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Federal Set-Aside Program

Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB)

A small business owned and controlled by veterans — recognized primarily through the VA’s "Vets First" contracting preference.

Who qualifies

  • At least 51% owned and controlled by one or more veterans
  • The veteran controls day-to-day management and long-term decisions
  • Small under the solicitation’s NAICS size standard

How to get certified

Certify through the SBA VetCert program. VOSB status is used mainly at the VA, where verified veteran-owned firms receive priority under the Vets First Contracting Program.

Key benefits

  • Priority at the VA under Vets First (after SDVOSBs)
  • Eligibility for VA VOSB set-aside and sole-source opportunities

Sole-source authority

At the VA, VOSB sole-source is available within the Vets First priority framework, generally up to the same $4.5M/$7M thresholds.

Common questions

Is VOSB useful outside the VA?

The formal VOSB set-aside is a VA preference. Government-wide, the veteran preference that carries weight is SDVOSB (service-disabled).

Related programs

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See all federal set-aside programs, the NAICS code guides, or the contracting glossary.