The federal government is legally required to award a percentage of prime contract dollars to women-owned small businesses. In fiscal year 2023, that target was 5% of all federal contract spending. To compete for those dollars, you need WOSB or EDWOSB certification.
Here is what you need to qualify, how to get certified, and what you can do with it once you have it.
What the WOSB program actually does
The SBA's Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program authorizes contracting officers to restrict competition on certain contracts to certified WOSBs and EDWOSBs. That restriction is called a set-aside. When a contract is set aside, only certified firms in the eligible category can bid.
Set-asides apply to NAICS codes where women-owned businesses are underrepresented in federal contracting. The SBA updates this list annually. As of 2024, roughly 700 NAICS codes qualify, covering industries from engineering services to janitorial work to IT staffing.
EDWOSB set-asides are a subset within the WOSB program. When a contract falls under an EDWOSB-only set-aside, you must meet the economic disadvantage thresholds in addition to the standard WOSB requirements.
WOSB eligibility requirements
Ownership. A woman or women who are U.S. citizens must own at least 51% of the business. That ownership must be unconditional, meaning it cannot be subject to conditions that could transfer control to someone else upon a trigger event.
Control. The woman owner must control the business, both in terms of day-to-day management and long-term decision-making. A male officer or board member can hold a title, but the woman must hold the highest officer position and cannot be overruled on ordinary business decisions by non-qualifying owners.
Size. The business must qualify as a small business under the SBA size standard for its primary NAICS code. Size standards vary by industry. For most service-based NAICS codes, the limit is $8 million to $47.5 million in average annual receipts. Check the SBA's table of size standards at sba.gov before applying.
Citizenship. The qualifying woman owner must be a U.S. citizen. Permanent residents do not qualify.
Additional requirements for EDWOSB
EDWOSB requires everything above, plus proof of economic disadvantage:
- Net worth below $850,000. This excludes the equity in your primary residence and the value of your ownership interest in the business itself.
- Adjusted gross income below $400,000 averaged over the three preceding tax years.
- Total assets below $6.5 million. This excludes the equity in your primary residence and the value of your ownership interest in the business.
These thresholds are set by SBA regulation. If you exceed any of them at the time of certification or during an annual review, you lose EDWOSB status and fall back to standard WOSB (if you still meet those requirements).
Where WOSB certification happens now
As of 2023, the SBA consolidated all WOSB and EDWOSB certification through its own portal at certify.sba.gov. Third-party certifiers (TPCs) like the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce previously handled WOSB certification, but that route closed.
You now apply directly through the SBA. There is no fee.
The process runs through the same portal used for 8(a) Business Development Program applications, so if you are already registered there, your SAM.gov UEI and entity information will carry over.
Required documents
Gather these before you start the application. Missing documents are the most common reason for delays.
For all WOSB applications: - Articles of incorporation or articles of organization (showing ownership percentages) - Operating agreement or bylaws, with any amendments - Stock certificates or membership certificates - Three years of personal and business federal tax returns - Current resume for the qualifying woman owner - Government-issued photo ID for the qualifying woman owner - SAM.gov active registration (you must be registered and not expired)
For EDWOSB, add: - Personal financial statement for the qualifying woman owner (SBA Form 413 or equivalent) - Documentation of assets, including bank statements and brokerage account statements - Mortgage statement or property appraisal if claiming primary residence exclusion
If your business has multiple owners, you will also need the same ID and financial documentation for any owner holding 20% or more.
The application process, step by step
- Register or confirm your SAM.gov registration is active. WOSB applications cannot be processed without an active SAM.gov record.
- Log in to certify.sba.gov and select "Apply for WOSB/EDWOSB Certification."
- Complete the business profile, ownership structure, and management questionnaire.
- Upload all required documents.
- Submit. SBA's review team will contact you if additional information is needed.
SBA targets a 90-day review window, but timelines vary based on application volume and document completeness. Applications with missing or contradictory documents take longer.
