The Small Business Administration (SBA) is proposing to take-over the certification process for Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and VOSBs. Currently the Veterans Administration (VA) Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) has the responsibility. The SBA proposes to, "amend its regulations to implement a statutory requirement to certify Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns participating in the Veterans Certification Program." So, what could this mean for the contractor community? Here are some of the more salient points to consider and/or comment on while the SBA is taking industry input:
- No more self-certifying as a VOSB or SDVOSB.
- Companies certified under the VA CVE program don't have to recertify for 3 years after SBA's program starts.
- Woman Owned Small Business (WOSBs) and 8(a) companies that are also owned by a veteran or service-disabled veteran will be granted their SDVOSB and VOSB automatically by SBA, if requested.
- Application process will incorporate the established VA CVE steps.
- The certification process will no longer consider whether the veteran owner/principal is currently incarcerated, or on parole or probation as being a responsibility issue. The "good character" review will be limited to whether a company (not the individual) is/has been debarred or suspended from working with the government.
- SBA will change what qualifies as a small business when granting SDVOSB certification. Instead of using only the primary NAICS, SBA proposes to use any NAICS under which a company is considered small AND for which they are doing actual contract work.
Bottom Line: If you are a veteran-owned company, its important to read through the proposed changes. Many of these amendments will change the competitive landscape for SDVOSBs and VOSBs.
Here is the link to the Federal Register with the proposed changes: