SBA’s FY25 contracting scorecard gives small businesses a useful signal: federal agencies are still buying from small firms at scale, but the market is getting more selective.
According to SBA, small businesses received nearly 28 percent of federal prime contract dollars in fiscal year 2025, above the 23 percent governmentwide statutory goal. SBA put the prime-contract number at nearly $179 billion and the combined prime-and-subcontract number at nearly $273 billion.
The headline is positive, but not automatic
Those numbers don’t mean federal work is easy to win. They mean qualified small businesses are still part of the federal buying plan. The practical question for an owner is whether the company is visible, eligible, documented, and ready to bid before the opportunity appears.
SBA also tied the scorecard to tighter program review, especially around 8(a) participation and veteran-owned contracting. Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses received $32.5 billion in prime contracts, above the 5 percent target for federal prime contracts.
What owners should check
Start with the basics: SAM registration, size-standard support, NAICS codes, past performance, capability statements, certifications, and whether the company has a clean way to track solicitations and teaming opportunities.
For firms already in government contracting, this is a good time to review how much of the pipeline depends on one agency, one prime contractor, or one set-aside category. A scorecard can show opportunity, but it can also hide concentration risk.
What BCA readers should do
If federal contracting is part of your 2026 plan, don’t wait until a solicitation drops. Build the file now. Confirm the entity information, pull the certification records, update the capability statement, and decide which agencies actually buy what you sell.
The scorecard says dollars are moving. The companies that can prove eligibility and respond quickly are in the better position.
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration, “SBA Releases FY25 Scorecard for Small Business Contracting,” June 25, 2026. https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/06/25/sba-releases-fy25-scorecard-small-business-contracting
- U.S. Small Business Administration, “Small business procurement scorecard.” https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-data/small-business-procurement-scorecard
- Federal News Network, Jason Miller, “Agencies award $179B to small firms in 2025, down from 2024,” June 25, 2026. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/contractsawards/2026/06/agencies-award-179b-to-small-firms-in-2025-down-from-2024/
Disclaimer
This article is for general educational purposes. It is not legal, tax, payroll, financial, or regulatory advice. Rules can change, and the right answer depends on the facts. BCA can help readers organize the issue and coordinate with the appropriate licensed advisor when needed.