NAICS Code

NAICS codes are six-digit numbers that classify every business establishment in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The federal government uses NAICS codes to determine your small business size standard — the revenue or employee threshold below which you qualify as a "small business" for a given industry.

Choosing the right NAICS codes is critical. Each federal solicitation is assigned a primary NAICS code, and the associated size standard determines which companies can compete as small businesses. For example, NAICS 541715 (R&D in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences) has a size standard of 1,000 employees, while NAICS 541611 (Administrative Management Consulting) has a $24.5 million revenue threshold.

You can list multiple NAICS codes in your SAM.gov profile to indicate the full range of industries you serve. When responding to solicitations, the contracting officer assigns the single most relevant NAICS code based on the principal purpose of the contract.