WOSB Certification Requirements

The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program lets the federal government set aside contracts for businesses owned and controlled by women. It is governed by 13 CFR Part 127 and supports a government-wide goal of awarding at least 5% of federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses each year. Here is exactly what you need to qualify, what changed in 2020, and how the application works.

What do I need to qualify for WOSB certification?

Under 13 CFR 127.200, a WOSB must be a small business (per SBA size standards for its NAICS codes) that is at least 51% unconditionally and directly owned and controlled by one or more women who are U.S. citizens. The core tests:

• 51% ownership — owned and controlled by one or more women who are U.S. citizens.
• Unconditional and direct ownership — the 51% interest must be held by the women themselves, not through another company or trust, and cannot be subject to conditions or agreements that shift the benefits of ownership (13 CFR 127.201).
• Control of operations — a qualifying woman must manage day-to-day operations and make the long-term decisions (13 CFR 127.202).
• Small business size — the firm must qualify as small under the size standard for its contract's NAICS code.
• Active SAM.gov registration — required, with UEI, EIN, and MPIN matching the registration.

How is EDWOSB different from a regular WOSB?

An Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) meets every WOSB requirement and adds an economic-disadvantage test on the owning woman or women under 13 CFR 127.203. Every EDWOSB is by definition also a WOSB. The current thresholds (raised by SBA's inflation adjustment effective December 19, 2022) are:

• Personal net worth must be less than $850,000, excluding her ownership interest in the business and her equity in her primary residence (funds in an IRA or other qualified retirement account are also excluded).
• Adjusted gross income averaged over the prior three years that exceeds $400,000 creates a rebuttable presumption that she is not economically disadvantaged.
• Total assets — she generally will not be considered economically disadvantaged if the fair market value of all her assets (including her primary residence and the value of the business) exceeds $6.5 million.

How do I apply for WOSB certification, and does it cost anything?

There is no cost to certify with the SBA. Per 13 CFR 127.300, a firm can apply directly to SBA through MySBA Certifications (the free online portal at certifications.sba.gov), or submit evidence that it has been certified by an SBA-approved third-party certifier. Either way, the certification itself for the federal WOSB/EDWOSB program is free.

What documents will I need?

• Proof of U.S. citizenship for the qualifying women — a state birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, or unexpired U.S. passport (plus name-change proof if applicable).
• Business formation and governance records — operating agreements, bylaws, shareholder agreements, DBA/trade-name certificates, and signed recent meeting minutes electing officers or directors.
• Business tax returns — up to three years, depending on how long you have been in business.
• For EDWOSB only — three years of personal tax returns (both spouses if married filing separately) plus personal financial information supporting the economic-disadvantage thresholds.

Who are the SBA-approved third-party certifiers?

Instead of applying directly to SBA, you can certify through one of four SBA-approved third-party certifiers (TPCs): the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC), the U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce, and the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. After a TPC certifies you, you must still upload your certificate and proof of citizenship to MySBA Certifications before bidding on WOSB set-asides.

Is WBENC the same as WOSB certification?

No. They are different credentials for different markets, though WBENC issues both. WBENC's WBE (Women's Business Enterprise) credential is aimed at corporate and private-sector supplier-diversity programs; the SBA WOSB is for federal contracting set-asides. WBENC lets applicants pursue the federal WOSB certification at no cost alongside a WBE application. One difference to note on renewals: the SBA WOSB term is three years, while WBENC's own WBE credential is recertified annually.

How long does WOSB certification last?

Certification runs on a three-year cycle. Under 13 CFR 127.400, a certified firm undergoes a program examination every three years and must recertify with SBA within 90 days of the end of its eligibility period or face decertification. A temporary SBA program update (issued January 21, 2025) granted a one-year recertification extension to firms whose three-year renewal date falls between June 2024 and May 2026 — confirm whether that extension still applies to your renewal date before relying on it.

Why certification matters for buyers

For procurement teams, the certification is the difference between a self-described and a verifiable women-owned vendor. Federal contracting officers confirm WOSB/EDWOSB status through SBA's Small Business Search before award — never a vendor's word. Womyn Owned indexes 5,581 SBA-certified WOSB/EDWOSB B2B vendors (1,831 of which hold EDWOSB) across all 50 states plus DC and Puerto Rico, sourced from the U.S. SBA Small Business Search and USAspending.gov, so buyers can find genuinely certified suppliers by state and industry.