Small businesses are the engine of the American economy. The vast majority – 99.9 percent of all businesses in America – are small businesses, and 98 percent have less than 100 employees. Small businesses employ almost half of the private sector workforce, create the most new jobs, and generate almost half of the U.S. GDP. Small businesses owned by women are a growing power, but the numbers show women-owned businesses have plenty of room to keep growing.
The American Small Business League has launched a new campaign targeting President Trump, congressional lawmakers and 2026 candidates to substantially increase federal contract requirements for women-owned small businesses from 5 percent to 15 percent.
The initiative, promoted through the website DontCheatWomen.com, seeks to address what the organization calls a persistent gap in federal contracting despite existing mandates.
The proposed increase would raise total small business contracting requirements from 23 percent to 33 percent of federal dollars, according to the group's calculations. Lloyd Chapman, who has led the organization for over 30 years, cited a 2010 Senate estimate that such an increase could inject $264 billion into the economy and create 1.3 million jobs.
Current federal data shows mixed results for small business contracting overall. While small businesses received a record $183 billion in prime contracts in fiscal 2024 – representing 28.8 percent of all federal contracting dollars and exceeding the 23 percent goal – women-owned businesses have consistently underperformed, hovering around 3.2 to 4.9 percent over recent years.
The campaign also seeks several structural changes to federal procurement, by reducing the small business definition from the current 500-2,000 employee threshold to 100 employees or fewer; making public the names of businesses classified as small for federal contracts; requiring annual re-certification for small businesses with existing federal contracts.
The American Small Business League has previously won court cases against the Pentagon regarding contract disclosure and has documented what it claims are widespread instances of large corporations receiving contracts designated for small businesses.
Uncovered through hundreds of FOIA requests and legal battles, ASBL found that big businesses routinely get up to 97 percent of federal contract dollars, including those meant for small businesses, due to bad policies, loopholes, fraud and lax oversight by the SBA.
The federal government projects approximately $800 billion in procurement spending for 2025, making it the world's largest purchaser of goods and services.
Women-owned businesses represent a significant economic force, generating $2.7 trillion in revenue and employing over 12 million workers across major industries. A 2023 Goldman Sachs survey found that 99 percent of women entrepreneurs believe the federal government needs to enhance support for their enterprises, with 89 percent saying they don't compete on equal footing with male-owned businesses.
“Raising the federal contract dollars that must go to women-owned small businesses to 15% will boom our economy and unite the left and the right. It will show us who in Congress actually wants to improve the lives of their constituents. And it will bring women closer to that yet elusive goal: economic and political equality,” said Bruce de Torres, ASBL Director of Communications.
Tim Tapp is the host of the syndicated, conservative talk show “Tapp” into the Truth. He calls East Tennessee home, where he broadcasts and writes. He also still works in Quality Assurance for a food manufacturing company as he takes up the cause of defending our republic. Find out more at www.tappintothetruth.com
