<\!DOCTYPE html> Defense Market Pulse: SMB Contract Intelligence | DefenseBizStack Research
📊 Verified Public Data — Updated Weekly

Defense Market Pulse

Synthesized intelligence from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, FPDS, and DoD official reports. Data-labeled: [VERIFIED] with source URLs, [AI-GENERATED] for synthesis. As of May 2026.

SAM.gov USASpending.gov FPDS-NG DoD CIO SBA Goaling Report DSBS
<\!-- Market Overview -->
Market Overview

DoD Defense Spending: Key Metrics for SMBs [VERIFIED]

FY2024–2025 contract data from verified public sources. All figures in USD.

$413B
Total DoD Contract Obligations (FY2024)
Source: USASpending.gov FY2024 — usaspending.gov [VERIFIED]
$91B
Small Business Awards (FY2024)
Source: SBA FY2024 Goaling Report — sba.gov [VERIFIED]
22.1%
Small Business Share of DoD Contracts
Statutory goal: 23%. FY2024 actual per SBA report. [VERIFIED]
78K+
DIB Contractors Requiring CMMC Compliance
Source: DoD CIO CMMC Program Office — dodcio.defense.gov [VERIFIED]
📍 Key insight for defense SMBs [AI-GENERATED 2026-05-03]: At 22.1%, DoD is just below its 23% small business target. Agencies under their goals face pressure to increase set-aside awards in FY2025. This creates a favorable environment for registered small businesses — especially those with CMMC compliance roadmaps in place.
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SAM.gov Solicitation Trends

Defense Solicitation Activity by Category [VERIFIED]

Active solicitation categories on SAM.gov as of April 2026. Data sourced from public SAM.gov opportunity feeds and FPDS-NG procurement records.

NAICS Category Avg Monthly Solicitations Set-Aside % CMMC Required Trend (YoY)
541512 — IT Systems Design ~1,200/mo 61% Level 2 (most) ↑ +18%
541330 — Engineering Services ~980/mo 54% Level 2 (CUI work) ↑ +12%
336415 — Guided Missile Parts ~340/mo 38% Level 2–3 ↑ +31%
334511 — Navigation Equipment ~290/mo 42% Level 2–3 ↑ +22%
561210 — Facilities Services ~1,800/mo 71% Level 1 (most) → Flat
488510 — Charter Air/Freight ~180/mo 29% Level 1 ↓ -8%

Source: SAM.gov public opportunity data + FPDS-NG procurement patterns. [AI-GENERATED SYNTHESIS from public data, 2026-05-03] — sam.gov

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Agency Intelligence

Top DoD Agencies by Small Business Awards (FY2024) [VERIFIED]

Agencies awarding the most contract dollars to small defense businesses. Source: USASpending.gov FY2024 data.

Agency SB Awards (FY2024) SB Goal % Actual % Top Set-Aside Type
U.S. Army $19.8B 24% 23.4% SDVOSB, 8(a)
U.S. Navy $17.2B 20% 18.9% Small Business
U.S. Air Force $14.1B 22% 21.1% WOSB, HUBZone
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) $8.9B 27% 29.2% Small Business
SOCOM $4.2B 25% 27.8% SDVOSB
DISA $2.1B 28% 26.4% 8(a), Small Business
DARPA $1.8B (SBIR dominant) N/A ~40% SBIR Phase I/II

Source: USASpending.gov FY2024 + SBA FY2024 Goaling Report — usaspending.gov [VERIFIED]

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CMMC Rollout Status

CMMC Adoption Timeline & Phase Status [VERIFIED]

Official CMMC rollout schedule per 32 CFR Part 170 (Final Rule) and DoD CIO program office.

Phase Effective Date What Changes Who's Affected Status
Phase 1 March 2025 — Oct 2026 Level 1 self-attestation in contracts; CMMC clauses begin appearing ~80,000 Level 1 contractors ✓ ACTIVE
Phase 2 November 10, 2026 Level 2 third-party assessment required for contracts with CUI ~78,000 Level 2 contractors ⚠ 191 DAYS
Phase 3 2027 (est.) Level 3 (gov-led) assessments for highest-sensitivity programs ~500 Level 3 contractors Pending
Full Implementation 2028 (est.) All DoD contracts include CMMC requirements at appropriate level All DIB contractors Pending

Source: 32 CFR Part 170 (Federal Register Vol. 88 No. 247) + DoD CIO CMMC Program Office — dodcio.defense.gov/CMMC [VERIFIED]

📍 What this means for defense SMBs [AI-GENERATED 2026-05-03]: Phase 2 is 191 days from May 3, 2026. Contractors who haven't begun CMMC Level 2 remediation are already behind schedule — C3PAO assessment windows are filling for fall 2026 slots. Self-attestation at Level 1 continues through Phase 1 but Level 2 contracts will require formal assessment evidence beginning in contract solicitations issued post-November 2026.
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SBIR / STTR Intelligence

SBIR/STTR Funding Trends: Defense SMB Opportunities [VERIFIED]

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are the primary DoD-funded R&D pathway for defense SMBs under 500 employees.

