Beginner Track • Topic 36

DD Form 2579

The Small Business Coordination Record is how DoD documents its small business set-aside decision for each acquisition. Whether your office requires it on every action or only above the SAT, you need to know how to fill one out properly. A half-assed 2579 that contradicts your market research is worse than no 2579 at all.

The Basics

What Is a 2579 and Why Does It Exist?

The DD Form 2579 documents your office's small business coordination decision for a given acquisition. It creates a record of who looked at the requirement, what set-aside options were considered, and what the contracting officer ultimately decided.

1 The Purpose

Small business set-aside rules under FAR Part 19 require contracting officers to consider small business participation on every acquisition. The 2579 is how DoD documents that consideration. It's a paper trail showing that the CO and the Small Business Professional (SBP) actually looked at the requirement, thought about what set-aside category fits, and made a deliberate decision.

The Small Business Professional (sometimes called the OSBP rep or SBS depending on the installation) has to sign off on the form. Their signature isn't just a rubber stamp. They're supposed to independently assess the market and provide a recommendation. If the CO and the SBP disagree, that disagreement goes up the chain.

Think of it as the small business equivalent of a D&F. A D&F documents your rationale for limiting competition. A 2579 documents your rationale for your set-aside decision, whether that's a full small business set-aside, an 8(a) award, a sole source, or an unrestricted acquisition. It's the formal record that you thought about small business and made a conscious decision.

2 When Is It Actually Required?

This is where offices vary, and it matters to understand your local policy before you assume.

Common approach 1: Required above the SAT only. Some offices don't require a 2579 for acquisitions at or below the simplified acquisition threshold. The logic is straightforward: those contracts are already exclusively reserved for small businesses by statute. Unless you're specifically dissolving that set-aside for some reason, there's nothing to document. The small business decision is already made.
Common approach 2: Required on every action above the micropurchase threshold. Other offices require a 2579 for everything above the micropurchase threshold. It's more administrative burden, but it's a defensible policy.
Common approach 3: Required when goals are at risk. Some offices ramp up 2579 requirements when they're not meeting small business utilization goals. If the office is behind on SDVOSB or WOSB goals heading into Q4, expect more scrutiny on set-aside decisions and more 2579s being required.
Know your local policy. Before you assume you don't need one, check with your CO or your DBO. Getting this wrong in the wrong direction (not doing one when you should) creates problems during reviews and audits.

3 The Set-Aside Options

Block 8 of the 2579 is where you check the acquisition method. These are the main categories you'll work with:

Total Small Business Set-Aside. The most common. Restricts competition to small businesses under the applicable NAICS code size standard. Under FAR 19.104-1, the CO must set aside any acquisition above the micro-purchase threshold when there is a reasonable expectation of obtaining offers from two or more responsible small businesses that are competitive in terms of fair market prices, quality, and delivery. All three criteria count, not just price.
Partial Small Business Set-Aside. Splits the acquisition: part goes to small business, part is unrestricted. Less common, but used for large requirements where full set-aside isn't feasible but meaningful small business participation is still possible.
8(a). SBA's Business Development program. Requires a referral to SBA. The 8(a) firm doesn't compete; SBA negotiates on their behalf. Has dollar thresholds for competitive vs. sole-source 8(a) awards.
HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB/EDWOSB. Socioeconomic set-aside categories. Each has its own Rule of Two equivalents and eligibility requirements. Priority order among these categories can vary by office policy and goals.
Unrestricted. Full and open competition. You're checking this box when market research shows the Rule of Two can't be met, or there's another valid reason small business can't perform the work. This box needs the most justification, not the least. Don't check it because it's the easy answer.

4 Connecting It to Your Market Research

The 2579 and your market research report are not separate documents that happen to exist at the same time. They need to tell the same story. If your market research found eight small businesses capable of performing the work and you check "Unrestricted" on the 2579 without explanation, you have a problem.

Block 4 (description) and Block 6 (NAICS) on the 2579 should match your market research exactly. The NAICS code drives the small business size standard, which determines which vendors qualified as small in your research. If the NAICS is wrong, the size standard is wrong, and the set-aside decision is built on a bad foundation.
Use your market research to populate the 2579. Your MRR already documents how many capable small businesses you found, what set-aside categories they qualify under, and whether the Rule of Two is met. The 2579 is largely a summary of those findings. If you did the market research right, the 2579 should almost fill itself out.
If they contradict each other, one of them is wrong. A 2579 that says "unrestricted, no small businesses available" paired with a market research report that lists six capable small businesses will not survive a review. Fix the discrepancy before either document gets signed.

