Federal Contracting Acronym
SET-ASIDE
Set-Aside Contract
Plain-English definition
Set-Aside Contract (Set-Aside) is a core federal acquisition term used in regulations, solicitations, and contract administration. Socioeconomic and small-business program terms affect eligibility, set-aside competition, and subcontracting plans. Vendors verify representations in SAM.gov and track program-specific certification requirements.
Why it matters
Set-aside type and NAICS size standard determine whether a firm may compete as prime or only as a subcontractor.
Where you will see it
SAM.gov notice headers, SBA size-standard tables, and subcontracting plans on unrestricted awards.
Example in context
A notice lists 8(a) competitive set-aside NAICS 541512; the capture lead verifies SAM representations before committing bid resources.