North Carolina has one of the largest active-duty and veteran populations in the country. Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), Camp Lejeune, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point are all here. That concentration of federal installations means the state generates serious federal procurement activity. If you are a service-disabled veteran running a small business in North Carolina, SDVOSB certification is the mechanism that gets you in front of those contracting officers.
Here is what you need to know.
What SDVOSB certification is
SDVOSB stands for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. It is a federal procurement designation created under the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 and reinforced by the National Defense Authorization Act. The certification gives your business access to set-aside contracts reserved exclusively for SDVOSBs, including both Department of Veterans Affairs contracts and governmentwide small business set-asides.
Congress has set a 3% governmentwide prime contracting goal for SDVOSBs. That goal does not always get hit, but it does mean contracting officers at every federal agency have an active incentive to route work to certified firms.
Eligibility requirements
Three conditions must all be true at the time you apply.
Service-disabled veteran ownership. One or more service-disabled veterans must own at least 51% of the business. The veteran's disability must be connected to active military service and rated by the VA or the Department of Defense. A rating of 0% still qualifies, as long as the disability is officially service-connected.
Control. The service-disabled veteran owner must control daily operations and long-term decision-making. If a non-veteran manages day-to-day activities or holds authority over major business decisions, the business will not qualify regardless of ownership percentage.
Small business size. Your business must qualify as small under the SBA's size standards for your primary NAICS code. Size standards vary by industry. A construction firm with a primary NAICS under building construction trades might have a $45 million revenue cap, while a professional services firm might have an employee count threshold of 150. Look up your specific NAICS code at sba.gov/size-standards before you apply.
If your disability was incurred or aggravated after discharge, or if you hold a permanent and total disability rating, those details are part of the eligibility documentation but do not by themselves change the outcome.
Where to apply: SBA VetCert
Since January 1, 2023, the SBA has been the sole certification authority for SDVOSB status. The VA's legacy CVE (Center for Verification and Evaluation) program was folded into the SBA's VetCert portal at vetcert.sba.gov.
You create an account, connect your SAM.gov registration (active SAM.gov registration is required), and submit supporting documents. The SBA reviews the application and makes a determination. Once certified, your status is active in SAM.gov and visible to contracting officers searching for SDVOSB firms.
The core documents you will need:
- DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty)
- VA disability rating letter or DoD disability determination showing the service connection
- Business ownership and organizational documents (operating agreement, stock certificates, or similar depending on entity type)
- Proof that the service-disabled veteran controls the business (may include evidence of day-to-day management authority)
Timeline
SBA targets 90 days for a certification decision from when your application is complete. In practice, applications with clean documentation and no ownership complexity often move faster. Incomplete submissions extend the timeline significantly. Get your SAM.gov registration current and your documents organized before you start the portal application. SAM.gov registration alone can take two to four weeks if you are starting fresh.
Certification is valid for three years, after which you recertify.
What contracts it unlocks
Governmentwide SDVOSB set-asides. Any federal agency can set aside a contract for SDVOSB competition under the FAR Part 19 rules. A contracting officer who believes two or more SDVOSBs can perform the work at a reasonable price is supposed to set the acquisition aside for SDVOSB-only competition.
VA-specific set-asides. The VA operates under a separate, stronger mandate called the Veterans First Contracting Program. Under 38 U.S.C. 8127, the VA must give preference to SDVOSBs and VOSBs above other small business programs, including 8(a). For VA contracts, SDVOSB certification through SBA VetCert now satisfies the VA's VOSB Verification Program requirements.
North Carolina has VA facilities that generate meaningful procurement activity: the Durham VA Medical Center, the Asheville VA Medical Center, the Fayetteville VA Medical Center, and a network of community-based outpatient clinics. Facilities management, IT support, professional services, construction, and healthcare staffing contracts all flow through these sites.
Beyond the VA, Fort Liberty (Fayetteville), Camp Lejeune (Jacksonville), MCAS Cherry Point (Havelock), and Seymour Johnson AFB (Goldsboro) are major buyers of construction, environmental services, logistics, training, and technology. The Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District manages significant infrastructure contracting across the state.
North Carolina-specific support: APEX Accelerator
The North Carolina APEX Accelerator, operated through the UNC System's Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), provides free one-on-one counseling for businesses pursuing federal certification and contracting. Counselors can walk you through the VetCert application, help you read your first solicitation, and assist with capability statement development.
SBTDC offices are located across the state, including in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Wilmington, and Fayetteville. Fayetteville is the most relevant starting point if your work targets Fort Liberty or the surrounding defense cluster. Contact the SBTDC through sbtdc.org to get matched with an APEX advisor.
State-level veteran certifications in North Carolina
North Carolina does not have a standalone state SDVOSB certification that mirrors the federal program, but the state does have the HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) program administered by the NC Department of Administration. Veterans are not a separate HUB category, but a business that is majority-owned by a minority or woman who is also a veteran can qualify for HUB certification on those grounds.
For state contracts, SDVOSB-certified firms should also look at the NC HUB program if they meet the demographic criteria, since North Carolina sets goals for HUB participation on state agency contracts. The two certifications serve different buyers, federal and state, so holding both is common among firms pursuing public sector work at multiple levels.
Pairing SDVOSB with DBE or MBE certification
If the service-disabled veteran owner is also a member of a socially and economically disadvantaged group, MBE certification through the NMSDC or a regional affiliate may apply. For transportation and highway-related contracting, DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) certification through the NC Department of Transportation is a separate program worth pursuing. DBE certification is required for subcontracting on federally assisted transportation projects.
SDVOSB certification and DBE or MBE certification coexist without conflict. Each opens different pools of set-aside spending. A firm certified in all three programs significantly widens the range of contract opportunities it can compete for.
Where to start
Register in SAM.gov if you are not already active. Pull your VA disability rating letter and DD-214. Identify your primary NAICS code and verify your business meets the size standard. Then open vetcert.sba.gov and work through the application. If you want a second set of eyes before you submit, reach out to the North Carolina APEX Accelerator (SBTDC) first. The counseling is free and the guidance is specific to your situation.
The federal contracting market in North Carolina is large enough to build a real business around. The certification is the entry point.