Once approved, your certification is added to the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS) database and linked to your SAM.gov profile. Contracting officers verify certification status through those databases, so there is nothing additional you need to file with the government after approval.
Certification must be recertified annually. SBA sends a notice before expiration. Annual recertification requires confirming that ownership, control, and (for EDWOSB) economic status still meet the thresholds.
Which NAICS codes are covered
Not every NAICS code qualifies for WOSB set-asides. The SBA publishes the eligible NAICS code list each fiscal year at sba.gov/contracting/contracting-programs/wosb-federal-contracting-program. The 2024 list includes approximately 700 six-digit NAICS codes.
Categories with strong WOSB set-aside coverage include: - Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54) - Administrative and support services (NAICS 56) - Health care and social assistance (NAICS 62) - Arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71) - Construction trades where women are underrepresented
If your primary NAICS code is on the list, you are eligible to compete for WOSB or EDWOSB set-asides in that code. If it is not, you can still hold WOSB certification, but you cannot be awarded a WOSB set-aside contract in that code.
Finding WOSB set-aside contracts on SAM.gov
Go to sam.gov/search and run a contract opportunity search. In the filter panel on the left, look for "Set-Aside Type." Check "Women-Owned Small Business" and "Economically Disadvantaged WOSB" to filter to relevant opportunities.
You can combine set-aside filters with NAICS code, agency, and dollar value filters. For example: NAICS 541611 (Management Consulting Services), set aside for WOSB, awards over $150,000.
Contracting officers are not required to set aside every contract in an eligible NAICS code. They must determine that there is a reasonable expectation of receiving offers from two or more certified WOSBs at a fair market price. In practice, this means that competition for WOSB set-asides in your NAICS code directly increases your chances of seeing more set-asides in that code.
Sole-source authority
Contracting officers can award WOSB and EDWOSB contracts without competition under specific conditions:
- WOSB sole-source: Up to $4.5 million for service contracts, up to $7.5 million for manufacturing contracts
- EDWOSB sole-source: Same dollar thresholds, but restricted to EDWOSB-certified firms
To receive a sole-source award, there must be only one certified WOSB or EDWOSB that can perform the work, and the contract must fall within an eligible NAICS code. The contracting officer initiates this process; you do not apply for sole-source designation on your own.
Building a relationship with contracting officers in your target agencies before a requirement is posted is the primary way sole-source awards happen in practice.
How WOSB stacks with WBENC certification
WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) is a private-sector certification used by Fortune 500 companies and state/local governments for supplier diversity programs. It does not substitute for SBA WOSB certification on federal contracts.
The two certifications are separate: - WOSB/EDWOSB is required for federal set-aside contracts and is free through SBA. - WBENC is used for corporate supplier diversity programs and costs $350 to $1,250 annually depending on revenue.
Many women-owned businesses hold both. They serve different markets. If you are targeting both federal agencies and Fortune 500 procurement, you will likely need both certifications at some point. Start with SBA WOSB certification if federal contracts are the priority, since it is free and unlocks the set-aside market. Pursue WBENC when you have a specific corporate opportunity in view.
Holding WBENC does not accelerate or simplify the SBA application. The SBA reviews its own documentation regardless of what other certifications you hold.
What to do after you are certified
Get your DSBS profile complete. Contracting officers search DSBS for vendors before soliciting quotes on small-dollar contracts. A complete profile with accurate NAICS codes, a capability statement, and past performance references makes you findable.
Set up email alerts on SAM.gov for your target NAICS codes and set-aside types. New solicitations post frequently, and early responses to sources-sought notices put you on the contracting officer's radar before the formal solicitation drops.
Register with the agencies you are targeting. Many agencies maintain vendor outreach programs and small business office directories. Getting on those lists costs nothing and can lead to early awareness of upcoming requirements.
WOSB certification is the entry point. What you do with it after approval determines whether it translates into contracts.
