How to Get WOSB Certified: Women-Owned Small Business Certification Guide

What Is WOSB Certification?

WOSB certification is a federal designation from the Small Business Administration (SBA) that identifies your business as a Women-Owned Small Business. The certification makes you eligible for WOSB set-aside contracts — solicitations where only certified WOSBs can compete.

The federal government has a statutory goal of awarding at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses. In fiscal year 2023, that translated to roughly $30 billion in contract obligations. The WOSB program was established by the SBA to help the government meet that goal by creating a dedicated contracting lane for qualified women-owned firms.

There are two levels of certification under this program:

• WOSB — Women-Owned Small Business. Eligible for WOSB set-aside contracts in designated NAICS codes where women are underrepresented.
• EDWOSB — Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business. Meets additional economic thresholds and is eligible for both WOSB and EDWOSB set-aside contracts, giving access to a larger pool of designated NAICS codes.

Who Qualifies for WOSB Certification?

To qualify as a WOSB, your business must meet all four of these requirements:

1. At least 51% unconditionally owned by one or more women. Ownership must be direct — not through another entity, trust, or arrangement that gives someone else control. Stock, membership interests, or partnership shares must be held unconditionally and without restriction.
2. Women control the management and daily business operations. This means women hold the highest officer position (CEO, President, or Managing Member), make long-term strategic decisions, and manage day-to-day operations. Having a woman listed as owner while someone else runs the business does not qualify.
3. The women owners are U.S. citizens. Permanent residents and visa holders do not qualify for the ownership requirement. At least 51% of ownership must be held by women who are U.S. citizens.
4. The business qualifies as small under its primary NAICS code. Your firm must meet the SBA size standard for the NAICS code under which you're seeking certification. Size standards vary by industry — some are based on average annual revenue, others on employee count.

WOSB vs. EDWOSB: What's the Difference?

EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business) is a subset of WOSB. An EDWOSB must meet all the same requirements as a WOSB, plus two additional economic thresholds:

• Personal net worth under $850,000 — excluding the value of the woman's ownership interest in the business and her primary residence.
• Adjusted gross income averaging under $400,000 — calculated as a 3-year average of the woman owner's personal adjusted gross income.

The practical difference: EDWOSB certification gives you access to more set-aside NAICS codes. The SBA designates certain NAICS codes as eligible for WOSB set-asides and a larger set of codes as eligible for EDWOSB set-asides. If you qualify as economically disadvantaged, the EDWOSB designation opens a significantly wider pool of opportunities.

If you're unsure which to pursue, apply for EDWOSB if you meet the economic thresholds. EDWOSB-certified firms are automatically eligible for all WOSB set-asides as well — you get both lanes.

How to Get WOSB Certified: Step by Step

The SBA is the sole certifying authority for the WOSB program. Here is the process:

Step 1: Register on SAM.gov

Before applying for WOSB certification, your business must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov). This is a prerequisite for all federal contracting — not just the WOSB program. SAM.gov registration is free and takes 7-10 business days to process. You'll need your UEI (Unique Entity Identifier), which you can obtain through SAM.gov as part of the registration process.

Step 2: Apply Through certify.sba.gov

The SBA's certification portal at certify.sba.gov is where you submit your WOSB or EDWOSB application. Create an account, link it to your SAM.gov entity, and complete the application forms. The application asks for details about your ownership structure, management control, and business operations.

Step 3: Upload Required Documents

You'll need to provide supporting documentation. Have these ready before you start:

• Articles of incorporation or operating agreement — showing ownership percentages and management structure.
• Stock certificates or membership documents — proving the women owners hold at least 51% of the business.
• 3 years of business tax returns — to verify revenue and business size.
• 3 years of personal tax returns — for each woman claiming ownership (required for EDWOSB to verify income thresholds).
• Personal financial statements — SBA Form 413 for each woman owner (required for EDWOSB to verify net worth).
• Business financial statements — balance sheet and income statement for the most recent fiscal year.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship — birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate for each woman owner.

Step 4: Submit and Wait for Review

Once you submit, the SBA reviews your application. They may request additional documents or clarification on your ownership structure. Respond to any requests promptly — delays in responding are the most common reason applications stall.

How Long Does WOSB Certification Take?

Typical processing time is 30 to 90 days from submission. The timeline depends on several factors:

• Complete applications with clean documentation tend to be processed in 30-45 days.
• Applications with incomplete documents get sent back for additional information, which can add 30-60 days to the timeline.
• Complex ownership structures — such as businesses owned through trusts, multi-member LLCs with non-woman members, or firms where the woman owner recently acquired majority control — require additional scrutiny and take longer.

