SBA is increasing size standards for 22 industries in NAICS Sector 48, Transportation, and leaving unchanged the present standards for Sector 49, Warehousing.

The final rule, effective March 26, was adopted without change from the proposed rule released in May. SBA estimates the new standards will make about 1,200 additional companies eligible for federal small business programs. [The full list is on the left side of the home page.]

Size standards would at least double in industries now operating under a $7 million standard, including charter buses, NAICS 485510, and non-scheduled air transportation, NAICS 481219.

SBA declined a commenter’s request to increase the standard for NAICS 484230, Specialized Freight. It remains at $25.5 million.

Fifteen industries in the sector that operate under employee-based standards will be reviewed later.

In setting size standards, SBA says it gives equal weight to each of five factors: average firm size in the industry; average assets, as a proxy for startup costs and entry barriers; what proportion of the industry’s receipts are concentrated in the four largest companies; distribution of firms by size; and small business share of federal contract dollars.