What WOSB certification is
The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program is an SBA-administered program that sets aside certain federal contracts specifically for businesses that are at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens. It exists because Congress found women-owned firms were underrepresented in federal contracting relative to their share of the private-sector economy.
Two tiers exist within the program. WOSB covers industries where women-owned firms are underrepresented. EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged WOSB) covers industries where women-owned firms are both underrepresented and where the primary owner meets income and asset thresholds. If you qualify for EDWOSB, you automatically qualify for WOSB set-asides as well.
The SBA maintains a list of eligible NAICS codes. As of the most recent update, 83 industries qualify for WOSB set-asides. These span construction, manufacturing, professional services, IT, healthcare support, and several other sectors. You can find the current list at sba.gov.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify for WOSB certification, your business must meet all of the following:
Ownership: Women must own at least 51% of the business. For corporations, women must own at least 51% of each class of voting stock and 51% of the aggregate stock.
Control: A woman must hold the highest officer position (typically CEO or President), must be involved in the day-to-day management, and must make long-term strategic decisions. Control must be real, not nominal. The SBA looks at whether a man or outside party is actually running the operation.
Size: Your business must qualify as a small business under SBA size standards for its primary NAICS code. For most service industries, the revenue limit is $30 million or under. Manufacturing companies are measured by employee count rather than revenue. Size standards vary by NAICS code, so check the SBA's table of size standards before assuming you qualify.
Citizenship: The women who own and control the business must be U.S. citizens.
For EDWOSB, additional financial thresholds apply. The primary owner's adjusted gross income must be $400,000 or less (averaged over three years), personal net worth must be $750,000 or less (excluding equity in the business and primary residence), and total assets must be $6 million or less. These thresholds are set by statute and can change with SBA rulemaking.
How to apply
Since 2020, SBA has offered self-certification through its online portal at certify.sba.gov. You create an account, complete the WOSB questionnaire, upload supporting documents, and submit. The SBA does not pre-approve self-certifications. Instead, your certification goes into effect when you submit and attest to your eligibility. You can immediately begin pursuing WOSB set-aside contracts.
Documents typically required include:
- Articles of incorporation or organization
- Operating agreement or bylaws
- Stock certificates or membership interest documentation
- Three years of personal tax returns for each woman owner (for EDWOSB)
- SBA Form 413 (Personal Financial Statement) for EDWOSB applicants
- A birth certificate or U.S. passport confirming citizenship
Self-certification carries legal responsibility. If you certify inaccurately, you face potential debarment and False Claims Act liability. Review the documentation requirements carefully before submitting.
Third-party certification is also accepted and is often viewed more favorably by federal contracting officers. Four SBA-approved third-party certifiers exist:
- WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council)
- NWBOC (National Women Business Owners Corporation)
- El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
- U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce
WBENC is the most widely recognized, particularly in corporate supplier diversity programs. Its certification requires an in-person or virtual interview plus a document review. The annual fee ranges from roughly $350 to $1,250 depending on your revenue tier. Getting WBENC-certified covers both the federal WOSB program and opens doors with Fortune 500 supplier diversity programs, so it is worth the investment if you plan to pursue both government and corporate contracts.
What contracts WOSB certification opens
Federal agencies can set aside contracts for WOSB competition when the contracting officer expects two or more WOSBs will submit offers at a fair market price. The contract must also fall under one of the 83 eligible NAICS codes.
There is a sole-source authority as well. Agencies can award sole-source contracts to WOSBs up to $4.5 million ($7 million for manufacturing). Sole-source awards skip the competitive process, making them faster to close.
EDWOSB businesses have access to the same set-asides, and contracting officers can restrict competition even further to EDWOSB firms when industry conditions support it.
The program does not guarantee contracts. It creates a lane. You still need to register in SAM.gov, find relevant opportunities on SAM.gov or USASpending.gov, write competitive proposals, and build relationships with contracting officers.
Federal buyers active in Kansas
Kansas has significant federal procurement activity, concentrated around a few key facilities and agencies.
Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley are among the largest federal presences in the state. Both installations generate ongoing demand for construction, facilities management, IT services, professional services, and logistics support. The Army Contracting Command handles procurement for Fort Riley.
McConnell Air Force Base near Wichita is another active buyer. Defense contracts in the Wichita area also connect to Boeing's substantial footprint there, which drives subcontracting opportunities even when the prime contract is not set aside.
The VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System and the Veterans Benefits Administration regional office in Wichita both procure services relevant to WOSB-eligible NAICS codes, including healthcare support, IT, and administrative services.
USDA has a regional presence in Kansas tied to agricultural programs, and the Department of Transportation funds highway and infrastructure projects through the Kansas DOT that flow through federal DBE requirements (addressed below).
Kansas-specific certification resources
The Kansas APEX Accelerator offers free, one-on-one counseling for small businesses pursuing federal certifications. APEX counselors can walk you through the certify.sba.gov self-certification process, review your documents before submission, and help you identify set-aside opportunities in your NAICS code. They also assist with SAM.gov registration, which is a prerequisite for any federal contracting work. Contact the Kansas APEX Accelerator directly to schedule a no-cost session.
State-level certifications that complement WOSB
Kansas does not have a state-operated WBE or MBE certification program equivalent to what you find in Illinois, California, or New York. The state's primary certification mechanism for state contracts is the DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) program administered through the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) for federally funded transportation contracts.
DBE certification in Kansas is handled by KDOT and covers contracts on federally assisted highway, transit, and airport projects. DBE eligibility requires 51% ownership by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Women are presumed to be socially disadvantaged, so if you qualify for WOSB you will likely meet the social disadvantage prong for DBE as well. Personal net worth for DBE must be $2.047 million or less (excluding equity in the business and primary residence), which is a higher threshold than EDWOSB.
For state and municipal contracts not involving federal transportation funds, Kansas does not have a mandated certification requirement. Some Kansas cities and counties run their own local supplier diversity programs with separate certification or registration processes. Wichita, as the state's largest city and a center of aerospace manufacturing, has procurement activity worth investigating at the local level.
If you sell to Fortune 500 companies with supplier diversity programs, WBENC certification travels. Companies like Sprint (now part of T-Mobile, which maintains a supplier diversity program), Cerner (now Oracle Health), and Koch Industries subsidiaries all have supplier diversity commitments that recognize WBENC certification.
Estimated timeline
Self-certification through certify.sba.gov can be completed in a few days if your documents are organized. The process itself is not lengthy. Budget one to two weeks to gather the required documents if you do not already have them consolidated.
Third-party certification through WBENC typically takes 60 to 90 days from application submission to final certification. The process involves an application review, document verification, and an interview with a WBENC affiliate. Kansas-based businesses are typically served by the Women's Business Council Southwest or the Women's Business Development Center depending on geography. Confirm your affiliate assignment when you apply at wbenc.org.
DBE certification through KDOT operates on its own timeline and requires a separate application. Budget 60 to 90 days for that process as well.
Start with SAM.gov registration if you have not already. It can take one to two weeks to process and is required before you can receive any federal award. Then pursue WOSB self-certification or third-party certification in parallel. Use the Kansas APEX Accelerator to avoid common mistakes that delay the process.
