SBA size standard
1,300 employees
Measured by average number of employees over the last 24 months
SBA table effective March 2023
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in (1) manufacturing complete guided missiles and space vehicles and/or (2) developing and making prototypes of guided missiles or space vehicles.
FY2025 federal spending
The Department of Defense bought 90% of the $33.1B obligated under 336414 in FY2025.
- Contract awards
- 778
- Contract vehicles (IDVs)
- 90
Top buying agencies
- Department of Defense$29.7B
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration$3.4B
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
NAICS 336414 moved $33.1 billion in FY2025 across 778 contract awards. That works out to more than $40 million per award, the largest average award size in federal manufacturing. Two customers exist: DoD at $29.7 billion and NASA at $3.4 billion. State obligated less than a million dollars. There is no third market.
What belongs here
Complete guided missiles and complete space vehicles, plus prototypes of either. The line between this code and its neighbors is assembly level, not technology:
- Propulsion units and their parts are 336415.
- Every other missile or space vehicle part and auxiliary equipment is 336419.
- Seekers, guidance sets, and navigation instruments sold as instruments are 334511.
Getting this wrong is expensive. A component supplier registered under 336414 is telling contracting officers it builds complete vehicles, and its capability statement will not survive the first technical read.
Competing in this code
90 IDVs and 778 awards describe a closed prime tier. The 1,300-employee size standard technically admits small businesses, and almost none win here directly. The routes that work are Tier 2 subcontracting into an existing missile or launch program, SBIR Phase III sole-source authority carried into a program of record, and NASA's smaller launch and payload competitions, which run at award sizes an emerging vehicle company can absorb.
NAICS 336414 FAQ
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 336414?
SBA sets it at 1,300 employees, counted as a 24-month average headcount across your company and every affiliate, not revenue. At or under that number you are small on NAICS 336414 solicitations and eligible for the set-asides in this code.
Which agencies buy under NAICS 336414?
FY2025 obligations: DoD ($29.7 billion), NASA ($3.4 billion). DoD and NASA are effectively the entire market, and NASA's 10 percent share is the only non-defense entry point in the code.
Should a satellite component supplier register under NAICS 336414?
No. 336414 is complete space vehicles and complete guided missiles. Buses, payloads sold as parts, structures, and auxiliary equipment belong under 336419, and propulsion belongs under 336415. Registering as a complete-vehicle manufacturer when you supply subsystems misdirects the buyers who are actually searching for what you sell.
Are small business set-asides realistic in NAICS 336414?
Rarely at the prime level. 778 awards carried $33.1 billion in FY2025, which means award sizes far past what a small business can bond or finance. The practical small business lane is Tier 2 supply, SBIR Phase III transition into a program of record, and the smaller NASA launch and payload competitions.