To become a VA approved contractor, your veteran-owned business needs to be certified through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) program. Certification comes in two flavors: Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Either one qualifies you to compete for contracts set aside under the Veterans First Contracting Program, authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 8127.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S. Code 8127 – Small Business Concerns Owned and Controlled by Veterans: Contracting Goals and Preferences The application is free and runs entirely online at veterans.certify.sba.gov.2U.S. Small Business Administration. Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) The SBA took this role over from the VA’s Center for Verification and Evaluation in January 2023, so applications no longer go to the VA directly.
The path has four working steps: register in SAM.gov, confirm you meet the ownership rules, assemble your documents, and submit through VetCert. After that, keeping the certification active is its own job.
Step 1: Register Your Business on SAM.gov
Every company that wants to do business with the federal government has to be listed in the System for Award Management at SAM.gov. It is the government’s central vendor database, and VetCert cannot certify a business that is not registered there.3Acquisition.GOV. Subpart 4.11 – System for Award Management
Registration produces a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), the alphanumeric code that now identifies your company across federal contracting (it replaced the old DUNS number).4SAM.gov. Entity Registration Have your federal Employer Identification Number ready before you begin, because SAM uses it to link your business to its tax records. You will also pick NAICS codes describing what you sell. Those codes control which contract opportunities you see and which small business size standards apply to you.
One deadline that catches people out: SAM.gov registrations expire every 365 days. Let it lapse and you cannot receive contract awards or payments until it is current again, so put the renewal date on a calendar.
Step 2: Confirm You Meet the Ownership and Control Rules
The eligibility rules live in 13 CFR Part 128.5eCFR. Part 128 Veteran Small Business Certification Program To qualify as a VOSB, one or more veterans must unconditionally and directly own at least 51 percent of the business. For SDVOSB, that 51 percent must be held by one or more veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating. The VA issues those ratings in 10 percent increments from 0 to 100.6Veterans Affairs. About Disability Ratings
“Unconditional” has a precise meaning. The veteran’s stake cannot be limited by voting trusts, side agreements, or any arrangement that would let a non-veteran collect the benefits of ownership. Pledging stock as collateral is fine when the loan terms are commercially standard and the veteran keeps control. Watch out for stock options held by non-veterans, though: the SBA treats unexercised options as if they had already been exercised, so if exercising them would drop the veteran below 51 percent, the business does not qualify.7eCFR. 13 CFR 128.202 – Who Does SBA Consider to Own a VOSB or SDVOSB?
Ownership on paper is only half the test. The veteran owner must also control day-to-day operations and hold the highest officer position, actually making the strategic and operational calls rather than just carrying a title. Veteran status is proven with the DD Form 214, and the discharge cannot be dishonorable.8National Archives. DD Form 214 Discharge Papers and Separation Documents
A boundary worth knowing: a surviving spouse can maintain an SDVOSB certification for a period after the veteran’s death, but only if they inherit the ownership interest and do not remarry. The length depends on the veteran’s disability rating at death, and eligibility ends immediately on remarriage or transfer of the ownership stake.9eCFR. 13 CFR 128.202 – Who Does SBA Consider to Own a VOSB or SDVOSB?
Your business also has to qualify as “small” under the SBA’s size standards for at least one of your NAICS codes.10eCFR. Part 121 Small Business Size Regulations Those thresholds vary by industry and are measured either in average annual revenue or employee count. If you are anywhere near the ceiling for your code, check the current size standards table before you apply, because crossing the line disqualifies you regardless of ownership.
Step 3: Gather Your Documents
The VetCert application asks for a lot of paperwork, and it goes faster if you have it in hand before you start the online forms. Plan on uploading:
- Business formation documents — articles of incorporation, operating agreement, partnership agreement, or bylaws — showing your legal structure and ownership split.
- Federal tax returns for at least the previous three years.
- Your DD Form 214 or equivalent separation documents. If you do not have a copy, you can request one through the VA.11Veterans Affairs. Request Your Military Service Records (Including DD214)
- Your VA disability rating letter, if you are applying for SDVOSB.
- Payroll records and employee lists, which the SBA uses to confirm the management hierarchy.
Consistency matters more than speed. If your operating agreement shows one ownership percentage and you type another one into the online form, the SBA will flag the mismatch and your application stalls while it is sorted out.
Step 4: Submit Through the VetCert Portal
Applications are filed at veterans.certify.sba.gov. You will create an account, complete the required fields on business structure and ownership, upload your supporting documents, and finish with an electronic signature attesting that everything you submitted is true.
That attestation is not a formality. Submitting false information on a federal form violates 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which carries up to five years in prison,12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally with fines reaching up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for organizations.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3571 – Sentence of Fine The government can also debar you from all federal contracting.
Processing has improved sharply since the program moved to the SBA. Timelines had grown to an average of 81 days by late 2024, but the SBA cleared its backlog and reported an average of just 12 days as of late 2025.14U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA Clears VetCert Program Backlog to Put Veteran Entrepreneurs First An analyst may email you during review to clarify something in your file. Once a decision is made you will get notice by email, and approved firms are added to the SBA’s database of certified businesses.
Staying Certified After Approval
VetCert certification runs for three years. You can start the recertification process up to 90 calendar days before your eligibility period expires.15eCFR. Subpart C – Certification of VOSB or SDVOSB Status Miss the deadline and the SBA will decertify you, though a 30-day grace period lets you recertify and be reinstated. After that window, you would have to start a new application from scratch.
Between cycles, you have to notify the SBA within 30 calendar days of any material change that could affect eligibility: a change in ownership, business structure, or who controls daily operations.5eCFR. Part 128 Veteran Small Business Certification Program Bringing on a new investor, restructuring into an LLC, or promoting a non-veteran to a senior role can all trigger the reporting duty. Failing to report a material change can lead to decertification even if the business still qualifies on the substance.
And remember that SAM.gov runs on its own 365-day renewal cycle. A lapsed SAM registration will not automatically decertify you from VetCert, but it will stop you from receiving contract awards.
One post-award rule to keep on your radar: once you win a set-aside contract, federal acquisition rules limit how much of the work you can pass to subcontractors that are not themselves certified VOSBs or SDVOSBs. The caps vary by contract type and are designed to stop pass-through arrangements.16Acquisition.GOV. 52.219-14 Limitations on Subcontracting Violate them and you can lose the contract and trigger an eligibility review.
Appealing a Denial
If the SBA denies your application or decertifies your business, you can appeal to the SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals. You have 45 business days from the date you receive the denial or decertification notice to file.17eCFR. Rules of Practice for Appeals of Denials of Certification and Decertification in the SBA Veteran Small Business Certification Program There is no required format, but the filing must include:
- A copy of the denial or decertification notice and the date you received it.
- A written explanation of why the decision was wrong.
- Any additional information you want the judge to consider.
- Your name, address, phone, email, and signature (or your attorney’s).
You also have to serve copies of the entire appeal on the SBA’s Director of Government Contracting and SBA Counsel at OPLservice@sba.gov, and attach a signed certificate of service showing you did so. An appeal missing any of those pieces can be dismissed without a hearing. The 45-day clock is unforgiving, so start assembling the response the day the denial arrives.