{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-current-size-standards-for-a-manufacturing-business-eligibility","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/questions/what-are-the-current-size-standards-for-a-manufacturing-business-eligibility","question":"What are the current size standards for a manufacturing business eligibility?","topic":"Affiliation & Size","audience":"lender","bot_mode":"lender","short_answer":"For manufacturing businesses, eligibility is typically determined by the number of employees, with specific thresholds varying by NAICS code, often around 500 or 1,500 employees.","rule":"The SBA establishes specific size standards for various industries, primarily based on NAICS codes. For manufacturing, these standards are usually based on the average number of employees over the past 12 months. Lenders must consult the SBA Table of Size Standards to determine the exact threshold for a given NAICS code.","example":"A company with NAICS code 333210 (Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing) has 700 employees. The lender consults the SBA Table of Size Standards and finds the threshold for this NAICS is 1,000 employees. Therefore, the company is considered a small business.","what_lenders_check":"Lenders must accurately classify the business's primary NAICS code and verify employee counts, including those of affiliates. Misclassifying the NAICS or miscounting employees can result in an ineligible loan.","required_facts":[],"source_families":["SBA Table of Size Standards","13 CFR Part 121 - Small Business Size Regulations","SOP 50 10 - Lender and Development Company Loan Programs"],"official_sources":[{"title":"SBA Table of Size Standards","url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards"},{"title":"13 CFR Part 121 - Small Business Size Regulations","url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-121"},{"title":"SOP 50 10 - Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","url":"https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/SOP%2050%2010%208%20Technical%20Updates%20effective%206.1.2025.docx"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"How does the SBA define 'affiliation' when checking business size?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-the-sba-define-affiliation-when-checking-business-size"},{"question":"When does common management or shared facilities trigger affiliation for SBA 7(a) size determination?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/when-does-common-management-or-shared-facilities-trigger-affiliation-for-sba-7-a-size-dete"},{"question":"What factors are considered when evaluating affiliation between businesses that share common management?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-factors-are-considered-when-evaluating-affiliation-between-businesses-that-share-comm"},{"question":"What are the financial criteria for a business to qualify as 'small' under the alternative size standard?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-financial-criteria-for-a-business-to-qualify-as-small-under-the-alternative-s"},{"question":"Does an unfunded stock option agreement trigger affiliation for SBA 7(a) size standard calculations?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/does-an-unfunded-stock-option-agreement-trigger-affiliation-for-sba-7-a-size-standard-calc"},{"question":"What criteria does the SBA use to determine common management that triggers affiliation for size standard purposes?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-criteria-does-the-sba-use-to-determine-common-management-that-triggers-affiliation-fo"}],"related_terms":[{"term":"Small Business Size Standards","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/small-business-size-standards"},{"term":"Size Eligibility","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/size-eligibility"},{"term":"Employee-Based Size Standards","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/employee-based-size-standards"},{"term":"Industry-Specific Size Standards","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/industry-specific-size-standards"},{"term":"Business size standard","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/business-size-standard"},{"term":"For-profit business","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/for-profit-business"}],"related_tools":[{"name":"SBA 7(a) payment & fee calculator","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/calculator"},{"name":"Find an active SBA 7(a) lender","url":"https://dealroom.so/lenders"}],"data_freshness":{"last_reviewed":"2026-06-13","sba_rule_sources_checked_through":"2026-06-13"},"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so SBA 7(a) Q&A","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/what-are-the-current-size-standards-for-a-manufacturing-business-eligibility","source_type":"DealRoom Q&A"},"caveats":["Grounded in the current SBA rulebook; verify against official sources before relying on it for a live deal.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice and not an approval decision."]}