5 Questions You Might Be Asking About Qualifying For The SDVOSB Program

Government & Politics Blog

Serving in the military, while a noble act, is hard on those who serve. Even after that service is over, veterans struggle to adjust to common society again, and many also deal with PTSD, addiction, or disabilities. The government has many programs that are designed to help veterans thrive in society, including the SDVOSB (service-disabled veteran–owned small business) program. 

In the SDVOSB program, the federal government sets aside a certain percentage of its contracts that can only be bid on by small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. A service-disabled veteran is someone who served in the military and was disabled or had a medical condition aggravated directly by the military service. If you aren't sure if you qualify for this program, read on to find answers to some of the common questions below.

1. Do you need a certain disability rating to qualify?

There is no minimum disability rating to qualify for the SDVOSB program. Any rating from 0-100% is accepted. As long as you can show proof that you indeed are a service-disabled veteran (usually by a letter of adjudication from your VA office or a certificate of your discharge from active duty), you are eligible. 

2. Is your business too large?

The size the business needs to be to qualify as "small" will vary depending on the specific contract. The Contracting Officer will designate a code from the North American Industrial Classification System for each job that will determine how big the business can be while still qualifying as a small business. So, if you are afraid your business is too large to participate in this program, you'll have to check the specifics of each contract. 

3. Do you have enough service-disabled veterans as owners?

In order to qualify for the SDVOSB government contracts, service-disabled veterans need to own and control no less than 51% of the company. Besides just owning the company, you need to have at least one service-disabled veteran involved in the daily company work and make long-lasting decisions for the company. So, if you own the company with two other partners but you're the only eligible veteran, you likely won't qualify. 

4. Is your company still eligible if one of the service-disabled veteran owners has died?

You met the 51% rule, everything was going fine, and then one of your service-disabled veteran partners passed away, putting you back below the 51% again. You can still qualify for SDVOSB contracts if you meet certain conditions. For example, if the deceased veteran has a surviving spouse that takes up the veteran's ownership in the company, you can still qualify. If the deceased veteran's disability was rated 100% or if he or she died directly from that service-connected disability, you can also still qualify. 

5. Can you qualify if your business is publicly owned?

If your business is a corporation that has stocks available to the public, the 51% rule still applies. In order to be eligible for the government contracts under the program, at least 51% of the stocks have to be owned by service-disabled veterans, with no exceptions. 

If you served your country faithfully as a military member and have sustained a disability because of it, now, it's time to claim the benefits you rightfully earned. Contact your VA office or a company that can help you get more information about the SDVOSB program. 

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18 February 2021

Getting More Involved

Everyone is different, which is why I didn't care much for politics until a few years ago. However, after I purchased my house, I realized that the property taxes were going to kill me if I didn't work hard to fix things. I started paying more attention to how our local government ran, and I decided that it might be smart to start spending a little more time in the political arena. I ran for city council, and to my surprise, I made it. This blog is all about the importance of getting more involved and what you can do to change your community for the better.