WOSB certification in Tennessee

To get WOSB certified in Tennessee, 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. 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 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 Tennessee

   Tennessee APEX Accelerator (UT Center for Industrial Services): 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 Tennessee too

   WOSB 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. WOSB 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]

Highway, transit and airport contracts paid with U.S. DOT funds use Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) certification, issued in Tennessee by the Tennessee Uniform Certification Program (TNUCP) (TDOT Civil Rights Office). 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]

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• 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/tennessee
9. apex.tennessee.edu/
10. tn.gov/generalservices/procurement/central-procurement-office--cpo-/go-bid.html
11. tn.gov/tdot/civil-rights/small-business-development-program.html
12. federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/03/2025-19460/
13. transportation.gov/mission/civil-rights/disadvantaged-business-enterprise/september-2026-final-rule