Preparing To Bid On Government Contracts: An Entry Guide For Veteran Small Business Owners

For veteran small business owners interested in bidding on federal and/or state government contracts, this article outlines the basic steps for:

Registering with the federal government's System Award Management site (SAM.gov)
obtaining veteran-owned small business (VOSB), service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), and/or women-owned small business (WOSB) certifications from the U.S. Small Business Administration
obtaining similar certifications from your state
filing the Federal Contractor Veterans' Employment Report (VETS-4212) (if necessary)

For most of these tasks, you'll need to create online accounts and submit forms online.

Registering with the System for Award Management site (SAM.gov)

SAM.gov is the official federal government website for finding and bidding on federal government contracts.

The SAM.gov site offers two options: 1) register your entity (and get a unique identity ID), or 2) only get a unique entity ID. You need to register your entity to bid on federal contracts or receive federal assistance as a prime awardee. You would only choose option two if you did not want to bid on contracts yourself and only planned to be a sub-contractor/sub-awardee.

To register your entity, be prepared to provide a lot of information about your company such as business organization details, CAGE code, NAICS codes, executive compensation, and contact information for key personnel. Thankfully, SAM.gov has provided a helpful "Entity Registration Checklist" outlining all the information and documentation to collect beforehand.

Once you have all your information, go to SAM.gov and click "Get Started" on the right-hand side. The next screen will prompt you to log in using a Login.gov account, which you likely already have for logging into Veterans Affairs websites. However, if you don't have one, you'll be able to create one from this screen.

Completing the rest of the application is beyond the scope of this article; however, you can call or live chat with a SAM.gov representative for assistance, if needed.

Once your business is registered, don't forget to "renew" your registration to remain "active." Renewal is required within 365 days from the date of your initial registration or your last renewal date.

Obtaining certifications from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

The SBA is responsible for certifying businesses as a VOSB, SDVOSB, or WOSB for the purpose of bidding on federal contracts.

Note: The SBA is currently in the process of rolling out its new "MySBA Certification" portal. As of September 25, 2024, the new portal is not yet live.

VOSB and SDVOSB

To be eligible for a VOSB or SDVOSB certification, the business must be:

at least 51% veteran-owned (with a service-connected disability for SDVOSBs)
registered as a small business with SAM.gov (discussed above)
a small business according to the SBA's size standards (discussed below)

The SBA provides an online tool to help you determine whether you meet the small business size standards based on your industry and average annual revenue: Size Standards Tool.

If you meet these requirements, you'll create an account and apply online.

WOSB

To be eligible for a WOSB certification, the business must be:

at least 51% owned by women
managed/operated by women
a small business according to the SBA's size standards (discussed above)

If you meet these requirements, you'll create an account and apply online.

Obtaining similar certifications from your state

States will provide similar certifications for the purpose of bidding on state government contracts. Below are just two examples of the processes for Virginia and California.

Virginia service-disabled veteran-owned (SDV) small business

The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) and the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD) are responsible for designating SDV-owned businesses within Virginia's small women-owned and minority-owned business (SWaM) vendor database.

Certification as an SDV-owned business is a two-step process.

Step 1: Obtain certification as a service-disabled veteran from the Virginia DVS. For purposes of the Virginia SDV certification, a disabled veteran means a veteran who:

served on active duty
was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable
has a service-connected disability rating

If you meet these requirements, you'll complete a simple one-page application that can be submitted via email or mail—one of the few things you don't need to create an online account for! A link to the application can be found on the Virginia DVS site.

Step 2: Obtain the SDV-owned business certification/designation from the Virginia DSBSD. To be eligible, the business must, generally:

be at least 51% service-disabled veteran-owned
have 250 or fewer employees or have annual gross receipts of $10 million or less as averaged over the prior three years

However, please refer to the Virginia DVS site for additional details on the eligibility criteria.

Additionally, if your business is not principally located in Virginia, you'll need to confirm your eligibility to participate.

If you meet all the requirements, you'll create an account and apply online. If applicable, you can apply for certification/designation as a women-owned and/or minority-owned small business at the same time.

California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE)

California's Office of Small Business and DVBE Services (OSDS) manages the DVBE certification program.

To be eligible, the business must, generally:

be at least 51% owned by one or more disabled veterans
have its daily business operations managed and controlled by one or more disabled veterans
have its home office in the U.S. and not be a branch or subsidiary of a foreign corporation

For purposes of the DVBE certification, a disabled veteran means:

a veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 10% or more; and
the veteran is domiciled in California

If you satisfy the requirements, you'll create an account and apply online.

File a Federal Contractor Veterans' Employment Report (VETS-4212) (if necessary)

All nonexempt federal contractors with a contract award of $150,000 or more must file a VETS-4212 form to report on their affirmative action efforts in employing veterans. You must file this form no later than September 30^th the year after your contract award.

For example:

If you were awarded a covered contract on January 10, 2024, you would file no later than September 30, 2025.
If you were awarded a covered contract on October 1, 2024, you would also file your form no later than September 30, 2025.

Additional information, including how to create an account with the U.S. Department of Labor to file the VETS-4212 form online, can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor website.

Resources

If you need help along the way, you can leverage one or more of the following resources:

APEX Accelerators. Managed by the DoD Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), APEX Accelerators can assist with registrations, identifying agencies that may need your products/services, navigating solicitations, networking, resolving post-award performance issues, and more.

Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC). Overseen by the SBA, the VBOC program helps veterans and their family members start or grow their small businesses through free workshops, training, counseling, mentorship, and other support.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.