SBA Set-Aside Program
Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business
A tier above WOSB — adds an economic disadvantage test to the WOSB criteria. Eligible for sole-source and broader set-asides.
Who qualifies for EDWOSB?
- Meets all WOSB criteria (51%+ owned and managed by women US citizens, small by size standard)
- Plus economic disadvantage test: personal net worth under $850K, AGI under $400K (3-year avg), personal assets under $6.5M
- Set-asides available in the full 413 NAICS codes PLUS additional EDWOSB-only codes where disadvantaged women are also underrepresented
What EDWOSB gives you
- All WOSB benefits PLUS
- Sole-source contracts allowed in a wider set of NAICS codes
- Eligible for EDWOSB-only set-aside competitions
How to get certified
Certifying body: SBA certification — apply at certify.sba.gov
Certification requires documenting ownership, control, size, and any specific program criteria (e.g., veteran disability rating, HUBZone principal office, economic-disadvantage net worth). Expect 60-120 days from complete application to decision — longer if your documents need revision.
Once certified, you'll be listed in SAM.gov's Dynamic Small Business Search with the EDWOSB flag, making your firm discoverable to contracting officers filtering by set-aside status.
Common mistakes that kill EDWOSB applications (and bids)
- Assuming EDWOSB is automatic once certified WOSB — it's not; requires the additional net-worth documentation
- Falling over the net-worth threshold as the business grows but not decertifying
- Using EDWOSB set-aside benefits in NAICS where only WOSB set-asides are valid (check the list)
Typical EDWOSB contracts
Same as WOSB but expanded NAICS — management consulting, R&D, IT services, professional services.
Check your EDWOSB eligibility (free)
10 questions, takes under 3 minutes. Returns which SBA set-asides you likely qualify for — EDWOSB plus every other program your firm may be eligible under.
Run the eligibility checker →Build a capability statement (free)
Once you're certified, a capability statement is the single most-requested document from contracting officers. Our free builder produces a clean one-page PDF in 5 minutes.
Start your capability statement →Other SBA set-aside programs
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