DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED 

DLA Office of Small Business Programs, 8725 John J. Kingman Road, Suite 1127, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 

(571) 767-0192 DLAHQSmallBusiness@dla.mil Version 3/13/2024 

SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

WHAT IS THE SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM? 

Under the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Program, DLA and other federal agencies 

reserve certain contracts exclusively for SDVOSBs. The federal government's goal is to award at least three percent 

of all federal contracting dollars to SDVOSBs. DoD prime contractors with small business subcontracting plans also 

have goals for subcontracts with SDVOSBs. 

WHAT IS A SDVOSB and CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the SDVOSB Program, your business must:

• Be a small business; 

• Be at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more service-disabled veterans (i.e., eligible veterans must 

have a service-connected disability); and

• Have one or more service-disabled veterans manage day-to-day operations and make long-term decisions. 

• For those veterans who are permanently and totally disabled and unable to manage the daily business 

operations of their business, their business may still qualify if their spouse or appointed, permanent caregiver 

is assisting in that management.

OTHER DEFINITIONS

Service-connected disability means a disability that was incurred or aggravated in line of duty in the active 

military, naval, or air service (38 U.S.C. 101(16)).

Service-disabled veteran is a veteran that possesses either a valid disability rating letter issued by the Department 

of Veterans Affairs, establishing a service-connected rating between 0 and 100 percent, or a valid disability 

determination from the Department of Defense or is registered in the Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator 

Subsystem maintained by Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Benefits Administration as a service-disabled 

veteran. Reservists or members of the National Guard disabled from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in 

line of duty or while in training status also qualify (13 CFR §125.11).

CERTIFICATION FOR THE SDVOSB PROGRAM

Previously, SDVOSBs self-certified their status through 2023 to compete for set-aside contracts at most federal 

agencies. As of January 1, 2024, self-certified SDVOSBs must apply for SBA certification by January 1, 2024 to be 

able to compete for set-aside contracts with the federal government. 

WHERE TO FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES

Read more on SBA’s website -- www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs 

You may also obtain free assistance from your local APEX Accelerators which can help you understand 

the rules and opportunities for the SDVOSB Program -- www.apexaccelerators.us/#

SBA’s Veteran Small Business Certification 

(VetCert) program implements changes from the 

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 

(NDAA 2021) which transferred the certification function 

from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to SBA as 

of January 1, 2023. The transfer provides veterans with 

a central support point for their small business 

certification needs.

To establish an SBA account and apply for certification, 

visit the Veteran Small Business Certification portal.