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How to qualify for a WOSB Certification?

To know if you qualify as a Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), follow these steps below:

  • Navigate to www.usbri.us
  • Under “Small Business Certifications” select “Woman-Owned Small Business Certification (WOSB/EDWOSB) Eligibility”
  • Scroll through the page and read about the eligibility requirements
  • Under there, you will find an eligibility form you can fill out
  • Answer all the questions and submit
  • After the page refreshes, it will tell you if you qualify as a Woman-Owned Small Business

An easy way to access the eligibly form is by clicking below

What are the requirements to qualify for WOSB certification?

According to SBA, the requirements to qualify for a Woman Owned Small Business certification are:

  • Be a small business according to SBA size standards
  • Be at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens
  • Have managed day-to-day operations who also make long-term decisions

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What are the requirements to qualify for an EDWOSB certification?

According to SBA, the requirements to qualify for for an Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business are:

  • Meet all requirements of the WOSB Federal Contract program
  • Be owned and controlled by one ore more women, each with a personal net worth of less than $850k
  • Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with $450k or less in adjusted gross income averaged over the previous three years
  • Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each $6.5M or less in personal assets

You can check your EDWOSB eligibility by clicking below!

 

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How long does a EDWOSB Certification last?

According to SBA, an Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business certification will last three years.

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How long does a WOSB Certification last?

According to SBA, a Woman Owned Small Business Certification will last three years.

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What are the benefits of having a WOSB Certification?

According to SBA, Having your WOSB Certification allows you to have access to a network of support, education programs, and increased visibility in corporate and government supply chains!

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What is the difference between WBE and WOSB?

WOSB and EDWOSB certifications provide access to national and federal-level contracts. A WBE certification is limited to local, regional, or state-level opportunities.

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Need to Register or Renew in SAM ?

A primary requirement for any small business certification is to have an ACTIVE and compliant registration in SAM. If you are unsure of the status of your SAM, use  the SAM Status Lookup Tool. Once you have determined the expiration date, if it’s within 60 days, being the process now. Validation times are taking longer due to new procedures so you do not want to miss out on any federal contracting opportunities due to a lapsed or missed registration. Get started with a professional today by clicking the button below

 

WOSB Eligibility

To qualify for WOSB certification, the applicant company must meet specific criteria. Firstly, the company must be considered “small” according to SBA’s size standards for its primary industry, as outlined in 13 CFR 127. It is recommended to refer to the NAICS listing and its corresponding size standards for verification. Additionally, the applicant company must have at least 51% unconditional and direct ownership and control by one or more U.S. citizen women. Management and daily operation must be under the control of one or more women owners who make long-term decisions for the business.

For corporations, specific criteria apply: Women must either constitute a majority of the Board of Directors or hold a majority of the Board votes through weighted voting. Alternatively, women must represent 51% of the voting power, serve on the Board, and possess enough voting power to overcome any supermajority requirement.

The WBENC certification process ensures compliance with WOSB standards through a comprehensive two-part approach involving thorough documentation review and a site visit interview with the female owner/s. It is recommended to review the WOSB Ready site for additional program requirements. A comprehensive listing of the WOSB Program NAICS Codes is available as well.

Note that if the applicant company is currently debarred or suspended from Federal Government Contracting, it is not eligible for WOSB certification.

In addition to meeting the above criteria, applicants must be registered in the SAM (System for Award Management) and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) issued by www.sam.gov. It’s important to note that there is no fee for SAM registration, and applicants should ensure they access the correct site: www.sam.gov. If experiencing difficulties with SAM registration, supplemental instructions are provided.

Regarding WOSB Federal Contracting eligibility, the federal government restricts competition under the WOSB Program only in specific industries as specified in 13 C.F.R. 127.500. SBA has identified these industries based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. If any NAICS code listed on the WOSB certificate corresponds to a WOSB code on the NAICS listing for the Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program set-asides, the applicant is considered eligible.

 

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What does WOSB mean in business?

In order to promote a fair business environment for women, the government has established the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract program, which restricts competition for certain contracts to participating businesses.

These contracts are specifically for goods and services in industries where women-owned small businesses are underrepresented, as identified by NAICS codes. Some contracts within the program are further limited to economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs). The SBA maintains a list of eligible industries and their corresponding NAICS codes.

By joining the WOSB Federal Contract program, a business becomes eligible to compete for federal contracts that are reserved exclusively for certified participants of the program. These contracts, known as “set-asides,” offer opportunities specifically designated for WOSB-certified firms. Additionally, WOSB-certified businesses remain eligible to compete for contract awards through other socio-economic programs such as 8(a) and HUBZone, provided they meet the respective criteria.

It is important to note that the benefits of WOSB certification are applicable solely to federal contracting opportunities and do not extend to the private sector.

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What is an economically disadvantaged woman?

To qualify as an Eligible EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business), the company must meet the following criteria:

  1. It must be a WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business) with at least 51% ownership by one or more women who are considered “economically disadvantaged.”
  2. An economically disadvantaged woman must be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations, making long-term decisions for the business, holding the highest officer position, and working full-time during normal working hours.
  3. A woman is presumed to be economically disadvantaged if she has a personal net worth below $750,000 (with certain exclusions), an average adjusted gross yearly income of less than $350,000 over the preceding three years, and a fair market value of all her assets that is less than $6 million.

It’s important to note that both WOSB and EDWOSB require unconditional and direct 51% ownership by women.

 

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