Applications for the Small Business Certification for Veterans (VetCert) program opened on Jan. 9, which has an improved customer experience thanks to $25 billion in government contract spending with service-disabled Veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) in Fiscal Year 2021.

Isabel Casillas Guzmán, leader of the Small Business Administration (SBA), stated:

The SBA’s new Veteran small business certification program is designed with our commitment to deliver exceptional support for our skilled entrepreneurs from America’s military community.

About the program

By becoming the Agency's primary certification vehicle for all veteran-owned small businesses, enabling these businesses to qualify for federal sole-source and set-aside contract awards, the SBA seeks to ensure that more Veteran-owned entrepreneurs have access to economic opportunities, granting a one-time, one-year extension to current Veteran-owned small businesses verified by the Center for Administration for Verification and Assessment (CVE), effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Certified VOSBs are eligible to compete for sole-source and reserved contracts in the Department of Veterans Affairs, while certified SDVOSBs can compete for sole-source and reserved contracts throughout the government.

Veterans Business Outreach Centers provide #biz counseling, training, and other services to help veteran entrepreneurs like Randy Shepard start and grow resilient businesses. Find a VBOC in your area: https://t.co/TbXh5jOk03 pic.twitter.com/xxzR9p3Ssy

— SBA (@SBAgov) January 10, 2023

Program updates

The SBA is implementing some enhancements to streamline the certification experience for veteran business owners, including:

• Providing veterans with a central support platform for their small business certification needs.
• Providing reciprocal certification for businesses with remaining eligibility in the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and 8(a) programs.
• Creating a more business-friendly approach by simplifying the application process and aligning ownership and control requirements in the VetCert, 8(a) and WOSB programs.

“Small businesses owned by Veterans are eligible for key benefits and well-deserved support because of their owners’ selfless service to our nation. Certification is a critical part of that process, and I encourage all eligible Veterans to submit their verification applications to the Small Business Administration starting today,” said Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The transfer of responsibility for veteran certification from the Veterans Administration (VA) to the SBA aligns with the Biden Administration's focus on stronger interagency collaboration.

All changes to the certification process, along with the new eligibility requirements, can be viewed by clicking here.