What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 541715?

The SBA size standard for NAICS 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)) is 1,000 employees in average employee headcount, per 13 C.F.R. § 121.201. See 13 CFR 121.201 footnote 9: airframe / engine-system R&D for DoD has its own 1,500-employee exception.

Which federal agencies buy under NAICS 541715?

For FY2024 reporting, the leading federal customers under NAICS 541715 were Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security. Live obligation data is available on USAspending.gov.

What FAR or DFARS clauses commonly apply to NAICS 541715 contracts?

Frequent clause flowdowns include FAR 52.227-11 (Patent Rights — Ownership by the Contractor); FAR 31.205-18 (Independent Research and Development (IR&D)); DFARS 252.227-7013 (Rights in Technical Data — Noncommercial Items); FAR 52.227-14 (Rights in Data — General). Each contract instrument will incorporate clauses by reference under FAR 52.252-2; this list reflects the high-frequency set for this NAICS, not an exhaustive flowdown.

Professional, Scientific, Technical Services

NAICS 541715 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)

Federal R&D performers: DoD weapon-system R&D, Department of Energy basic and applied research, NIH biomedical work (under different sub-codes), NASA mission research. Heavy SBIR/STTR concentration.

2017 NAICS mapping: 541712 — 2017 NAICS used 541712. The 2022 revision split 541712 into 541713 (nanotechnology), 541714 (biotechnology, except nano), and 541715 (everything else).

Quick facts

SBA size standard: 1,000 employees; Average employee headcount · 13 C.F.R. § 121.201; See 13 CFR 121.201 footnote 9: airframe / engine-system R&D for DoD has its own 1,500-employee exception.
FY2024 federal obligations: over $20B; See live USAspending.gov data →

Top federal customers

Federal agencies that obligate the most spending under NAICS 541715 (FY2024 reporting period). Order tracks federal-obligation volume on USAspending.gov.

1.Department of Defense
2.Department of Energy
3.NASA
4.National Institutes of Health
5.Department of Homeland Security

Set-aside fit

Whether NAICS 541715 commonly carries set-aside designations on federal awards. Eligibility for any specific solicitation is set by the contracting officer; this table reflects the FY2024 award pattern, not a guarantee of set-aside status.

SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business)
8(a) Business Development Program
HUBZone Small Business
WOSB / EDWOSB
VOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business)

Set-asides are common at the SBIR Phase I and Phase II level. Phase III is typically full-and-open since the SBIR program rules govern set-aside eligibility separately.

Frequent prime contractors

Companies that most frequently appear as prime awardees under NAICS 541715 for FY2024. Drawn from USAspending.gov public award records — verify currency at the live link below.

Battelle Memorial Institute
MITRE Corporation
Aerospace Corporation
Johns Hopkins APL
SRI International
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
RAND Corporation
Leidos
SAIC
Lockheed Martin

See live award data on USAspending.gov →

Common FAR / DFARS clauses

Frequently flowed-down clauses on contracts in this NAICS. The clause text on acquisition.gov is authoritative; this list captures the practical pattern, not an exhaustive flowdown.

FAR 52.227-11Patent Rights — Ownership by the Contractor
Bayh-Dole defaults; contractors retain title to subject inventions made under federal funding subject to march-in and government-use rights.
FAR 31.205-18Independent Research and Development (IR&D)
Allowable indirect cost subject to documentation. Heavy IR&D programs require careful G&A allocation.
DFARS 252.227-7013Rights in Technical Data — Noncommercial Items
DoD R&D data rights default to government-purpose rights (GPR) for SBIR-funded data after the protection period.
FAR 52.227-14Rights in Data — General
Civilian-agency R&D default rights position.

Indirect rate considerations

R&D performers run multi-pool structures: separate fringe, overhead by site (lab vs. office), and G&A. IR&D and B&P are allowable indirect under FAR 31.205-18 / 31.205-27 with documented programs and ceilings. Material costs in lab work require careful direct vs. indirect classification.

See FieldLedger's Indirect Rate Engine for pool definition and rate tracking, or read the FieldLedger methodology for the underlying FAR Part 31 framework.

How FieldLedger fits NAICS 541715

Indirect Rate Engine handles the multi-pool overhead structures R&D firms need. Signed timekeeping captures lab vs. office hours separately. Equipment costing under USACE EP 1110-1-8 maps to lab equipment recovery rates.

DCAA compliance →Indirect Rate Engine →DCAA readiness check →

Frequently asked

What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 541715?: The SBA size standard for NAICS 541715 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)) is 1,000 employees in average employee headcount, per 13 C.F.R. § 121.201. See 13 CFR 121.201 footnote 9: airframe / engine-system R&D for DoD has its own 1,500-employee exception.
Is NAICS 541715 eligible for SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, or WOSB set-asides?: Set-aside programs that commonly apply: SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, VOSB. Set-asides are common at the SBIR Phase I and Phase II level. Phase III is typically full-and-open since the SBIR program rules govern set-aside eligibility separately.
Which federal agencies buy under NAICS 541715?: For FY2024 reporting, the leading federal customers under NAICS 541715 were Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, National Institutes of Health, Department of Homeland Security. Live obligation data is available on USAspending.gov.
What FAR or DFARS clauses commonly apply to NAICS 541715 contracts?: Frequent clause flowdowns include FAR 52.227-11 (Patent Rights — Ownership by the Contractor); FAR 31.205-18 (Independent Research and Development (IR&D)); DFARS 252.227-7013 (Rights in Technical Data — Noncommercial Items); FAR 52.227-14 (Rights in Data — General). Each contract instrument will incorporate clauses by reference under FAR 52.252-2; this list reflects the high-frequency set for this NAICS, not an exhaustive flowdown.
What indirect-rate structure works for a federal contractor in NAICS 541715?: R&D performers run multi-pool structures: separate fringe, overhead by site (lab vs. office), and G&A. IR&D and B&P are allowable indirect under FAR 31.205-18 / 31.205-27 with documented programs and ceilings. Material costs in lab work require careful direct vs. indirect classification.
How does FieldLedger help small federal contractors in NAICS 541715?: Indirect Rate Engine handles the multi-pool overhead structures R&D firms need. Signed timekeeping captures lab vs. office hours separately. Equipment costing under USACE EP 1110-1-8 maps to lab equipment recovery rates.

Sources

U.S. Census NAICS manual — census.gov/naics
SBA size-standards table — 13 C.F.R. § 121.201 (eCFR)
Federal obligations + prime awardees — USAspending.gov NAICS 541715
FAR / DFARS clause text — acquisition.gov

Snapshot date: 2026-05-08 (FY2024 reporting period). Federal-obligation bands and prime-contractor lists reflect the data as of the snapshot — refresh against USAspending.gov for current figures.