SDVOSB certification in California

To get SDVOSB certified in California, register in SAM.gov, confirm you meet SBA's rules for small businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans with a service-connected disability, and apply free on MySBA Certifications. Norcal APEX Accelerator (Cal Poly Humboldt) helps California businesses apply at no cost.

1. 01

   Register in SAM.gov

   Every certification and federal award needs an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID. Registration is free and must be renewed every 365 days.^[1]

2. 02

   Check SDVOSB eligibility

   The business must be small and at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans; for SDVOSB, by veterans the VA has rated as having a service-connected disability.^[3]

3. 03

   Get free help in California

   Norcal APEX Accelerator (Cal Poly Humboldt) or San Diego, Orange, Imperial APEX Accelerator: free counseling on SAM.gov, certification and bidding.^[14][15]

4. 04

   Apply on MySBA Certifications (VetCert)

   Apply at certifications.sba.gov with proof of the owners' VA service-connected disability rating and the firm's ownership documents.^[2]

5. 05

   Register with California too

   SDVOSB covers federal contracts. To sell to California agencies, register on Cal eProcure bidder registration (free).

6. 06

   Add the California certification

   Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), through DGS Office of Small Business & DVBE Services.^[16]

APEX Accelerators, funded by the Department of Defense, help with registration, certification and bids. SBA district offices run certification outreach and answer program questions.

APEX Accelerators

• Norcal APEX Accelerator (Cal Poly Humboldt)
• San Diego, Orange, Imperial APEX Accelerator

SBA district offices

• SBA Fresno District Office
• SBA Los Angeles District Office
• SBA Orange County / Inland Empire District Office
• SBA Sacramento District Office
• SBA San Diego District Office
• SBA San Francisco District Office

California certifies its own programs separately from SBA, for California state contracts. SDVOSB does not carry over automatically; apply to this one on its own terms:

• Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), DGS Office of Small Business & DVBE Services. A separate state certification from SDVOSB; the state's goal is 3% of contract dollars to DVBEs.^[16]

918 open bids in California right now; 0 name SDVOSB in the title.

No open bids right now. Browse all open bids

• Certified SDVOSBs can receive set-asides and sole-source awards at any federal agency; veteran-owned (VOSB) certification alone helps only at the VA.^[3]
• The government-wide SDVOSB goal is 5% of prime contract dollars, raised from 3% by the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act.^[5]
• Certification lasts three years.^[4]

1. sam.gov/entity-registration
2. certifications.sba.gov/
3. sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/veteran-contracting-assistance-programs
4. sba.gov/article/2024/01/09/sba-marks-one-year-anniversary-veteran-small-business-certification-program
5. congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2670
6. acquisition.gov/far/2.101
7. uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title15-section644&num=0&edition=prelim
8. sba.gov/district/fresno
9. sba.gov/district/los-angeles
10. sba.gov/district/orange-county-inland-empire
11. sba.gov/district/sacramento
12. sba.gov/district/san-diego
13. sba.gov/district/san-francisco
14. apexnorcal.org/
15. apexsocal.org/
16. dgs.ca.gov/PD/Services/Page-Content/Procurement-Division-Services-List-Folder/Apply-for-or-Re-apply-as-Small-Business-Disabled-Veteran-Business-Enterprise