Veteran-Owned? Check Your VetCert Before You Bid
Self-certifying in SAM no longer qualifies you for veteran set-asides. Here's what veteran owners need before chasing VOSB or SDVOSB work, and how Veterans Small Business Week can help.
Veteran-owned and eyeing federal work? Check your SBA certification before you chase a set-aside.
National Veterans Small Business Week runs November 9–13. SBA and its partners will hold virtual and in-person events across the country, and Tuesday, November 10 is focused on federal contracting, SBA certifications and partnerships.
What a lot of veteran owners miss
Since January 1, 2024, self-certifying in SAM no longer qualifies you for SDVOSB set-asides. To win a veteran-owned (VOSB) or service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB) set-aside or sole-source contract, your business has to be certified through SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification program, called VetCert.
You can still compete on regular small business set-asides and open competitions without it, just not the veteran-only ones.
What to do now
- Look up whether your business is certified in VetCert, and when that certification runs out.
- If it isn't, start the application before an opportunity forces the timing.
- Find a Veterans Small Business Week event near you on SBA's website and bring your questions.
I served too, so this week means something to me.
Veteran-owned and thinking about federal work? Book a free fit conversation and we'll talk it through.
Hat tip to NaVOBA for the reminder.
Sources: 13 CFR 128.200 (eCFR) · GSA Class Deviation CD-2024-02 · SBA: National Veterans Small Business Week · SBA: VetCert launch (Jan 2023) · NaVOBA: NVSBW 2026