Turn your service into a contracting advantage.
The federal government reserves a share of its contracting for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and the Department of Veterans Affairs reserves even more. Self-certification is gone: you now have to be certified through the SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification. We confirm the ownership and control tests and prepare the certification through VetCert.
The set-asides are real. The certification is now required.
Service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses have two advantages in federal contracting: a government-wide goal directing a share of contracts to them, and an even larger reserve at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which prioritizes veteran-owned firms. For years a firm could self-certify to compete for those set-asides. That has ended. To win an SDVOSB set-aside or sole-source contract, you now must be formally certified through the SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification, known as VetCert. If you were relying on self-certification, closing that gap is what keeps you eligible for the very contracts the program exists to provide.
So what does certification actually give you? Here is the standing.
Formal VetCert status, recognized across the government.
SDVOSB certification is a formal status confirming that your business is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more veterans with a service-connected disability, and that a service-disabled veteran holds the highest officer position and runs the company. Certified through the SBA's VetCert program, the status is recognized government-wide, so you can pursue SDVOSB set-asides at any agency and the priority reserves at the VA. Because it depends on ownership and control that can change, it is maintained on a renewal cycle. We confirm eligibility, prepare the certification, and keep the record on file.
Certification is the mechanism. Here is the market it reaches.
Set-asides government-wide, and priority at the VA.
SDVOSB is one of the few certifications with both a government-wide reserve and an even stronger one at a single agency. Here is what it reaches.
You can compete for SDVOSB set-aside contracts at agencies across the federal government.
The Department of Veterans Affairs reserves a large share of its contracting for veteran-owned firms first.
Certain SDVOSB contracts can be awarded directly, without a full open competition.
The government targets a share of contracting dollars to service-disabled veteran firms, so agencies seek you out.
Primes seek certified SDVOSB partners to meet their own veteran subcontracting commitments.
SDVOSB can be held alongside 8(a) or HUBZone to widen the set-asides you pursue.
Eligibility turns on service and control. Do you meet both?
Service-connected disability, ownership, and real control.
SDVOSB looks for a service-disabled veteran who both owns and runs the business. Here is the line, including where the veteran-owned certification without a disability rating fits instead.
You may qualify if
- The business is at least 51 percent owned by one or more veterans with a service-connected disability.
- A service-disabled veteran holds the highest officer role and controls the business.
- You meet the SBA small-business size standard for your industry.
- The disability is documented as service-connected by the VA.
Look at another route if
What we do first: we confirm the service-connected disability documentation, the 51 percent ownership, and that a service-disabled veteran genuinely controls the business, holding the top role and making the decisions. The SBA has been explicit that control must be spelled out clearly, so we make sure your governing documents show the veteran in charge, which is exactly where applications are most often questioned.
Both tests met? Here is how certification runs.
Documented, verified, and certified through VetCert.
Your part is your ownership records and disability documentation. Ours is the verification, the control narrative, and the application. Here is how it runs.
Ownership and control check
We confirm the service-connected disability, the 51 percent ownership, and that a service-disabled veteran controls the business.
SAM.gov active
Your SAM.gov registration must be active, since certification ties to your federal record.
Application filed through VetCert
We assemble the ownership, control, and disability documentation and submit the certification through the SBA's VetCert program.
Certified, then renewed
On approval you are SDVOSB-certified, valid for three years. We track the renewal so your eligibility stays continuous.
Control is where VetCert applications get questioned. Here is what changes when we prepare it.
Control shown clearly, and kept current.
The SBA has warned that VetCert applications often stumble on control, whether the veteran truly runs the business, not just owns it. The value here is a certification prepared so the veteran's control is unmistakable, and a renewal handled so eligibility does not lapse.
Ownership and control, documented
- We confirm the service-connected disability and the 51 percent ownership.
- We make sure your governing documents spell out the veteran's control.
- We assemble the documentation VetCert expects.
Renewal handled
- We track the three-year renewal so eligibility does not lapse.
- The record sits with your other contracting credentials.
- We flag whether stacking with 8(a) or HUBZone widens your reach.
The SBA certifies at no cost; our fee is for verification and preparing the application. See what it costs →
SDVOSB is one lane of a contracting strategy. Here is the road it sits on.
Service is one edge. Stack it with the others.
SDVOSB rests on an active federal registration and pairs with the other set-asides you may also qualify for. They all live on one platform, so building a government-contracting business happens in one place.
Register it, certify it, stack it, and bid, all inside File.Business. One platform holds your federal profile, so the SDVOSB certification and everything it reaches start from the same record.
The questions veterans ask about SDVOSB.
What is SDVOSB certification?
It is a formal status confirming that a small business is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more veterans with a service-connected disability, and that such a veteran runs the company. Certified firms can compete for contracts the government reserves for service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, both government-wide and, with even higher priority, at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is one of the strongest certifications available to veteran entrepreneurs.
I used to self-certify. Is that still allowed?
No. Self-certification for SDVOSB has been eliminated. To be eligible for SDVOSB set-aside or sole-source contracts, your business must now be formally certified through the SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification program, VetCert. Firms that were relying on self-certification are no longer eligible for those reserved contracts until they complete formal certification. Closing that gap is one of the most common reasons veteran-owned firms come to us.
What are the eligibility requirements?
The business must be a small business at least 51 percent owned by one or more veterans with a service-connected disability, and a service-disabled veteran must hold the highest officer position and control both day-to-day operations and long-term decisions. The disability must be documented as service-connected by the VA. Because the SBA emphasizes control, it is not enough to own the majority; the veteran must genuinely run the business.
What is the difference between SDVOSB and VOSB?
Both are veteran-owned certifications through VetCert, but SDVOSB requires the qualifying veteran to have a service-connected disability, while a VOSB is veteran-owned without that requirement. SDVOSB carries a government-wide set-aside advantage, whereas VOSB status is especially valuable for contracting with the Department of Veterans Affairs. If the owner has a service-connected disability rating, SDVOSB is the stronger certification, and we help you confirm which applies.
How long does certification take and how long does it last?
Processing time through VetCert varies with how complete the application is, and the program has worked to shorten it. Once approved, certification is generally valid for three years, after which you recertify to keep it active. Because a lapse can cost you eligibility at an inconvenient moment, we track your renewal date and handle it, so your certified status stays continuous rather than expiring between contracts.
Why do applications get questioned on control?
Because ownership alone is not enough. The SBA looks for whether the service-disabled veteran actually controls the business, holds the top role, sets strategy, and runs operations, and has specifically warned firms to spell that control out in their governing documents and records. If someone else clearly runs the company, the application can be denied despite majority veteran ownership. We document control carefully, which is exactly where these applications most often fall short.
Do I need to be registered in SAM.gov first?
Yes. An active SAM.gov registration is a prerequisite, because certification ties to your federal entity record. If you are not registered, that is the first step, and we can complete it and then move into the SDVOSB eligibility check and certification. Getting the foundation in place, entity, EIN, and SAM registration, is part of why the certification itself proceeds more smoothly.