NAICS code

North American Industry Classification System

A six-digit code for each industry. Every solicitation carries one, and the code determines the size standard: the revenue or headcount ceiling under which a business counts as small for that competition. The codes you list in SAM.gov are how buyers and matching systems find you, so they quietly decide what work you ever get shown.

In a sentence

"NAICS 236220, size standard 45 million dollars." If your average annual receipts are under 45 million, you are small for this one, whatever your size elsewhere.

You’ll see it written as

NAICS

industry code

size standard

Full explainer: Register on SAM.gov

Terms like this show up in every federal notice. We translate them in place, on every notice in your trade.