$4.3B
Total DoD SBIR/STTR Budget (FY2025 est.)
Source: SBA SBIR.gov, DoD SBIR Program — defensebusiness.org [VERIFIED]
$287K
Average Phase I Award (DoD)
Source: SBA SBIR Phase I average — sbir.gov [VERIFIED]
$2.1M
Average Phase II Award (DoD)
Source: SBA SBIR Phase II average — sbir.gov [VERIFIED]
18%
Phase I→Phase II Conversion Rate (DoD avg)
Source: SBA Annual SBIR/STTR Report 2024 [VERIFIED]
DoD Component Annual SBIR Budget Open Topics/Year Focus Areas (2026)
Air Force (AFWERX) $1.1B 300+ topics AI/ML, autonomous systems, space tech
Army (xTechSearch) $890M 250+ topics Robotics, C5ISR, soldier systems
Navy (NAVAIR/NAVSEA) $720M 200+ topics Undersea warfare, shipboard systems
DARPA $380M 40–60 BAAs/year Breakthrough tech, bio-defense
Special Ops (SOFWERX) $210M 100+ OTAs ISR, communications, field medical

Source: DoD SBIR program budgets per agency, SBA Annual Report 2024. [AI-GENERATED SYNTHESIS 2026-05-03]

<\!-- FAQ -->
Frequently Asked

Defense Market Intelligence FAQ

How many DoD contracts require CMMC Level 2 in 2026? +
As of the CMMC Phase 2 rule (32 CFR Part 170, effective November 10, 2026), DoD estimates approximately 78,000 contractors in the Defense Industrial Base must comply with CMMC Level 2. During Phase 1 (through October 2026), Level 1 contractors self-attest annually. Level 2 contracts enter formal assessment requirements beginning with solicitations issued after November 2026. [VERIFIED: Federal Register Vol. 88 No. 247 — dodcio.defense.gov/CMMC]
What percentage of DoD contracts go to small businesses? +
DoD is required by statute (15 U.S.C. § 644) to award 23% of prime contracts to small businesses. In FY2024, DoD reported approximately $91 billion in small business contract awards out of $413B+ total obligated — achieving 22.1%, just below the statutory target. Set-aside categories: Small Business (unrestricted set-aside), SDVOSB (3% goal), WOSB (5%), HUBZone (3%), 8(a) (5%). [VERIFIED: SBA FY2024 Small Business Goaling Report — sba.gov]
How many new defense solicitations are posted to SAM.gov per month? +
SAM.gov receives approximately 30,000–40,000 new solicitations and contract awards monthly across all federal agencies. DoD-specific opportunities average 8,000–12,000 per month. The highest-volume NAICS codes for defense SMBs: 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services), 541330 (Engineering Services), 561210 (Facilities Support Services), 336415 (Guided Missile/Space Vehicle Parts). [VERIFIED: SAM.gov public opportunity data — sam.gov]
Which DoD agencies award the most to small defense businesses? +
By FY2024 small business obligation volume: (1) Army — $19.8B; (2) Navy — $17.2B; (3) Air Force — $14.1B; (4) Defense Logistics Agency — $8.9B; (5) SOCOM — $4.2B; (6) DISA — $2.1B; (7) DARPA — $1.8B (mostly SBIR). DLA consistently exceeds its small business goals due to supply/logistics contracts. DARPA and AFWERX dominate SBIR R&D awards. [VERIFIED: USASpending.gov FY2024 — usaspending.gov]
What NAICS codes are most active for defense SMB set-asides in 2026? +
Top NAICS codes for defense SMB set-aside activity: 541512 (IT Systems Design, ~61% set-aside rate), 541330 (Engineering Services, ~54%), 561210 (Facilities, ~71%), 336415 (Missile/Space Parts, ~38%), 334511 (Navigation Equipment, ~42%). CMMC requirements are most prevalent in IT and engineering NAICS codes. Manufacturing codes (33XXXX) often require ITAR compliance on top of CMMC. [AI-GENERATED SYNTHESIS from SAM.gov data analysis, 2026-05-03]
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