SBA Set-Aside Program
Veteran-Owned Small Business
Set-aside for small businesses 51%+ owned by veterans (without requiring service-connected disability). Primarily useful for VA contracts.
Who qualifies for VOSB?
- At least 51% unconditionally owned by one or more veterans
- Veteran must control management and daily operations
- Small business by SBA size standard for primary NAICS
- No disability rating required (that's SDVOSB — separate program)
What VOSB gives you
- Eligible for VA-specific VOSB set-asides
- Evaluation preference at some agencies
- Narrower than SDVOSB — most non-VA agencies don't have VOSB-specific set-asides
How to get certified
Certifying body: SBA (as of 2023) — 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 VOSB flag, making your firm discoverable to contracting officers filtering by set-aside status.
Common mistakes that kill VOSB applications (and bids)
- Confusing VOSB with SDVOSB — most federal set-aside contracts are SDVOSB-targeted
- Not pursuing SDVOSB if you have any VA disability rating — SDVOSB is almost always more valuable
- Using old VA VetBiz certification instead of SBA certification
Typical VOSB contracts
VA contracts primarily — healthcare services, IT, facilities support, construction at VA medical centers.
Check your VOSB eligibility (free)
10 questions, takes under 3 minutes. Returns which SBA set-asides you likely qualify for — VOSB 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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