifying owner(s). Processing time is typically 30 to 90 days.

8(a) Business Development Program

The 8(a) program is one of the most powerful tools available to eligible small business owners. It's a nine-year business development program run by the SBA that gives participants access to sole-source contracts (meaning they can be awarded without competition), set-aside contracts, and business development resources including mentorship and training.

To qualify, your business must:

• Be at least 51% owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen who is socially and economically disadvantaged
• Have been in operation for at least two years
• Meet the SBA's size standard for your primary NAICS code
• Demonstrate potential for success

Social disadvantage is presumed for certain groups, including Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, and Subcontinent Asian Americans. Others can demonstrate social disadvantage through a narrative.

Economic disadvantage is determined by personal financial thresholds similar to the EDWOSB program.

How to get certified: Apply through certify.sba.gov. This is a thorough application - expect to submit two to three years of tax returns, financial statements, a personal financial statement, proof of ownership and control, and a personal statement explaining how you have experienced social disadvantage. The process can take three to six months. If approved, you enter the program for nine years — four years in the developmental stage and five years in the transitional stage.

The 8(a) program is worth the effort. Agencies can award sole-source 8(a) contracts up to $4.5 million (or $7.5 million for manufacturing) without any competition required.

HUBZone Program

HUBZone stands for Historically Underutilized Business Zone. The program is designed to stimulate economic development in areas that have historically had high unemployment or low income levels.

To qualify, your business must:

• Be a small business
• Be at least 51% owned by U.S. citizens, a community development corporation, an agricultural cooperative, an Alaska Native corporation, a Native Hawaiian organization, or an Indian tribe
• Have its principal office located in a HUBZone
• Have at least 35% of its employees living in a HUBZone

How to check if your address qualifies: Use the HUBZone map tool at sba.gov/hubzone-map. You can enter any address and immediately see whether it falls within a designated HUBZone.

How to get certified: Apply through certify.sba.gov. You'll need to provide documentation of your business address, proof of employee residency in a HUBZone, ownership documents, and payroll records. Processing typically takes 60 to 90 days.

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)

These programs provide set-aside opportunities for veteran-owned businesses, with additional priority for businesses owned by veterans with a service-connected disability.

To qualify as an SDVOSB:

• The business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans
• The service-connected disability must be documented by the VA or Department of Defense

To qualify as a VOSB (without a service-connected disability):

• The business must be at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more veterans

How to get certified: As of January 2023, SBA handles SDVOSB and VOSB certification for all federal agencies (previously, the VA managed its own separate certification). Apply through certify.sba.gov. Processing typically takes 30 to 60 days.

A Note on Stacking Certifications

You are not limited to one certification. If you are a service-disabled veteran who is also a woman, and your business is located in a HUBZone, you may qualify for multiple designations simultaneously. Each certification opens up a different pool of set-aside contracts. Apply for every one you legitimately qualify for.

Pulling It All Together: Your Radar Checklist

Before you move on to Part 4, make sure you've taken care of these:

Register in SAM at sam.gov - or renew your registration if it's been more than a year.

Review your NAICS codes. Search census.gov/naics using multiple keywords that describe your work. Add every code that applies.

Check your size standard for each NAICS code at sba.gov/size-standards.

Determine which set-aside certifications you qualify for, and begin the application for each one at certify.sba.gov.

Set a calendar reminder to renew your SAM registration annually.

The businesses that win government contracts consistently are not necessarily the largest or the most connected. They are the ones who made sure they were visible, verified, and correctly classified before an opportunity came up. By the time a solicitation drops, it's too late to get your registrations in order. Do it now.

Next up — Part 4 of 8: Reading a Solicitation Without Getting Lost. We'll break down exactly what's inside a government solicitation and what you actually need to pay attention to.

© 2026 Published by Evans Cutchmore, an Imprint of The Couvent Collective PBC. All rights reserved.

Kim M. Braud is a strategist, writer, and founder working in the areas of economic power, cultural narrative, and community leadership. With expansive experience across financial services, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit leadership, her writing explores who controls systems, who benefits from them, and who gets left out. Her work centers on economic mobility, institutional accountability, and the stories we inherit, and the ones we choose to dismantle.