Hey everyone, I'm trying to figure out the small business size standard for my company. We're looking at a federal grounds maintenance Request for Quotation (RFQ) for a local base, NAICS code 561730, and the portal says it's an employee-based size standard. I have 9 full-time employees and 3 part-time. Does the SBA count part-time employees the same as full-time when calculating the average number of employees for a size standard? And over what period do they average the employee count?
Yes, the SBA counts part-time employees the same as full-time employees when calculating the average number of employees for a size standard. The employee-based size is the average number of employees for each pay period over the preceding completed 24 calendar months. My firm uses a similar NAICS code for some county court work and that rule holds. For federal contracts, the SBA sets size standards by NAICS code, and these standards are either in terms of employees or annual receipts. You will also include the employees of any affiliates in your calculation. For state and local government contracts, the rules for employee counts can vary, so always check the specific state procurement code or the portal's vendor guide.