SBA Set-Aside Program
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
Set-aside for small businesses 51%+ owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans with VA-certified service-connected disability.
Who qualifies for SDVOSB?
- At least 51% unconditionally and directly owned by one or more service-disabled veterans
- The SDV must control management and daily operations
- Veteran must have a VA-certified service-connected disability
- Small business by SBA size standard for primary NAICS
- Now requires SBA certification (moved from VA in 2023)
What SDVOSB gives you
- SDVOSB set-aside competitions across all agencies
- Sole-source contracts up to $7M (services) / $4.5M (products)
- 3% federal-wide procurement goal — agencies actively seek SDVOSBs to hit target
- VA has its own higher goals — extremely active SDVOSB market at VA
How to get certified
Certifying body: SBA (as of 2023 — previously VA's VIP system) — 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 SDVOSB flag, making your firm discoverable to contracting officers filtering by set-aside status.
Common mistakes that kill SDVOSB applications (and bids)
- Owner being a board member but not controlling daily operations
- Relying on the veteran as a minority shareholder with outsized voting rights (SBA looks at both ownership AND control)
- Using the VA's VetBiz/VIP certification — that system was retired; you need SBA certification now
- Misunderstanding 'service-connected' — a VA disability rating isn't automatic; it must be service-connected specifically
- Assuming SDVOSB stacks with VOSB; VOSB is a separate (narrower-use) program
Typical SDVOSB contracts
IT, professional services, construction, healthcare, logistics — heavy VA and DoD spend.
Check your SDVOSB eligibility (free)
10 questions, takes under 3 minutes. Returns which SBA set-asides you likely qualify for — SDVOSB 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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