SDVOSB certification in Tennessee

To get SDVOSB certified in Tennessee, 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. Tennessee APEX Accelerator (UT Center for Industrial Services) helps Tennessee 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 Tennessee

   Tennessee APEX Accelerator (UT Center for Industrial Services): free counseling on SAM.gov, certification and bidding.^[9]

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 Tennessee too

   SDVOSB covers federal contracts. To sell to Tennessee agencies, register on Edison supplier registration (No fee listed by the state).

6. 06

   Add the Tennessee certification

   GO-BID certification (formerly Go-DBE), through Department of General Services, Governor's Office of Business Initiatives and Development.^[10]

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

• Tennessee APEX Accelerator (UT Center for Industrial Services)

SBA district office

• SBA Tennessee District Office

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

• GO-BID certification (formerly Go-DBE), Department of General Services, Governor's Office of Business Initiatives and Development. Covers minority-, women-, service-disabled-veteran-owned and small businesses.^[10]

15 open bids in Tennessee 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/tennessee
9. apex.tennessee.edu/
10. tn.gov/generalservices/procurement/central-procurement-office--cpo-/go-bid.html