TRANSITIONVA program
Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Federal Contracting
SBA certifies veteran-owned (VOSB) and service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) small businesses through its VetCert program; the job moved from VA to SBA on January 1, 2023. Certified SDVOSBs can compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts across the federal government, and certified VOSBs can compete for them at VA under its Vets First program.
Available to veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses certified by SBA
Step-by-step guide
What you get
Under its Veterans First Contracting Program, VA gives contracting priority to small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled Veterans, then to those owned and controlled by other Veterans. SBA certifies these businesses; VA does not.
What SBA and VA look for
- At least 51 percent owned and controlled by VeteransSBA looks for a business not less than 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more Veterans VA identifies as Veterans. For an SDVOSB, those Veterans must be rated by VA as service-disabled. SBA says that when a Veteran with a permanent and total disability cannot manage daily operations, the business may still be certified if a spouse or appointed permanent caregiver is assisting in that management.
- Certified by SBA and listed in Small Business SearchSBA rules govern certification, size, challenges, and appeals. When it makes an offer and at award, the business represents to the VA contracting officer that it is a certified SDVOSB or VOSB, small under the contract's NAICS code, and listed on SBA's Small Business Search.
- A small business under the size standardSBA looks for a small business under the size standard for any NAICS code in the business's SAM profile. VA looks for a small business under the NAICS code assigned to the contract.
Source: SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab); VAAR 819.7003 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); VAAR 819.7005 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab)
Which kind of business?
- Service-disabled Veteran-owned (SDVOSB)
Under Veterans First, SDVOSBs come first: a VA contracting officer considers SDVOSB set-asides before VOSB set-asides. SBA says certified SDVOSBs can compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts across the federal government.
Source: VAAR 819.7005 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); VAAR 819.7004 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab)
- Veteran-owned (VOSB)
Under Veterans First, VOSBs come second, after SDVOSBs. SBA says certified VOSBs may compete for sole-source and set-aside contracts at VA under its Vets First program. VA rules call Veterans First a VA specific program. SBA looks for a business not less than 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more Veterans VA identifies as Veterans, and small under the size standard for any NAICS code in its SAM profile.
- SBA certification for VA set-asidesSBA says VOSBs seeking sole-source and set-aside contracts at VA must be certified, and there is no self-certification for them.
Source: VAAR 819.7004 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); VAAR 819.7001 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA's record of your Veteran or service-disabled status The record VA keeps of your Veteran status and, for an SDVOSB, a service-connected disability rating. | That VA identifies the owner as a Veteran or a service-disabled Veteran | VA holds it. SBA looks for owners VA identifies as Veterans or service-disabled Veterans. If you have no VA rating yet, that starts with a disability claim to VA. | |
| Your SAM profile The business's profile in the federal System for Award Management (SAM), which lists its NAICS codes. | The NAICS codes SBA measures size against | The business keeps it in SAM. SBA uses the size standard for the NAICS codes listed there. | |
| SBA certification and Small Business Search listing SBA's certification of the business as a VOSB or SDVOSB, and its listing on SBA's Small Business Search. | That the business is certified and listed when it offers and at award | SBA certifies the business. The VA contracting officer looks for the listing on Small Business Search at offer time and at award. |
Certification papers go to SBA, and offers go to the VA contracting officer. BeneVets does not ask for any of them.
Steps, in order
- No VA rating yet? Free help with that claim
SDVOSB status rests on a VA service-connected rating. If you do not have one, that starts with a VA disability claim. Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to file a VA disability claim (opens in new tab); SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab)
- Apply to SBA for certification
Apply through SBA Certifications, the application portal linked from SBA's veterans page. There you can find checklists and pre-application guides, check whether your firm meets SBA's rules, create an account, and apply.
Source: SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab); VA.gov: support for your Veteran-owned small business (opens in new tab)
- Stay listed in Small Business Search
For a VA SDVOSB or VOSB contract, the business must be listed on SBA's Small Business Search when it submits an offer and when the contract is awarded.
Source: VAAR 819.7003 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); VAAR 819.7005 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab)
- Contact VA's small business office
VA's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) lists business readiness training, a Direct Access Program, and technical assistance. Call 866-584-2344 or email vetbiz@va.gov, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern.
Source: VA.gov: Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (opens in new tab)
- Talk to your local VA Small Business Liaison
For advice on procurement opportunities in your area, contact your local VA Small Business Liaison. VA keeps a list of them.
Source: VA.gov: Small Business Liaisons list (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (opens in new tab)
- Questions about certification? Ask SBA
Email certifications@sba.gov or call SBA at 866-722-4357 (866-SBA-HELP), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, except federal holidays.
Source: SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab)
Good to know
Certification moved from VA to SBA on January 1, 2023. VA says VetCert is run by SBA. SBA says there is no self-certification for VA sole-source and set-aside contracts.
Source: SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab); VA.gov: support for your Veteran-owned small business (opens in new tab)
VA applies its small business preferences in this order: businesses owned and controlled by Veterans with service-connected disabilities, then businesses owned and controlled by other Veterans, then other SBA programs such as 8(a), and then any other small business set-aside.
Source: VAAR 819.7004 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab)
At VA, SDVOSB and VOSB set-asides are mandatory when a contracting officer reasonably expects offers from two or more capable firms that meet the program rules and an award at a fair and reasonable price. A sole-source award, under a dollar ceiling in the rules, is a business decision for the contracting officer alone; for a VOSB, it also needs that no responsible SDVOSB has been found.
Source: VAAR 819.104 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); VAAR 819.7007 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab); VAAR 819.7008 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab)
SBA says the federal government aims to award at least 5 percent of all federal contracting dollars to SDVOSBs each year.
Source: SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab)
A business VA finds willfully and intentionally misrepresented its SDVOSB or VOSB status can be barred from VA contracting for at least five years, along with all its principals.
Source: VAAR 819.7003 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab)
An SDVOSB or VOSB must also meet SBA's limits on subcontracting and nonmanufacturer rule, and submit a certification of compliance, to be considered for any award under VA's program.
Source: VAAR 819.7003 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 16, 2026: VAAR 819.104 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab), VAAR 819.7001 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab), VAAR 819.7003 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab), VAAR 819.7004 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab), VAAR 819.7005 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab), VAAR 819.7007 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab), VAAR 819.7008 (RFO deviation, effective October 1, 2026) (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Small Business Liaisons list (opens in new tab), VA.gov: support for your Veteran-owned small business (opens in new tab), SBA: veterans and the VetCert program (opens in new tab), VA.gov: how to file a VA disability claim (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)