Certify your women-owned business, and compete for set-asides.
The Women-Owned Small Business program reserves a slice of federal contracting for firms that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled by women. Self-certifying is no longer enough: you now have to be formally certified to win those set-asides. We confirm you meet the ownership and control tests and prepare the certification through the SBA.
The set-asides are real. Self-certifying no longer reaches them.
The federal government sets a goal of directing a share of contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses, and it backs that goal with contracts reserved specifically for them. For years a business could simply self-certify to compete for those set-asides. That changed: self-certification for the WOSB program ended, and to win a WOSB set-aside or sole-source contract you now have to be formally certified, either through the SBA's free certification process or an approved third-party certifier. If you were relying on self-certification, this is the gap to close, because an uncertified firm is no longer eligible for the very contracts the program exists to provide.
So what does certification actually give you? Here is the standing.
Formal certification, the kind set-asides now require.
WOSB certification is a formal status confirming your business is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women who are US citizens, and that it meets the small-business size standard. Once certified, your firm is recognized as WOSB in the federal system and can compete for WOSB set-aside contracts. Firms that also meet the economic-disadvantage criteria can certify as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business, which reaches an additional set of sole-source opportunities. We confirm eligibility, prepare the certification, and keep the record on file.
Certification is the mechanism. Here is the market it reaches.
Access the program was built to give you.
Certification is what converts the WOSB goal into contracts you can actually pursue. Here is what it reaches.
You can compete for contracts reserved for women-owned small businesses in eligible industries.
Economically disadvantaged women-owned firms can receive certain contracts on a sole-source basis.
The government targets a share of contracting to women-owned firms, so agencies look for certified businesses.
Formal certification carries weight that self-certification never did, with agencies and primes alike.
The certification also helps you qualify for corporate supplier-diversity programs beyond federal work.
You can hold WOSB alongside 8(a) or HUBZone to widen the set-asides you can pursue.
Eligibility turns on ownership and control. Do you meet both?
Ownership is half of it. Control is the other half.
The WOSB program looks for women who both own and run the business, not just hold shares on paper. Here is the line, including the version for economically disadvantaged firms.
You may qualify if
- The business is at least 51 percent unconditionally owned by women who are US citizens.
- One or more women manage day-to-day operations and make the long-term decisions.
- You meet the SBA small-business size standard for your industry.
- For the EDWOSB path, the qualifying women also meet the economic-disadvantage limits.
What we do first: we confirm both ownership and control, because the SBA looks past the cap table to who actually runs the business, and a passive majority owner will not satisfy the test. We also check whether the economically disadvantaged path fits, since it reaches sole-source contracts that the standard WOSB certification does not. Then we prepare the certification the way the SBA expects.
Both tests met? Here is how certification runs.
Verified, documented, and certified through the SBA.
Your part is your ownership and management records. Ours is the verification, the documentation, and the certification. Here is how it runs.
Ownership and control check
We confirm the 51 percent ownership and that women genuinely control the business, and whether the EDWOSB path applies.
SAM.gov active
Your SAM.gov registration must be active, since certification ties to your federal record.
Application assembled and filed
We compile the ownership, control, and citizenship documentation and submit the certification through the SBA's process.
Certified, then renewed
On approval you are WOSB-certified and can pursue set-asides. Certification runs on a renewal cycle, and we track it so it does not lapse.
The control test is where firms stumble. Here is what changes when we prepare it.
Certified correctly, and kept current.
WOSB applications are most often questioned on control, whether the women owners truly run the business, not just own it. The value here is a certification prepared to satisfy that test, and a renewal you do not have to remember.
Ownership and control, documented
- We confirm both the 51 percent ownership and genuine control.
- We assemble the citizenship and management documentation the SBA expects.
- We check whether the EDWOSB path reaches more for you.
Renewal handled
- We track the certification renewal cycle 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 →
WOSB is one lane of a contracting strategy. Here is the road it sits on.
Ownership is one edge. Stack it with the others.
WOSB 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 WOSB certification and everything it reaches start from the same record.
The questions owners ask about WOSB.
What is the WOSB program?
The Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program reserves a portion of federal contracting for firms that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled by women. The government sets a goal for how much contracting should go to women-owned businesses and backs it with set-aside contracts in industries where women-owned firms are underrepresented. Certification is what lets you compete for those reserved contracts, which are not open to firms that have not been certified.
I used to self-certify. Is that still enough?
No. Self-certification for the WOSB program ended, and to be eligible for WOSB set-aside or sole-source contracts you now must be formally certified, either through the SBA's free certification process or an SBA-approved third-party certifier. If you were previously self-certified and competing on that basis, you need to complete formal certification to stay eligible. Closing that gap is one of the most common reasons women-owned firms come to us.
What are the eligibility requirements?
The core requirements are that the business is a small business, at least 51 percent unconditionally and directly owned by one or more women who are US citizens, and that women manage the day-to-day operations and control the long-term decisions. The control piece matters as much as ownership: the SBA wants to see that qualifying women actually run the business. There is also an economically disadvantaged version, EDWOSB, with additional financial criteria.
What is the difference between WOSB and EDWOSB?
EDWOSB stands for Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business. It is a subset of the WOSB program for firms where the qualifying women also meet limits on personal net worth, income, and assets. The practical difference is reach: EDWOSB firms can pursue certain contracts on a sole-source basis and in additional industries. We check whether you qualify for the EDWOSB path, because it can reach opportunities the standard WOSB certification does not.
How long does certification take and how long does it last?
The certification process typically takes some weeks, depending on how complete the documentation is when submitted. Once certified, the status runs on a renewal cycle, so it is not permanent; you recertify periodically to keep it active. Because a lapse can knock you out of eligibility at an inconvenient time, we track your renewal and handle it, so your certified status stays continuous rather than expiring between contracts.
Why do applications get questioned on control?
Because ownership on paper is not enough. The SBA looks for whether women genuinely control the business, holding the top officer role, making the strategic decisions, and running operations. If a woman owns 51 percent but someone else clearly runs everything, the application can be denied. This is the most common sticking point, which is why we document control carefully, the management structure, decision-making, and roles, rather than relying on the ownership percentage alone.
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 WOSB eligibility check and certification. Getting the foundation in place, entity, EIN, and SAM registration, is part of why the certification itself proceeds more smoothly.