5 Common Mistakes

⚠ Wrong NAICS code. The NAICS drives the size standard. A wrong NAICS means you may have evaluated vendors against the wrong threshold, which could mean you excluded capable small businesses or included ones that don't qualify.
⚠ Checking "Unrestricted" without a rationale. Unrestricted is not the default. It requires justification. "Couldn't find small businesses" is not sufficient if you didn't actually look. Your market research has to back it up.
⚠ Leaving the SBP block blank or getting it signed after the fact. The SBP is supposed to review the requirement independently and provide a recommendation before you finalize the set-aside decision. A signature obtained after the solicitation is already out the door is not meaningful coordination.
⚠ Vague description of the requirement. Block 4 should describe what you're buying clearly enough that anyone reading the form understands the nature of the requirement. "IT services" is not sufficient. "Network infrastructure maintenance and support for 47 servers at [installation]" is.
⚠ Not updating the 2579 when the acquisition changes. If your dollar value changes significantly or you switch NAICS codes after the initial 2579, the form needs to be updated. An outdated 2579 is as problematic as no 2579.
Interactive Tool

Virtual Form 2579 Trainer

Click the highlighted sections on the form to see notes. Sections with a red left border are the ones that matter most.

SMALL BUSINESS COORDINATION RECORD
DD FORM 2579
OMB No. 0704-0250
Expiration Date
See current form
1. Contracting Office/Activity
72 ABW/PK, Maxwell AFB AL
2. Date
15 Oct 2025
3. Procurement No. (PR/Solicitation/Contract)
FA7014-26-R-0042
4. Description of Requirement/Acquisition
Network infrastructure maintenance and technical support services for installation LAN/WAN systems, approximately 47 servers and associated switching/routing equipment. Performance period: base year plus four option years.
5. Product/Service Code (PSC/NSN)
D316 — IT and Telecom: Support Services
6. NAICS Code and Size Standard
541519 — $34.0M
7. Estimated Dollar Value (Total, Including Options)
$2,450,000.00 (Base + 4 Options)
8. Recommended Acquisition Method
9. Purpose of Coordination
10. Small Business Professional (SBP) Recommendation and Comments
Market research identified 9 vendors under NAICS 541519 with annual revenues below the $34.0M size standard and demonstrable experience with DoD network infrastructure. Rule of Two is met. Recommend Total Small Business Set-Aside. Acquisition appears suitable for small business competition without restricting capability.
Typed Name/Title
Jane R. Smith, SBP
Signature / Date
J. Smith   
15 Oct 2025
11. Contracting Officer Recommendation and Rationale
Concur with SBP recommendation. Market research confirms Rule of Two is satisfied under NAICS 541519 ($34.0M size standard). Nine capable small businesses identified. Total small business set-aside is appropriate. Solicitation will be issued as a 100% small business set-aside.
Typed Name/Title
Capt Michael Torres, Contracting Officer
Signature / Date
M. Torres   
15 Oct 2025
12. Competition Advocate (if required by local policy)
N/A for this acquisition
DD FORM 2579 TRAINING REPLICA — NOT AN OFFICIAL FORM
Rabbit Holes

Look It Up

The FAR, DFARS, and SBA guidance that governs small business set-asides and the 2579 process.

FAR 19.104-1 – Total Small Business Set-Asides

The mandatory Rule of Two. Above the micro-purchase threshold, the CO must set aside for small business when there is a reasonable expectation of offers from two or more responsible small businesses competitive in price, quality, and delivery.

Open FAR 19.104-1

FAR Subpart 19.5 – Set-Asides for Small Business

The full subpart covering small business set-asides, including procedures, determinations, and the requirements for documenting your set-aside decision.

Open FAR Subpart 19.5

DFARS 219.201 – DoD Small Business Policy

DoD-specific small business policy, including the role of the Small Business Professional and when coordination is required. The regulatory foundation for the 2579 process.

Open DFARS 219.201

FAR 19.102 – Size Standards

Explains how small business size standards work and how NAICS codes drive eligibility. Selecting the right NAICS is the foundation of a valid small business determination.

Open FAR 19.102

SBA Size Standards Tool

SBA's official tool for looking up small business size standards by NAICS code. If you're unsure what the size standard is for your acquisition, start here.

Open SBA Size Standards

Market Research Training

The 2579 and your market research report need to tell the same story. If you haven't done the market research training, that's a good place to start.

Open Training