FY2026 YTDDOD: $842.3B (+2.4% YoY)HHS: $156.7B (-1.2% YoY)DHS: $68.4B (+5.1% YoY)NASA: $25.8B (+3.7% YoY)DOE: $48.2B (-0.8% YoY)VA: $301.4B (+8.2% YoY)|Active Opportunities: 47,832Expiring 7d: 2,341|Data via USASpending.gov

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Set-Asides

8(a) Certification: Is It Worth It in 2026?

An analysis of 8(a) program benefits and success rates.

Fed-Spend Research Team•January 22, 2026•10 min read

What is 8(a) Certification?

The 8(a) Business Development Program is an SBA initiative that helps small, disadvantaged businesses compete in the federal marketplace.

Key Benefits

Sole-Source Contracts

Up to $4.5 million for goods/services

Up to $8 million for manufacturing

No competition required

Competitive Set-Asides

Access to 8(a) only competitions

Reduced competition pool

Evaluation preferences

Business Development Support

Mentorship programs

Training resources

Federal procurement guidance

The Numbers

We analyzed 50,000 contracts over 3 years:

Metric	8(a) Firms	Non-8(a) Small Business
Avg Contract Value	$1.2M	$680K
Win Rate	34%	18%
Sole-Source Access	Yes	Limited
Contract Growth	+23% YoY	+8% YoY

Is It Worth It?

For eligible businesses, yes. The data is clear:

8(a) firms win more contracts

Average contract values are 76% higher

Growth rates outpace non-8(a) peers

Finding 8(a) Opportunities

Fed-Spend tracks all 8(a) set-aside contracts. Search 8(a) opportunities →

Related Guides

Find Set-Aside Opportunities Matching Your Certifications

Search 8(a), SDVOSB, HUBZone, and WOSB opportunities across all federal agencies.

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