More than 400 additional utilities firms and nearly 500 additional construction firms will soon qualify as small businesses under revised size standards issued in December by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Size standards determine the largest possible size of a company for it to still be considered a small business. The revised standards are influenced by marketplace shifts and public comments received by the SBA in response to previously proposed policies.

The new size standards—which will take effect on Jan. 22, 2014 – will allow more businesses in the utilities and construction sectors to gain or keep their small business standing; provide federal agencies with more small businesses from which to pick for their procurement programs; and permit more small businesses to be eligible for SBA loan programs.

A synopsis of SBA size standards is available at this website.