What is the Women-Owned Small Business Program?
The WOSB Program was created to help level the playing field for women small business owners. Under the program, DLA and other federal agencies reserve certain contracts exclusively for competition among woman-owned small businesses or economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSB).
Unique to the WOSB Program, only certain contracts are eligible. The Small Business Administration (SBA) designates industries where woman-owned small businesses are underrepresented and eligibility for the program is determined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to the contract. The SBA maintains a list of eligible industries and the corresponding NAICS codes at www.sba.gov/WOSB.
What are the Program Requirements?
To be eligible for the WOSB Federal Contract program, you must be:
- A small business according to SBA size standards; and
- Be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens; and
- Have women manage day-to-day business operations and make long-term decisions.
To qualify as an EDWOSB, you must meet all the requirements above for WOSBs and be owned and controlled by one or more women each with:
- A personal net worth less than $850,000.
- $400,000 or less in adjusted gross income averaged over the previous three years; and
- $6.5 million or less in personal assets.
It is important to understand that EDWOSBs are a subset of WOSBs and all EDWOSBs are also WOSBs. This means that EDWOSBs are eligible to compete for contracts reserved for either EDWOSBs or WOSBs.
Getting Certified as a WOSB
Becoming certified for the WOSB Program means your business is eligible to compete for contracts that are set-aside for WOSBs and EDWOSBs, as well as sole source awards under the program (for more, refer to Subpart 19.15 in the Federal Acquisition Regulation).
Before firms can compete for WOSB/EDWOSB set-aside contracts, they must apply for certification using SBA’s free online certification process at https://wosb.certify.sba.gov/ or go through an approved third-party certifier, which may charge a fee for their services.
Where to Find Additional Information and Resources
Read more on SBA’s website -- www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs
You may also obtain free assistance from your local APEX Accelerators which can help you understand the rules and opportunities for the WOSB Program -- www.apexaccelerators.us/#