While you wait for SBA certification, you may be able to use third-party certifications as an interim step. Organizations like WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) and NWBOC (National Women Business Owners Corporation) offer certifications that are recognized for self-certification purposes. However, note that as of 2023 the SBA has moved to sole certification authority, so the SBA certification is what ultimately matters for federal set-aside contracts.

Finding WOSB Set-Aside Contracts

Once certified, the next step is finding contracts that are actually set aside for WOSBs. Not every federal contract is eligible — only those in NAICS codes the SBA has designated as underrepresented for women-owned businesses.

Which Industries Have the Most WOSB Contracts?

The NAICS codes with the highest volume of WOSB set-aside contracts tend to be in:

• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (NAICS 54) — consulting, engineering, accounting, and IT services.
• Information Technology (NAICS 5415) — computer systems design, custom programming, and IT support.
• Administrative and Support Services (NAICS 561) — office admin, staffing, facilities support, and janitorial services.

Which Agencies Buy Most From WOSBs?

The federal agencies with the largest WOSB contract spending include:

• Department of Defense (DoD) — by far the largest buyer, accounting for the majority of WOSB contract dollars.
• Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — significant WOSB spending in healthcare IT, consulting, and administrative support.
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — active WOSB set-aside program across healthcare, IT, and facilities management.

Sole-Source Thresholds

One of the most valuable aspects of WOSB certification is access to sole-source contracts — awards made directly to your firm without competition. The current sole-source thresholds are:

• $4.5 million for WOSB sole-source contracts (manufacturing NAICS codes).
• $4.5 million for EDWOSB sole-source contracts (manufacturing NAICS codes).

For services and other non-manufacturing contracts, the sole-source threshold is $4.5 million for both WOSB and EDWOSB. These thresholds mean a contracting officer can award you a contract directly, without posting it for competition, as long as the contract value falls within the limit and there's a reasonable expectation that only two or more WOSBs would submit offers at a fair price.

Common WOSB Certification Mistakes

These are the errors that delay or derail WOSB applications most frequently:

Incomplete Documentation

The most common reason for delays. If your operating agreement doesn't explicitly state ownership percentages, or if you submit personal tax returns for only two of the three required years, the SBA will send the application back. Prepare every document on the checklist before you start the application.

Not Meeting the Unconditional Ownership Requirement

This trips up many applicants. If your spouse co-owns the business and is not a woman, the combined woman-owned percentage must still be at least 51%. Community property laws in some states can complicate this — if you're in a community property state, the SBA may count your spouse's community property interest as part of the ownership calculation. Consult with an attorney if your ownership structure involves a non-woman spouse, trusts, or holding companies.

Missing Annual Recertification

WOSB certification is not one-and-done. You must recertify annually through certify.sba.gov to maintain your status. If you miss the recertification window, your certification lapses and you lose eligibility for WOSB set-asides until it's renewed. Set a calendar reminder 60 days before your certification anniversary.

Applying for EDWOSB When You Don't Qualify

If your personal net worth exceeds $850,000 (excluding primary residence and business equity) or your 3-year average adjusted gross income exceeds $400,000, you won't qualify for EDWOSB. Apply for WOSB instead. Applying for EDWOSB and getting rejected for the economic thresholds doesn't disqualify you from WOSB, but it does waste time. Know your numbers before you choose which certification to pursue.

How GovConToday Filters WOSB Contracts

When you set up your GovConToday profile, you can select WOSB or EDWOSB as a set-aside preference. Our matching engine then filters the daily SAM.gov feed specifically for contracts with WOSB or EDWOSB set-aside designations that also match your NAICS codes and target states.

Your daily digest highlights WOSB set-aside opportunities first, so you see the contracts where you have the strongest competitive advantage — the ones where only certified WOSBs can bid. Instead of logging into SAM.gov every morning and manually filtering by set-aside type, NAICS code, and geography, GovConToday does that matching automatically and delivers the results to your inbox.

Key Takeaways

• WOSB certification through the SBA opens access to set-aside contracts reserved for women-owned small businesses, supporting the federal 5% contracting goal.
• Your business must be at least 51% unconditionally owned and controlled by U.S. citizen women, and qualify as small under your primary NAICS code.
• EDWOSB certification adds economic requirements (net worth under $850K, income under $400K average) but unlocks a larger set of designated NAICS codes.
• Apply through certify.sba.gov with complete documentation. Expect 30-90 days for processing.
• Sole-source contract thresholds are $4.5 million for both WOSB and EDWOSB, meaning agencies can award directly to your firm without competition.
• Recertify annually — a lapsed certification means lost access to WOSB set-asides.
• Use NAICS-based matching tools like GovConToday to automatically surface WOSB set-aside contracts that match your business profile.