# How do I find open small business set-aside contracts with an API? Filter open notices by set-aside code: SBA for total small business, SBP partial, 8A and 8AN for 8(a), HZC for HUBZone, SDVOSBC for service-disabled veteran-owned and WOSB or EDWOSB for women-owned. On 15 Nov 2026 there were 3,374 open SBA set-asides with a future deadline in the loaded file. Set-aside codes come from the notice as the contracting officer entered them.Checked on 2026-11-15.Official source: [FAR Part 19](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-19) | Open SBA set-asides | 3,374 | | --- | --- | | Open HUBZone (HZC) | 183 | | Open WOSB | 105 | | Open 8(a) | 94 | ## The answer in detail Set-aside codes come from the notice as the contracting officer entered them. Some notices name a set-aside only in the text, and many with no code are still open to small businesses under simplified acquisition rules, so a text search for 'small business' catches extra notices.Being eligible means meeting the size standard of the notice's NAICS code and, for program set-asides, holding the SBA certification on the day of the offer. Check both before spending time on a proposal.Teaming matters for 8(a) and HUBZone work: the loaded registrations include 3,917 8(a) participants and 3,995 HUBZone firms, searchable as partners. ## How the options compare | Option | Price | Access and limits | Coverage and history | Best for | Checked | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [SAM.gov APIs (official)](https://open.gsa.gov/api/entity-api/) | Free | 10 requests a day with no SAM.gov role, 1,000 with a role or a non-federal system account; keys expire every 90 days | The live, authoritative record: entities, opportunities, exclusions, contract awards, hierarchy, subawards | Anyone who needs the official record itself, at low volume | 2026-11-12 | | [GovCon API (govconapi.com)](https://govconapi.com/pricing) | Developer $19/mo, Pro $39/mo; 14-day trial | 1,000 requests an hour (50 a minute burst); trial 50 a day | 12,265,150 contracts and 758,552 opportunities from FY2025; 904,090 entities, monthly | Developers who want the lowest entry price and FY2025+ history | 2026-11-15 | | [HigherGov](https://www.highergov.com/pricing/) | Starter $500/yr, Standard $2,500/yr, Enterprise custom | API on paid plans; 10,000 records a month as its API page stated on 12 Nov 2026 | Opportunities, awards, awardees, IDVs and forecasts in a search UI with exports | Small BD teams who want a polished search UI | 2026-11-15 | | [samgovapi.io](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) | Free (100 credits a month, no card); Developer $49/mo, Pro $149/mo, Scale $499/mo | 20 to 180 requests a minute by plan, no daily cap; REST, MCP and keyless MCP search | 881,370 entities (1 Nov 2026 extract), 74,420 notices, 169,191 exclusions, 114,954 awards since 1 Oct 2026 | Developers and AI agents who want entities, bids and exclusions joined in one API | 2026-11-15 | ## Where samgovapi.io is the weaker choice - Opportunities load nightly from SAM.gov's Contract Opportunities file, so a notice posted this morning appears tomorrow; SAM.gov has it at once. - The notice set is the 74,420 notices in SAM.gov's current file; GovCon API serves 758,552 notices from FY2025, including archived ones. ## Try it Open HUBZone set-asides, closing soonest first. ``` curl "https://samgovapi.io/api/v1/opportunities?set_aside=HZC&open=true&sort=deadline" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $SAMGOVAPI_API_KEY" ``` ## Questions What is a partial set-aside?Part of the requirement is reserved for small businesses and the rest is open to all (code SBP).Does my firm need SBA certification for a WOSB set-aside?Yes, WOSB and EDWOSB set-asides require SBA certification since October 2020. ## Related - [Set-asides](https://samgovapi.io/set-aside) - [Set-aside](https://samgovapi.io/glossary/set-aside) - [API docs](https://samgovapi.io/docs) - [Pricing](https://samgovapi.io/pricing) - [Answers](https://samgovapi.io/answers)Updated 2026-11-15. Sources checked 2026-11-15.Independent. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by GSA, SAM.gov or any U.S. government agency. Registering in SAM.gov is free at sam.gov.

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