The United States Space Force is increasingly relying on small business participation to accelerate innovation and participation, including in areas such as satellite systems, AI-enabled surveillance, cybersecurity, and advanced engineering services. Aaron Parra, the director of SSC’s Small Business Office, says, “Small Businesses really are the building blocks of our space community. These are vendors that harness a vast array of knowledge, innovation, creative solutions, and in many cases, better prices than their large business counterparts. 

In FY25, SSC set a record for funding awarded to small businesses across various categories, amounting to $1.2 billion. Most of the funding came from the small business set-aside. In cases where the small-business set-aside isn’t appropriate, Aaron Parra said, the team suggests alternate strategies. 

So, which business classify as small businesses for the SSC?

The SSC assigns a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. The business must be a for-profit organisation, must be based in America, and contribute to the country’s economy. The business should be classified as SDB (small disadvantaged business), WOSB (women-owned small business), SDVOSB (service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses), and HUBZone (historically underutilized business zone). 

The Small Business Office at SSC reviews all acquisition contracts greater than $15,000 to determine the participation of small contractors. Federal contracting can be confusing for smaller firms that often lack resources and training, but Parra explains that his team is in place to help in this regard.