Government Contracting Blog: Women-Owned Small Businesses

As one of the (if not the) largest consumers of goods and services in the world, the United States Government represents a very lucrative target market for businesses of all sizes and in all industries.  Bidding for and winning government contracts, however, can often be a daunting task for small or new businesses or those that simply do not have government contracting experience.

The process of obtaining federal government contracts is governed by a complex set of laws, regulations, and procedures that often causes otherwise successful businesses to shy away from this extremely profitable but also very competitive market.   There are, however, some special programs built into the system that can provide some businesses with a significant advantage over others in obtaining certain Government work.  One of the most powerful of these programs is the Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program that was created by Congress and the President in 2000 by amendment to the Small Business Act.

The purpose of the program, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA) is “to help provide a level playing field for women business owners in the competition for government contracts for goods and services where WOSBs are underrepresented.”  There are even additional contract advantages for some companies that qualify as Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Businesses (EDWOSBs).

The program works by encouraging WOSBs to obtain certification as such from the SBA; and once certified, allowing compete for many contracts where the competition is set-aside and limited only to those companies that are certified WOSBs.  The SBA provides a list of the industries in which such contracts are typically let.

In order to qualify, businesses must be at least 51% owned by one or more women and must be primarily managed by women.  Obtaining the certification as a WOSB is accomplished online at the SBA website and is relatively simple.  The SBA provides numerous guides and other information on their WOSB homepage.

The Women Owned Small Business Program is just one of many federal programs that provide significant advantages in obtaining US Government contracts to businesses that meet certain qualifications.  Learn about other such programs available to all small businesses, businesses owned by service-disabled veterans, and other unique programs in future blogs from Widerman Malek.

As always, you can contact Attorney David Charitat at Widerman Malek with any legal, regulatory, procedural, or practical questions you have regarding US Government Contracting.  David brings over 25 years of experience as an Air Force Judge Advocate and Senior Civilian Attorney with legal oversight of billions of dollars in USAF contracts under his belt.