WOSB certification in California

To get WOSB certified in California, register in SAM.gov, confirm you meet SBA's rules for small businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens, 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 WOSB eligibility

   The business must be small and at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens; women must manage day-to-day operations and make long-term decisions.^[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

   SBA's application at certifications.sba.gov is free; approved third-party certifiers charge a fee.^[2]

5. 05

   Register with California too

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

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

None of the California programs we verified is specific to small businesses at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens, so WOSB is the main certification to pursue. California's other state programs are listed below.

• Small Business (SB) and Micro Business certification, DGS Office of Small Business & DVBE Services. Free. Agencies can buy from certified small businesses through the SB/DVBE Option instead of a formal bid.^[16]
• 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]

Highway, transit and airport contracts paid with U.S. DOT funds use Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification, issued in California by the California Unified Certification Program (CUCP) (Caltrans and partner transit and airport agencies). It is separate from WOSB. Since October 3, 2025, DBE applicants no longer qualify by race or sex presumption: each owner submits a personal narrative of disadvantage and a personal net worth statement, under a $2,047,000 cap, and existing DBEs are being reevaluated.^[17][18][19]

948 open bids in California right now; 0 name WOSB in the title.

No open bids right now. Browse all open bids

• WOSB and EDWOSB set-asides are allowed only in NAICS codes SBA lists as underrepresented for women-owned firms.^[3]
• Sole-source awards are allowed up to $8.5 million for manufacturing and $5.5 million for other work when two or more offers are not expected.^[5]
• The government-wide goal is 5% of prime contract dollars to women-owned small businesses.^[3]

1. sam.gov/entity-registration
2. certifications.sba.gov/
3. sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/women-owned-small-business-federal-contract-program
4. federalregister.gov/documents/2020/05/11/2020-09022/
5. acquisition.gov/far/19.1506
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
17. ucp.dot.ca.gov/
18. federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/03/2025-19460/
19. transportation.gov/mission/civil-rights/disadvantaged-business-enterprise/september-2026-final-rule