WOSB certification in Louisiana

To get WOSB certified in Louisiana, 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. Louisiana APEX Accelerator (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) helps Louisiana 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 Louisiana

   Louisiana APEX Accelerator (University of Louisiana at Lafayette): free counseling on SAM.gov, certification and bidding.^[9]

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 Louisiana too

   WOSB covers federal contracts. To sell to Louisiana agencies, register on LaGov Supplier Portal registration (No fee listed by the state).

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

• Louisiana APEX Accelerator (University of Louisiana at Lafayette)

SBA district office

• SBA Louisiana District Office

None of the Louisiana 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. Louisiana's other state programs are listed below.

• Hudson Initiative (small entrepreneurships), Louisiana Economic Development. Race- and gender-neutral; for firms with fewer than 50 full-time employees.^[10]
• Veteran Initiative (LaVetBiz), Louisiana Economic Development.^[11]

145 open bids in Louisiana 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/louisiana
9. apex.louisiana.edu/
10. opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/hudson-initiative
11. opportunitylouisiana.gov/program/veteran-initiative