Many veterans start their own businesses after their service in the armed forces. On top of that, many veterans sell to the government or to companies that do business with the government.
In fact, the Federal government is required to set aside a percentage of their buying for purchases from veteran-owned businesses.
To take advantage of this percentage, veteran-owned small businesses can apply for one of two certifications:
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business – The SDVOSB certification allows a small business to pursue opportunities with procuring agencies who have the authority to set acquisitions exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
- Veteran-Owned Small Business – The VOSB certification is similar to the SDVOSB certification except that has a broader audience that includes all veteran-owned small businesses.
Just like HubZone and Woman-Owned Small Business, there are requirements that a veteran-owned business must meet to qualify for certification.
- The veteran or veterans must own at least 51 percent of the business.
- The veteran or veterans owning the business must oversee the day-to-day operations.
- The veteran or veterans must be the highest-ranking officer of the business.
- If a veteran is applying for the SDVOSB certification, the vet’s disability must be a service-related disability. The disability must be shown on the DD214 document issued at the time of discharge.
How Can BC2Match Help Veteran-Owned Small Businesses?
Although the percentage of set-asides is small, this does not mean the opportunities are few. In fact, there is an abundance of opportunities. The challenge is sifting through ALL opportunities to find opportunities that are right for your business.
BC2Match uses “Intelligent Matching” algorithms to help certified VOSB and SDVOSB companies find opportunities. When results are displayed, the best matches show up first based on your profile criteria.
BC2Match also gives you the tools to build a team around a VOSB or SDVOSB opportunity. If you are a veteran-owned business looking for teaming partners or you are looking for a veteran-owned business so you can go after an opportunity, BC2Match identifies other businesses that you can contact.
You can start unlocking opportunities as a VOSB or SDVOSB certified business when you sign up for our free trial.