Why SDVOSB Certification Exists
The federal government sets aside a percentage of contract dollars specifically for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. The goal is straightforward: direct spending toward businesses owned and operated by veterans who were injured in service. For eligible companies, this creates access to a contracting lane that most competitors can't enter.
Operon E2I went through the SBA's SDVOSB certification process and received approval in April 2026. Here's what we learned.
What the Certification Gets You
Sole-source contracts up to $5M (up to $10M for manufacturing). A contracting officer can award you a contract directly without competitive bidding if your price is fair and reasonable. This is the biggest advantage — no competing against 40 other vendors.
Set-aside contract eligibility. Any procurement designated as an SDVOSB set-aside is only open to certified firms. This removes most of your competition by rule.
VA Veterans First contracting priority. The VA is required to prioritize SDVOSBs above all other small business categories. If you're targeting VA work, this certification is essentially mandatory.
The Actual Timeline and Paperwork
The SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) program moved online in 2023. The process involves:
- Creating a SAM.gov registration (allow 7-10 business days for activation)
- Gathering ownership documentation — operating agreement, stock ledger, or membership certificates showing 51%+ veteran ownership
- Service-connected disability documentation — your VA disability rating letter (any percentage qualifies)
- Three years of tax returns or a CPA letter if the business is under three years old
- Submitting via the SBA VetCert portal and waiting for a reviewer to be assigned
From submission to approval, expect 30-90 days depending on reviewer load. Our process took about 6 weeks.
The Honest Caveats
Certification is necessary but not sufficient. You still need to find opportunities, build past performance, and often partner with a prime contractor before you can win work as a sub. The SAM.gov contract search and beta.sam.gov are your starting points, but building relationships with contracting officers and prime contractors is what actually generates pipeline.
The certification is worth pursuing if federal or state government contracts are part of your growth plan. If you're purely commercial, the overhead isn't justified.
California DVBE
California has its own parallel program — the Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) certification — for state-funded contracts. We hold both. The California application goes through the Department of General Services and has its own documentation requirements, but the underlying eligibility criteria are similar.
Questions about the govcon path for a tech or consulting firm? Get in touch at /contact — we're happy to share what worked and what didn't.