Grow Your Business with a Woman-Owned Business Certification

Grow Your Woman-Owned Business by Getting Certified

Being the owner of a Certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) myself and having numerous clients who are as well, I get to see first-hand the benefits of leveraging this certification as a growth tool. So, what is this certification all about and how do you qualify?

In 2010 the US Small Business Administration (SBA) enacted a program to promote women-owned businesses by providing that at least 5 percent of all federal prime contracting dollars flow to women owned businesses. The women-owned small business program (WOSB) provides for special contracting preferences to businesses owned and controlled by women. It is similar to other small business programs, and also includes a special subprogram designed for economically disadvantaged women-owned businesses (EDWOSB).

The WOSB can provide a tremendous amount of benefits. The program authorizes contracts to be set aside for industries where women-owned businesses have been underrepresented. The program is designed to help level the playing field for women-owned businesses so that they may compete more effectively.

By becoming certified under the Women Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, a business can gain exclusive access to set-aside, non-competitive sole source, as well as, competitive federal contracts. This applies to contracts with a total value of up to $3.5 million for services and up to another $5.5 million for manufacturing. Getting government contracts can be acquired without the difficulties of the “regular” federal bid process.

Large companies will not have access to these federal contracts, substantially limiting your competition. Unfortunately, less than one percent of women-led businesses participate in the program in the entire country. This makes getting government contracts a much easier proposition for your business since competition in this marketplace is limited.

Additionally, women-owned businesses who are certified will become more attractive to larger government contractors to participate in joint ventures or team contracts.

To qualify for the WOSB program, your small business must:

Qualify as a small business under the NAICS code assigned to a particular procurement;
Be at least 51 percent unconditionally owned by one or more women who are U.S. citizens; and
Be unconditionally controlled by one or more women who are U.S. Citizens.

By Amy Reese|2021-11-19T12:55:46-04:00November 18th, 2021|Business Certifications, Federal Contracts, Small Business, Trending|Comments Off

About the Author: Amy Reese

Amy Reese is the Founder and Managing Partner of ARC Business Solutions, a consulting firm that helps small and mid-sized businesses gain access to Federal and Corporate contracting opportunities. After spending over 20 years as a Corporate Development Executive in which she collaborated with C-Suite and VP level leaders of Fortune 500 organizations and Government agencies, Amy now leverages her experience in relationship development, collaboration, negotiations and accountability strategies to benefit small and mid-sized businesses who are seeking opportunities to grow their bottom line. During her years in Corporate Development, Amy worked with clients to identify and implement customized solutions that supported her clients’ business needs by developing strategic plans. Amy’s unique accountability techniques have been instrumental in assessing client issues and gaps, allowing her to make recommendations of appropriate solutions. These special techniques have been instrumental in her success as demonstrated by the attainment of revenue growth for her clients in the millions.