Government Contracts for Women-Owned Businesses

How to win government contracts as a woman-owned business

1. 1

   Confirm you're a small business and find your NAICS

   Set-asides are for small businesses under the SBA size standard for your work. Start by pinning down your NAICS code and size standard.

   Find your NAICS code →
2. 2

   Get certified

   For federal set-asides, get WOSB-certified (and check the EDWOSB upgrade). For corporate and state/local work, get WBE-certified. Both are worth holding.

   Check your WOSB eligibility →
3. 3

   Find and bid the right opportunities

   See live federal and Texas bids — each with a plain-English workup (scope, deadlines, bonding, set-aside) so you can decide whether to bid without reading a 200-page RFP.

   Browse live bids →

Common questions

How much government work is reserved for women-owned businesses?

The federal government's goal is to award at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses each year, and it reserves specific contracts for the WOSB program in industries where women-owned firms are underrepresented. Many states and cities set their own women-participation goals on top of that.

What's the difference between WOSB and WBE?

WOSB is the federal set-aside program — you certify with the SBA to compete for federal contracts reserved for women-owned firms. WBE (Women's Business Enterprise) is for corporate supplier-diversity programs and state/local government, certified through WBENC or a state program. Many women-owned firms hold both.

Do I have to be certified to win these contracts?

For federal WOSB set-asides, yes — self-certification ended, so you must be formally certified (free, at certify.SBA.gov) before bidding. For corporate and most state/local WBE work, you certify through WBENC or your state's program.

Where do I find women-owned-business contracts?

Federal opportunities post on SAM.gov; state and local ones are spread across dozens of portals. BidGovContracts pulls federal and Texas opportunities into one feed, summarizes each in plain English, and flags which are set aside — so you don't have to portal-hop.