What WOSB certification is
The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program is a federal set-aside program created under the Small Business Act. It allows contracting officers to restrict competition to women-owned small businesses in industries where women are considered underrepresented or substantially underrepresented among federal prime contractors.
That matters because without a set-aside designation, your business competes against every contractor in the country. With WOSB or EDWOSB status, you compete in a much smaller pool on specific contract awards.
The SBA administers the program. Certification is required as of October 2020. Self-attestation is no longer accepted.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify as a WOSB, your business must meet all of the following:
Ownership. At least 51% of the business must be owned by one or more women who are U.S. citizens. Ownership means direct ownership of the firm, not indirect ownership through trusts or other entities.
Control. Women must hold the highest officer position in the company (typically CEO or President), must manage day-to-day operations, and must make long-term strategic decisions. This requirement is scrutinized during certification review. A woman who owns 51% but has a male business partner running all operations would likely fail this test.
Size. The business must qualify as a small business under SBA size standards for its primary NAICS code. For most industries covered by the WOSB program, the revenue limit is $30 million. Some manufacturing NAICS codes use employee count instead of revenue. You can look up the exact size standard for your NAICS code at sba.gov.
Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB). If your business qualifies as a WOSB and the relevant NAICS code is designated as "underrepresented" (rather than just "substantially underrepresented"), contracting officers can only award EDWOSB set-asides there. To qualify as economically disadvantaged, each woman owner must have a personal net worth under $850,000 (excluding the value of the business and primary residence), adjusted gross income under $400,000 averaged over the prior three years, and total assets under $6.5 million.
The 83 NAICS industries
The set-aside program covers NAICS codes where SBA data shows women-owned firms are underrepresented in federal contracting relative to their presence in the overall industry. The current list includes 83 NAICS codes. Common categories include professional services, construction trades, IT services, and engineering. The full list is published in 13 CFR Part 127 and is available on the SBA website.
If your primary NAICS code is not on the list, you cannot receive a WOSB set-aside contract even with valid certification. Check the list before you invest time in the application.
How to apply
You have two paths: SBA direct certification or certification through an approved third-party certifier.
SBA direct certification. Apply at certify.sba.gov. You create an account, enter business details, upload required documents, and submit. The SBA reviews the application and issues a decision. There is no fee for SBA direct certification.
Third-party certification. The SBA accepts certifications from four approved organizations: WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council), NWBOC (National Women Business Owners Corporation), El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce. Each has its own fees and review timelines. WBENC certification, for example, typically runs $350 to $1,250 depending on business revenue. The advantage is that WBENC certification is also accepted by many corporations for their supplier diversity programs, so one certification can serve both federal and commercial contracting goals.
If you already hold WBENC certification, you can submit that credential at certify.sba.gov and the SBA will issue your federal WOSB designation without a separate review.
Documents you will need. Expect to provide articles of incorporation or organization, operating agreements or bylaws, stock certificates or membership certificates showing ownership percentages, three years of federal tax returns for both the business and each woman owner, government-issued ID, and a signed WOSB program certification form. For EDWOSB status, you also submit a personal financial statement and supporting financial documents.
Timeline
SBA direct certification currently takes approximately 30 to 90 days, though actual processing times vary. Third-party review timelines depend on the certifier. WBENC's standard review runs 30 to 60 days after a complete application is submitted.
Allow at least 60 days between submitting your application and any contract deadline you have in mind. Incomplete applications are returned and restart the clock.
Delaware-specific context
Delaware is a small state by geography but not by federal procurement activity. Dover Air Force Base is the largest federal installation in the state and a significant buyer of contracted services. The base supports logistics, transportation, and defense-related services. Nearby Wilmington has federal office presence across agencies including the Department of Justice and the IRS. Federal courts in Wilmington generate procurement activity as well.
The federal contracting dollars flowing through Delaware are real but concentrated. Construction and facility maintenance contracts come through the General Services Administration. IT and professional services contracts flow through multiple civilian agencies.
Your local resource: Delaware PTAC. The Delaware Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC), part of the APEX Accelerator network, provides free one-on-one counseling to businesses pursuing federal contracts. Staff can walk you through the WOSB application, help you verify your size standard and NAICS classification, review your documents before submission, and connect you with contracting officers. Delaware PTAC is operated under the Delaware Economic Development Office. Search "Delaware PTAC" or "Delaware APEX Accelerator" to find current contact information; office locations and staff change periodically.
PTAC counselors also have visibility into upcoming federal contract opportunities and can help you set up notifications in SAM.gov for relevant solicitations once your certification is in place.
State-level certifications in Delaware
Delaware does not operate a standalone state MWBE certification program in the same way that many larger states do. The Delaware Department of Transportation administers a DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) program for federally funded transportation contracts, which includes highway construction and transit work. DBE certification is separate from WOSB and requires a different application.
If you want to pursue Delaware DOT contracting alongside federal WOSB work, you will need to apply to the DBE program through DelDOT. The income limit for DBE is $1.32 million personal net worth (excluding primary residence and business equity). DBE certification does not confer WOSB status and vice versa, but many small businesses hold both.
For corporate supplier diversity programs, WBENC certification (if you go the third-party route) is the most recognized credential in the private sector. Fortune 500 companies with Delaware operations typically accept WBENC-certified firms into their supplier databases.
Combining certifications
A Delaware-based women-owned firm with minority ownership can pursue both WOSB and MBE certification. NMSDC MBE certification is administered through the NMSDC regional council that covers Delaware. These certifications serve different purposes: WOSB opens federal set-aside contracts; MBE opens corporate supplier diversity programs and some state programs. They are not redundant.
If you are also a veteran-owned firm, note that WOSB and SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business) certifications can both be held and both can unlock separate set-aside opportunities.
What to do next
Start at certify.sba.gov to check your eligibility and review the current NAICS set-aside list against your business codes. If you want guidance before you start the application, contact Delaware PTAC. The counseling is free, the staff know the program well, and an hour with a PTAC advisor can prevent weeks of back-and-forth with the SBA over a fixable document problem.
Certification is a prerequisite, not a guarantee. Once certified, you still need to find opportunities, bid competitively, and build relationships with contracting officers. Treat certification as the starting line, not the finish.
