Small Business Set-Asides: Which Agencies and Trades Set Aside the Most

Updated Oct 19, 2026

Of the 11,070 federal contract opportunities open on Oct 19, 2026, 4,702 (42%) are set aside for small businesses or one of the SBA programs. The agency that sets aside the most is the Forest Service, at 89% of its open notices. A solicitation gives you a median of 15 days from posting to deadline. Over the last 12 months small businesses won $157.7 billion, 21% of contract dollars.

Set-asides by type

• Small Business 2,805 open · 60% of set-asides
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB) 455 open · 10% of set-asides
• HUBZone 172 open · 4% of set-asides
• Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) 125 open · 3% of set-asides
• 8(a) 44 open · 1% of set-asides
• Veteran-Owned Small Business (VA) 5 open · 0% of set-asides

Which agencies set aside the most

1. Forest Service 89% · 84 of 94 open notices
2. USDA 71% · 99 of 140 open notices
3. Bureau of Prisons 62% · 53 of 85 open notices
4. Coast Guard 57% · 46 of 80 open notices
5. DOE 57% · 64 of 112 open notices
6. Army 49% · 456 of 930 open notices
7. DLA 49% · 2,545 of 5,238 open notices
8. NOAA 47% · 14 of 30 open notices
9. VA 46% · 342 of 745 open notices
10. DHS 40% · 76 of 190 open notices
11. GSA 40% · 50 of 126 open notices
12. NIH 34% · 21 of 61 open notices
13. NASA 34% · 40 of 118 open notices
14. State Department 34% · 40 of 119 open notices
15. Air Force 29% · 225 of 780 open notices
16. National Park Service 27% · 16 of 60 open notices
17. Navy 22% · 345 of 1,581 open notices

Agencies with at least 30 open notices.

Free data: download this table (CSV). Licensed CC BY 4.0: reuse it freely with a link to this page.

Trades with the most set-asides

1. All Other Specialty Trade Contractors 84% of 31 open
2. Motor Vehicle Transmission and Power Train Parts Manufacturing 81% of 27 open
3. Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 77% of 61 open
4. Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors 74% of 39 open
5. Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction 71% of 35 open
6. Bolt, Nut, Screw, Rivet, and Washer Manufacturing 70% of 179 open
7. Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing 69% of 86 open
8. Fluid Power Pump and Motor Manufacturing 67% of 85 open
9. Landscaping Services 67% of 30 open
10. Fluid Power Valve and Hose Fitting Manufacturing 65% of 37 open
11. Testing Laboratories and Services 65% of 37 open
12. Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing 62% of 29 open

Trades that are rarely set aside

• Lessors of Other Real Estate Property 3% of 33 open
• Space Research and Technology 6% of 36 open
• Other Metal Valve and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 11% of 159 open
• Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing 14% of 271 open
• Other Building Equipment Contractors 15% of 98 open
• Electronic Computer Manufacturing 16% of 31 open

Trades with at least 25 open notices.

How long you get to respond

Among the 6,475 open solicitations with a posting date and a deadline, the median time from posting to deadline is 15 days; 46% give less than 14 days. Set-aside solicitations give a median of 13 days, full and open ones 15 days. Short windows are why a daily alert matters: a notice found a week late may already be closed.

• NASA median 7 days
• DLA median 12 days
• Forest Service median 14 days
• USDA median 14 days
• Army median 17 days
• VA median 19 days
• DOE median 22 days
• State Department median 22 days
• Air Force median 25 days
• GSA median 28 days
• DHS median 30 days
• Navy median 30 days
• Coast Guard median 32 days
• Bureau of Prisons median 44 days
• National Park Service median 46 days

What a set-aside is

A set-aside limits who may bid. A small business set-aside is open only to firms under the SBA size standard for the notice's trade (NAICS code); the 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned (WOSB) and service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) set-asides are open only to firms certified in that program. Fewer bidders means better odds. The guide to getting government contracts explains registering and certifying, and the largest government contractors report shows where the biggest dollars go.

How this report is made

From every federal contract opportunity open on SAM.gov on Oct 19, 2026, read each morning; the set-aside is the one stated on the notice. Response time counts solicitations only (not sources sought or presolicitation notices), from the posting date to the response deadline. Small-business dollars are from USAspending.gov. Updated every day.

Questions

What is a small business set-aside?

A federal contract that only small businesses (or only firms certified in an SBA program such as 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB or SDVOSB) may bid on.

What share of federal contracts is set aside for small businesses?

42% of the 11,070 contract opportunities open on Oct 19, 2026 were set aside. By dollars, small businesses won 21% of federal contract obligations over the last 12 months.

Which agency sets aside the most contracts?

Of the agencies with at least 30 open notices, the Forest Service (89%), then the USDA (71%) and the Bureau of Prisons (62%).

How long do you have to respond to a federal solicitation?

A median of 15 days from posting to deadline among the solicitations open today; 46% give less than 14 days.