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Small-business programs

What is an SDVOSB?

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business

An SDVOSB is a small business at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more veterans rated as service-disabled by the VA, and SBA certification through the VetCert program is now required to compete for SDVOSB set-aside and sole-source contracts.

Also written as: service disabled veteran owned small business, VOSB, VetCert, SDVOSB certification.

SBA states the ownership test as no less than 51% owned and controlled by one or more veterans rated as service-disabled by the VA. The related VOSB status covers veteran ownership without a service-connected disability rating.

The certification landscape changed and a great deal of older guidance online is now wrong. Certification moved to SBA, and SBA states that certified SDVOSBs can compete for federal sole-source and set-aside contracts. SBA further states that the self-certification grace period for subcontracting and goaling purposes ran until December 22, 2024, and that firms seeking sole-source and set-aside opportunities with the VA must be certified — there is no self-certification provision for those.

If you read an article that tells you to self-certify as an SDVOSB in SAM.gov and start bidding set-asides, check its date. Certification through SBA is the current route, and it is free.

What this means when you bid

Do not rely on a self-certification you made years ago. Confirm your current status directly with SBA before bidding a set-aside on the strength of it.

SDVOSB: the published figures

Each figure below was read from the regulation cited beside it on 2026-08-04. Thresholds are adjusted for inflation and changed by statute — follow the citation and confirm the figure in effect on your solicitation's date before you rely on it.

Ownership and control by service-disabled veterans
no less than 51%

SBA — veteran contracting assistance programs · verified 2026-08-04

End of the self-certification grace period for subcontracting and goaling
December 22, 2024

SBA states separately that VOSBs and SDVOSBs seeking sole-source and set-aside opportunities with the VA must be certified, with no self-certification provision.

SBA — veteran contracting assistance programs · verified 2026-08-04

SDVOSB compared with the terms it gets confused with

SDVOSB vs 8(a)

SDVOSB has no program term and no income test; 8(a) runs nine years and tests the owner's personal finances.

What 8(a)means →

Where this definition comes from

Federal contracting is one of the few fields where the authoritative answer is free, public and one click away. These are the sources this page is built from — go and read them.

This page explains a term in plain English and cites the authority it comes from. It is not legal advice, and the regulation governs where this page and the regulation differ.

Free tools for government contractors

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SDVOSB— common questions

What is an SDVOSB?
An SDVOSB is a small business at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more veterans rated as service-disabled by the VA, and SBA certification through the VetCert program is now required to compete for SDVOSB set-aside and sole-source contracts.
What is the difference between SDVOSB and 8(a)?
SDVOSB has no program term and no income test; 8(a) runs nine years and tests the owner's personal finances.
What is the ownership and control by service-disabled veterans for SDVOSB?
no less than 51%, per SBA — veteran contracting assistance programs This figure was read from that source on 2026-08-04; thresholds are revised, so check the citation before relying on it in a bid.
Why does SDVOSB status matter when you are bidding?
Do not rely on a self-certification you made years ago. Confirm your current status directly with SBA before bidding a set-aside on the strength of it.

Related terms

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