Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)

About the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)

The WOSB program reserves federal contracting opportunities for small businesses owned and controlled by women, with the goal of opening meaningful federal work to women entrepreneurs in industries where they have been underrepresented. Federal agencies must set aside any contract award over the micro-purchase threshold for WOSB participation when Rule of Two analysis supports it, and the program covers both the unrestricted WOSB set-aside and the stricter EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business) set-aside where participation thresholds are tighter. WOSB RFPs cover everything from IT services, marketing, and professional services to facilities support, logistics, and construction across the Department of Defense, GSA, federal civilian agencies, and large federal procurement offices. EDWOSB set-aside contracts are reserved for women-owned firms whose owners meet SBA’s economic-disadvantage thresholds (personal net worth, income, and assets). BidAuthority helps WOSB and EDWOSB firms generate compliant proposal drafts that address ownership verification, women-ownership rule-of-two substantiation, and standard technical evaluation factors.

Who Qualifies for Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)

A WOSB must be a small business under its primary NAICS size standard and at least 51% unconditionally owned and controlled by one or more women U.S. citizens — both the ownership share and the day-to-day operational control must rest with the women owner(s). EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged WOSB) requires the majority women-owner(s) to also meet SBA’s economic-disadvantage thresholds, defined by personal net worth, total assets, and three-year average adjusted gross income. The women owner(s) must hold the highest officer position, manage the long-term strategic operations of the firm, and devote full-time attention to its operations. Participation as a WOSB requires SBA certification (or, for non-EDWOSB set-asides, self-certification via SAM) and is verified annually through SBA’s Certify system.

How to Get Certified

Apply through SBA’s Certify portal at certify.sba.gov, providing business structure articles, identification of the controlling women owner(s), financials that confirm NAICS size-standard compliance, and — for EDWOSB set-asides — personal financial statements proving economic disadvantage. For non-EDWOSB set-asides, firms alternatively self-certify their WOSB status in SAM.gov as part of their SAM registration, attesting 51% unconditional ownership and control by women. SBA processes most certification applications within 60–90 days. Self-certification in SAM.gov is immediate but subject to an SBA status protest process — budget for audit-ready ownership records from day one.

There are currently 0 active WOSB set-aside federal opportunities on SAM.gov. Use the list below to find a fit for your firm, then generate a fully compliant proposal draft in under 10 minutes with BidAuthority.