Free tool
SDVOSB / VOSB Certification Eligibility Checker
Veteran-owned and wondering if you qualify? Answer three quick questions and Sam will tell you, in plain English, whether you likely qualify as a VOSB — and whether you also reach the SDVOSB upgrade. No login, instant results.
SDVOSB / VOSB certification, explained
The federal government sets a goal of awarding at least 5% of contracting dollars to service-disabled veteran-ownedfirms, and reserves contracts for the program. Since certification went governmentwide through SBA VetCert, you must be formally certified to bid these set-asides — so it's worth confirming you qualify (and whether you reach the SDVOSB upgrade) before you start.
- What is SDVOSB / VOSB certification?
- VOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business) and SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) are federal programs that reserve contracts for veteran-owned firms. Since 2023 both are certified governmentwide through SBA VetCert. Certified firms can compete for veteran set-asides and, for SDVOSBs, sole-source awards.
- What's the difference between VOSB and SDVOSB?
- VOSB requires the firm to be at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more veterans. SDVOSB is the subset where a controlling owner is also a service-disabled veteran (a VA service-connected disability rating). SDVOSB unlocks SDVOSB set-asides and sole-source awards governmentwide; VOSB carries priority at the VA.
- Who qualifies?
- A small business under the SBA size standard for its primary NAICS, at least 51% unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more veterans — and for SDVOSB, a service-disabled veteran must hold the highest officer position and control the firm.
- What does it cost?
- Certifying through SBA VetCert (veterans.certify.sba.gov) is free — there's no government application fee. You must be formally certified before bidding on VOSB/SDVOSB set-asides.
Check your SDVOSB / VOSB eligibility
Your answers stay in your browser — nothing is submitted until you ask to see matching bids.
Official sources
Everything above is checkable. These are the government pages it rests on.
- SBA — Veteran contracting assistance programs — SDVOSB and VOSB eligibility and how certification moved to the SBA
- SBA Certification portal — where an SDVOSB application is filed, free
Go deeper
The terms behind this tool
Each one is defined in plain English with the FAR or SBA section it comes from, so you can check the rule rather than take our word for it.
- Government contracting glossary 50 terms a solicitation assumes you already know, each with the FAR or SBA citation it comes from.
- NAICS codes for government contracting All 1,012 six-digit 2022 industries, by sector, with the size standard to check.
- The free government bid list Open solicitations by state — no login, nothing blurred, each page listing the rows closing soonest.