The federal government awarded more than $25 billion in contracts to veteran-owned small businesses in fiscal year 2023. That money does not flow automatically. You need the right certifications, registered in the right places, with the right agencies.
The programs are real. The set-aside rules are statutory, written into the Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act and reinforced through the National Defense Authorization Acts. But the bureaucracy is fragmented — different portals for different purposes, different thresholds for VA work versus government-wide work.
This guide cuts through the structure and tells you what each program actually does, who controls it, and what you need to get started.
SDVOSB VetCert: the gateway to government-wide set-asides
The Small Business Administration owns SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) verification for most federal contracting. The portal is called VetCert, and it lives at veterans.certify.sba.gov.
To qualify as an SDVOSB, you need a service-connected disability rating from the VA and you must own at least 51% of the business. The daily management and long-term decision-making must rest with one or more service-disabled veterans. SBA verifies these requirements through documentation review — expect to submit your VA rating letter, business ownership records, and evidence of operational control.
Once certified, your business is searchable in SAM.gov and eligible for sole-source awards up to $4.5 million (or $7.5 million for manufacturing) and set-aside competition under FAR Part 19. Contracting officers can reserve acquisitions above the micro-purchase threshold for SDVOSB competition if they have a reasonable expectation that two or more SDVOSBs will bid at a fair price.
VetCert certifications last three years. You will need to recertify and notify SBA within 30 days of any change that might affect your eligibility — acquiring a new partner, crossing the size standard, restructuring ownership.
If you are a VOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business) without a service-connected disability, SBA also certifies that category, but the federal contracting rules give far less preference to VOSBs outside the VA. The set-aside rules at FAR Part 19 cover SDVOSBs specifically.
VA VOSB Verification: different rules for VA work
The Department of Veterans Affairs runs its own verification program, separate from SBA's VetCert. For VA contracts, VA verification has historically been the controlling requirement. A business that holds SBA's SDVOSB certification is not automatically verified for VA-specific set-asides.
The VA's Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) verifies both VOSB and SDVOSB status for businesses that want to compete for VA set-aside work. The ownership threshold is the same — 51% veteran or service-disabled veteran ownership — but the VA applies a stricter "unconditional ownership" standard. It looks closely at operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and any provisions that could dilute veteran control.
This matters because the VA is one of the largest federal buyers from veteran-owned businesses. VA set-asides are governed by the Veterans First Contracting Program under 38 U.S.C. § 8127-8128. Under that statute, the VA must first consider SDVOSB set-asides, then VOSB set-asides, before opening competition to other small business categories.
If you are targeting VA contracts, pursue both SBA VetCert and VA CVE verification. SBA's VetCert covers the rest of the federal government. VA CVE covers VA-specific work. They share data and coordinate, but they are not the same credential.
Processing times at CVE have historically run 60 to 90 days. Factor that into your BD calendar.
NVBDC for corporate supplier diversity
The National Veteran Business Development Council (NVBDC) is not a federal agency. It is a nonprofit that certifies veteran-owned businesses for corporate supplier diversity programs.
Fortune 500 companies that want to report veteran-owned spend often require NVBDC certification or equivalent third-party verification. Companies like General Motors, Caterpillar, and AT&T reference NVBDC in their supplier diversity programs.
NVBDC certification costs $250 to $650 depending on revenue tier. It requires the same 51% veteran ownership standard plus a site visit or documentation review.
If your strategy includes both government and corporate contracting, NVBDC gives you a credential that corporate procurement teams recognize. Federal certifications (VetCert, CVE) are not designed for that audience. NVBDC is.
Transition Assistance Program: the contracting track
Most veterans know TAP as the separation briefing. It is more than that. The Department of Labor, VA, and Department of Defense jointly run TAP, and it includes a specific entrepreneurship track called the Entrepreneurship Track (ET).
The ET runs over two to three days and covers business plan development, financing, and federal contracting basics. It walks participants through SBA resources, SBDC assistance, and the certification landscape. It is not a deep dive into proposal writing or FAR compliance, but it is the first place many veterans learn that federal set-asides exist for them at all.
If you are still in service or recently separated and considering government contracting, request the ET track through your installation's TAP office. The training is free and available at most major installations.
Recon Veteran Entrepreneurship Program
Recon is a six-week intensive program for veterans who want to start or grow a business. It runs through partner universities and institutions, combining business fundamentals with mentorship from veteran entrepreneurs.
Recon is not a federal program, but it has received federal grant support and focuses explicitly on government contracting readiness. Participants work through financial modeling, marketing, and BD strategy with instructors who have federal contracting experience.
Cohorts run regionally. Check the Recon website for current schedules and application windows. Acceptance is competitive, and the program targets veterans who already have a business concept or early-stage operation.
SkillBridge: build federal market knowledge before you separate
SkillBridge is a Department of Defense program that lets active-duty service members work for civilian employers during their final 180 days of service. The service member receives military pay and benefits while the employer gets free labor during the internship period.
For veterans eyeing federal contracting, SkillBridge has a specific application: you can intern with a government contractor, federal agency, or government-focused consulting firm to build industry knowledge before you separate.
SBA, several PTAC offices, and federal contractors participate in SkillBridge. If you can land a SkillBridge placement with a prime contractor that does the kind of work you plan to pursue, you leave the military with relationships, past performance context, and an understanding of how federal BD actually works.
Your commanding officer must approve SkillBridge participation. Start the request at least 90 days before your planned start date.
How these pieces fit together
Federal set-asides, VA work, corporate supplier diversity, and transition resources are separate tracks, but the same business can use all of them.
The practical sequence looks like this: use TAP or Recon to get oriented, use SkillBridge if you are still in service to build market knowledge, get SBA VetCert and VA CVE verification once you have an operating business, and add NVBDC if you are pursuing corporate contracts alongside federal work.
None of these programs generate contracts automatically. They make you eligible. Winning work still requires past performance, a SAM.gov profile, capability statements, and relationships with contracting officers who know you exist.
Three things to do this week
- Check your SAM.gov registration. If it is expired or incomplete, fix it before pursuing any certification. Certifications cannot be used in procurement if your SAM registration is inactive.
- Apply for SBA VetCert at veterans.certify.sba.gov if you have a service-connected disability rating and an operating business. The application is free. The set-aside access is immediate once approved.
- Contact your regional Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). PTACs are federally funded, provide free contracting assistance, and know which agencies in your region are actively buying under SDVOSB set-asides.
