SBA Certifications

The government has a statutory goal to award at least 3% of all federal contracting dollars each year to Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. 

 To qualify for VOSB certification:

• You must be a U.S. military veteran, meaning you served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or as a Reservist/National Guard member who was called to federal active duty.
• You need to have been honorably discharged (DD Form 214 is required as proof).
• At least 51% of the business must be owned by one or more veterans.
• Ownership must be direct (not through another business or holding company).
•  A veteran owner must control both the day-to-day operations and long-term decision-making of the business. 

 To qualify for EDWOSB certification :

• Must meet all VOSB requirements, plus:
• The veteran must have a service-connected disability (as determined by the VA).
• Proof from the VA (or DoD) is required.

The HUBZone program helps level the playing field by limiting certain contracts to businesses in historically underutilized areas and granting them a 10% price evaluation preference in open competitions. Certification also allows your business to compete for set-aside contracts while remaining eligible for awards under other socio-economic programs you qualify for. 

The program also aims to support the growth and development of DBEs so they can successfully compete in the broader marketplace beyond the program, while providing recipients of federal financial assistance with appropriate flexibility in establishing and offering opportunities to DBEs. 

HUBZone qualification list:

• Qualify as a small business under SBA size standards 
• Be at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens, a Community Development Corporation, an agricultural cooperative, an Alaska Native corporation, a Native Hawaiian organization, or an Indian tribe 
• Maintain your principal office in a designated HUBZone* 
• Employ at least 35% of your workforce from within a HUBZone*

HUBZone certification must be renewed every three years, and businesses can remain in the program indefinitely as long as they continue to meet the eligibility requirements. Other limitations may apply. 

The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program is a federal initiative under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) designed to promote equal access for small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. 

The program also aims to remove barriers to participation, increase the use of DBEs in contracts, and help them grow to compete successfully outside the program. 

Requirements to qualify for the program:

• Be a small business under SBA size standards 
• Must be owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. 
•  At least 51% ownership by disadvantaged individuals for partnerships, corporations, and LLCs. 
•  Personal net worth of each disadvantaged owner must not exceed $2.047 million. 

Once certified in a state’s Unified Certification Program, a DBE can compete for subcontracting and sometimes prime contracting opportunities on DOT-assisted projects.