Georgia is one of the top states in the country for federal contract dollars, and it has a large active-duty and veteran population to match. If you are a service-disabled veteran running a small business here, SDVOSB certification is the fastest path to a set of federal contracts that is explicitly reserved for you. Here is what you need to know.
What SDVOSB certification is
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) is a federal certification administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. It qualifies your business for set-aside contracts and sole-source awards across most federal agencies, including contracts specifically reserved under the VA's Veterans First Contracting Program.
Congress set a 3% governmentwide contracting goal for SDVOSBs. In fiscal year 2023, the federal government awarded approximately $42 billion to SDVOSB-certified firms. The VA runs its own separate program with even stronger protections: the VA must give priority to verified SDVOSBs and VOSBs (Veteran-Owned Small Businesses) before going to open competition.
Eligibility requirements
Two conditions must be met before you apply.
Service-disabled veteran ownership. At least 51% of the business must be owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans. The veteran must have a service-connected disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. A 0% disability rating still qualifies, as long as the VA or DoD has issued a determination that the disability is service-connected.
Small business size standards. Your business must qualify as small under SBA size standards for your primary NAICS code. Size standards vary by industry: most service businesses are measured by annual revenue (commonly $8 million to $30 million depending on the code), while manufacturing businesses are typically measured by number of employees. You can look up the exact threshold for your NAICS code at sba.gov/size-standards.
The veteran must also hold the highest officer position in the company, manage day-to-day operations, and make long-term decisions for the business. If you bring in outside managers to run operations and the veteran is a passive owner, SBA reviewers will flag it.
How to apply: the SBA VetCert portal
Since January 2023, SBA has been the sole certifying authority for SDVOSB. The application is at vetcert.sba.gov.
Before you start, make sure you are registered in SAM.gov (System for Award Management). An active SAM.gov registration is required to receive federal contracts, and SBA will check it during review.
The application itself collects:
- Your service-connected disability documentation (VA rating letter or DoD determination)
- Business formation documents (articles of incorporation, operating agreement, or partnership agreement)
- Ownership and control documentation showing the veteran's 51%+ stake
- Financial statements or tax returns demonstrating size eligibility
- Licenses and any other relevant operating documents
SBA reviews applications and may issue a request for additional information (RFAI) if documents are incomplete. Once approved, certification is valid for three years and requires an annual recertification to confirm continued eligibility.
Current processing times vary. As of 2024, SBA has been working through a backlog inherited from the transition away from VA's CVE program. Budget 60 to 90 days for a straightforward application, though some businesses have seen decisions in 30 to 45 days when documentation is clean.
What certification unlocks
Once certified, you can compete for three categories of federal work:
Governmentwide SDVOSB set-asides. Any federal agency can set aside a contract exclusively for SDVOSB firms when there is a reasonable expectation that two or more SDVOSBs will submit offers at fair market price. This applies to civilian agencies, DoD, and every federal department.
VA Veterans First Contracting Program. The VA goes further. Under the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act (38 U.S.C. § 8127), the VA must first look to award contracts to verified SDVOSBs, then to VOSBs, before opening to other small business programs or full competition. For any business targeting the VA, this is a significant structural advantage.
Sole-source awards. Contracting officers can award a sole-source contract to a single SDVOSB without competition when the anticipated value is under $4.5 million (or $7.5 million for manufacturing). This is a direct line to contract awards that bypasses competitive bidding entirely.
Georgia context: federal buyers and facilities
Georgia has more federal contract activity than most states. Key buyers include:
Department of Defense. Fort Stewart (near Hinesville), Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning, near Columbus), Moody Air Force Base (near Valdosta), and Robins Air Force Base (Warner Robins) collectively represent billions in annual contract spending. Robins AFB alone is one of the largest Air Force logistics centers in the country, with a large volume of supply chain and maintenance contracts.
Department of Veterans Affairs. The Atlanta VA Health Care System, anchored by the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center in Decatur, serves more than 100,000 veterans across the region. The VA's healthcare procurement spans construction, facilities management, IT, professional services, and medical supplies. As an SDVOSB, you get priority consideration on all of it.
Other agencies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 4 office, and the General Services Administration's Region 4 office all issue contracts from Georgia. CDC in particular has consistent demand for IT services, public health communications, and scientific support contracts.
To find active opportunities, search SAM.gov using your NAICS code and filter by set-aside type. You can also search usaspending.gov to see which agencies have awarded SDVOSB contracts in Georgia by year.
Free help: Georgia APEX Accelerator (GaTech APEX)
The Georgia APEX Accelerator, operated through Georgia Tech, provides no-cost federal procurement counseling to Georgia businesses. This is not a directory listing or a referral service. Their advisors will sit down with you, review your certifications strategy, help you interpret size standards, review your application documents, and identify which contracting offices to target once you are certified.
They can also help you get on GSA Schedule and understand how to market your SDVOSB status to prime contractors through subcontracting plans. The service is federally funded and genuinely free. Start at gtpac.org or search "Georgia APEX Accelerator" to find your regional contact.
Georgia state-level certifications
Georgia does not have a standalone state SDVOSB certification program. At the state level, the relevant certification for veteran-owned businesses is through the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS), which maintains a Veteran-Owned Small Business designation for state procurement. This is separate from federal SDVOSB and does not require a service-connected disability.
For businesses pursuing state contracts alongside federal work, the DOAS certification is worth adding. It is self-reported through the Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR).
If your business also qualifies as a minority-owned or women-owned business, Georgia has a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification through DOAS, as well as a DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) certification for federally funded transportation contracts administered by GDOT. These certifications stack. An SDVOSB certification at the federal level paired with MBE or WBE at the state level opens both markets simultaneously.
Realistic timeline
Assuming your documentation is in order:
- Week 1-2: Gather VA disability determination, business formation docs, tax returns, and confirm SAM.gov registration is active
- Week 2-3: Complete the VetCert application at vetcert.sba.gov
- Week 6-12: SBA review period; respond promptly to any RFAI
- Week 12-16: Certification decision issued
Once certified, register your SDVOSB status in SAM.gov under your company profile so it appears in searches by contracting officers and prime contractors.
The Georgia APEX Accelerator can help you compress this timeline by reviewing your documents before submission to catch issues that trigger RFAIs.
