WOSB certification in South Carolina

To get WOSB certified in South Carolina, 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. South Carolina APEX Accelerator helps South Carolina 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 South Carolina

   South Carolina APEX Accelerator: 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 South Carolina too

   WOSB covers federal contracts. To sell to South Carolina agencies, register on State vendor registration (SCEIS, moving to SCPro) (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

• South Carolina APEX Accelerator

SBA district office

• SBA South Carolina District Office

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

• Minority Business Enterprise certification, South Carolina Commission for Community Advancement and Engagement. Moved from the former Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification office.^[10]

Highway, transit and airport contracts paid with U.S. DOT funds use Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification, issued in South Carolina by the South Carolina Unified Certification Program (SCUCP) (SCDOT Division of Minority & Small Business Affairs). 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.^[11][12][13]

212 open bids in South Carolina 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/south-carolina
9. scaccelerator.org/
10. advance.sc.gov/small-businesses
11. scdot.org/business/bus-development-dbe-certification.html
12. federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/03/2025-19460/
13. transportation.gov/mission/civil-rights/disadvantaged-business-enterprise/september-2026-final-rule