What are the rules for counting employees for SBA size standards?

The SBA counts part-time and temporary employees the same as full-time employees when determining employee-based size. For federal contracting, the SBA calculates employee-based size by averaging the number of employees for each pay period over the preceding completed 24 calendar months (13 CFR 121.106(b)). This means you need to look at your payroll records for the last two years to get an accurate count.

Your company's size standard for NAICS 541611, management consulting services, is likely based on annual receipts, not employee count, unless it is a specific exception. SBA size standards are generally set by NAICS code and are expressed either in number of employees or in annual receipts in millions of dollars (13 CFR 121.101 and 121.201). For federal contracting, receipts are averaged over the business's latest five complete fiscal years, and the receipts and employees of affiliates are included. Always check the specific solicitation or the SBA size standards table for the correct basis.