What is WOSB certification?
WOSB certification is SBA's program status for eligible woman-owned small businesses seeking federal set-aside contracts. A firm generally must be a small business at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens, then apply through MySBA Certifications before competing for WOSB or EDWOSB set-asides.
Full name: Woman-Owned Small Business Certification
Short explanation
The Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract program limits competition for certain federal contracts to participating woman-owned small businesses, and in some industries to economically disadvantaged woman-owned small businesses. SBA rules focus on ownership, control, citizenship, size status, and industry eligibility. The certification is a procurement eligibility status, not a general quality label for a company or its services.
Related use case: Federal set-aside certification directory
How it’s used
- SBA set-asides: WOSB status lets eligible firms compete for contracts reserved for women-owned small businesses in industries where WOSBs are underrepresented.
- SAM.gov and entity screening: contracting teams read WOSB status alongside UEI, CAGE code, exclusion status, and award history before a set-aside award.
- Fonteum treats WOSB as a program-specific eligibility fact and links it to the same resolved entity record used for procurement, exclusion, and integrity data.
Frequently asked questions
- Who qualifies for WOSB certification?
- A firm generally must be a small business that is at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens, with women managing day-to-day operations and long-term decisions.
- Where do firms apply for WOSB certification?
- Firms apply through MySBA Certifications. SBA also allows certain SBA-approved third-party certifier documentation to be submitted through that process.
- Is WOSB certification the same as EDWOSB?
- No. EDWOSB is the economically disadvantaged subset of the WOSB program and has additional personal net worth, income, and asset tests.
Explore in Fonteum
How Fonteum sources, resolves, and publishes data tied to this term.