On May 18, 2017, the U.S. Small Business Administration reported that small businesses received 24.34% of federal contract dollars in fiscal 2016, totaling $99.96 billion. That was more than $9 billion above the prior year and exceeded the government’s 23% target for the fourth consecutive year. For firms considering federal work, the announcement documented a large contracting channel—but not an individual company’s odds of winning a bid. [story-s1]
The category figures were less uniform than the headline. Small disadvantaged businesses received 9.52% against a 5% goal, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses received 3.98% against a 3% goal. Women-owned small businesses reached 4.79%, just below their 5% goal; HUBZone small businesses received 1.67% against a 3% goal. The release said prime-contract dollars increased across all categories, while these percentage comparisons show that increases in dollars did not mean every goal was met. [story-s1]
SBA described its annual scorecard as measuring agency performance on prime and subcontracting goals, reporting agency-specific progress, and supporting transparent contracting data. Agencies set individual goals with SBA, and the agency said their combined goals exceed the statutory 23% target. It also noted ongoing data-quality work, including anomaly checks and training. The release therefore offers two distinct signals: aggregate small-business participation cleared the government-wide target, while category and agency-level scorecards remained important for understanding where opportunities and shortfalls sat. It does not establish that any particular small firm benefited or that a scorecard grade predicts future awards. [story-s1]
Source documents
- The Federal Government Achieves Small Business Procurement Contracting Goal for the 4th Consecutive Yearhttps://www.sba.gov/article/2017/may/18/federal-government-achieves-small-business-procurement-contracting-goal-4th-consecutive-year