3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 26
Summary
$1 billion in revenue and more than 3,000 employees could qualify as “small” in some industries under a Trump administration proposal to widen SBA eligibility for contracts, loans and other aid.
The agency says the overhaul would let companies keep benefits as they grow, reward expansion, and support domestic production and supply-chain rebuilding tied to national security.
Current caps are far lower—generally up to $47 million in annual revenue or 1,500 employees—so the change would mark one of the biggest shifts in standards that have changed little for decades.
Small-business advocates who back modest increases say the scale of the proposal would pit truly small firms against much larger rivals, potentially undermining the SBA’s core mission.
Could redefining billion-dollar corporations as small businesses push actual mom-and-pop shops out of lucrative government contracts forever?
Is redefining small businesses the secret weapon to securing America's critical mineral supply chain against foreign dominance, or just a corporate loophole?