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Explore 100M+ federal records across SAM.gov, Grants.gov, USAspending, FPDS, and 110+ federal sources.
Search all opportunities →The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program provides set-aside opportunities for businesses that are at least 51% owned and controlled by women. The program helps women-owned firms compete for federal contracts in industries where they are underrepresented.
This guide covers the different certification paths, eligibility requirements for WOSB and EDWOSB status, NAICS code restrictions, and a walkthrough of the SBA Certify.gov application process.
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As of 2024, there are two accepted paths to WOSB/EDWOSB certification for set-aside eligibility. Self-certification is no longer sufficient.
Apply directly through the SBA's Certify.gov portal. This is the most common path and is free of charge. The SBA reviews your application and makes the certification determination. Processing typically takes 15 to 30 business days.
Apply through an SBA-approved third-party certifier. Several organizations are approved to certify WOSBs and EDWOSBs. Third-party certification is accepted equally to SBA certification for set-aside eligibility.
Regardless of certification path, you must also be registered in SAM.gov with accurate WOSB or EDWOSB representations. Your SAM.gov registration and your certification must be consistent — discrepancies can result in eligibility challenges.
One or more women must unconditionally and directly own at least 51% of the business. The ownership must be genuine and not merely held for the benefit of someone else. Trust ownership is acceptable only if the women are the trust beneficiaries and control the trust. For corporations, women must own at least 51% of each class of voting stock and 51% of the aggregate of all stock. For LLCs, women must hold at least 51% of membership interest.
Women must hold the highest officer position (CEO, President, or equivalent) and manage the day-to-day business operations. Women must make long-term strategic decisions for the business, control financial decisions including access to business bank accounts, and have the authority to hire and fire personnel. Non-women officers, partners, or board members cannot have authority that overrides or limits the women owners' management control.
The firm must qualify as small under SBA size standards for the NAICS code assigned to the contract being pursued. Size status includes consideration of affiliates — businesses connected through common ownership, management, or contractual relationships. The NAICS codes guide covers how primary-vs-secondary NAICS selection interacts with size standards and which codes are typically eligible for WOSB set-asides.
Each woman claiming ownership for WOSB eligibility must be a U.S. citizen. Permanent residents (green card holders) do not qualify for WOSB ownership purposes. The citizenship requirement applies to each individual woman whose ownership is counted toward the 51% threshold.
EDWOSB status requires meeting all WOSB eligibility requirements plus demonstrating that the women owners are economically disadvantaged. Economic disadvantage is evaluated based on personal financial metrics.
These thresholds mirror the economic disadvantage requirements for the 8(a) program. If you already hold 8(a) certification, you automatically qualify as economically disadvantaged for EDWOSB purposes. The SBA considers the totality of circumstances when evaluating economic disadvantage, including access to credit, assets, and income.
EDWOSB status is valuable because it opens access to set-asides in NAICS codes where women are “substantially underrepresented” — a broader category than the “underrepresented” designation available to WOSBs. This means more contracting opportunities in more industries.
Unlike 8(a) or SDVOSB set-asides, which are available across all NAICS codes, WOSB and EDWOSB set-asides are restricted to specific NAICS codes where the SBA has determined women are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented.
WOSB set-asides are available for NAICS codes in industries where women are “underrepresented.” These include many construction, manufacturing, and professional services codes. The SBA determines underrepresentation by comparing the proportion of women-owned businesses in an industry to their proportion in the general business population.
EDWOSB set-asides cover a broader range of NAICS codes — those where women are “substantially underrepresented.” This includes additional codes in IT services, professional and scientific services, manufacturing, and other sectors not covered by the WOSB-only list.
Before applying for WOSB or EDWOSB certification, verify that the NAICS codes for your business are on the eligible list. The complete list is published in the Code of Federal Regulations (13 CFR 121.507) and is available on SBA.gov. If your primary NAICS code is not eligible for WOSB set-asides, certification may still be useful for subcontracting goals and past performance building, but you would not be able to compete for WOSB set-aside prime contracts under that code.
The SBA manages WOSB/EDWOSB certification through the Certify.gov portal. Here is what to expect during the application process.
Create your Certify.gov account, link your SAM.gov entity using your UEI, and select the WOSB or EDWOSB certification program. Complete each section of the application, upload your documents, and submit. You can save and return to your application at any time before submission. After submission, monitor the portal for status updates and respond promptly to any SBA requests for additional information.
The federal government has a 5% statutory goal for WOSB contract awards. In recent years, the government has met or exceeded this target, directing billions of dollars to women-owned small businesses.
Compete only against other certified WOSBs for set-aside procurements in eligible NAICS codes, facing significantly reduced competition.
Contracting officers can award sole-source contracts to WOSBs up to $4.5 million for services and $7 million for manufacturing.
Prime contractors actively seek certified WOSBs to meet WOSB subcontracting plan goals, creating additional revenue channels.
WOSB can be combined with other certifications like 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB for maximum contracting flexibility and access to multiple set-aside pools.
Both WOSB and EDWOSB require 51% women ownership and women in management control. EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business) has the additional requirement that the women owners demonstrate economic disadvantage, meaning personal net worth under $850,000 (excluding primary residence and business equity), average adjusted gross income of $400,000 or less over three years, and total assets under $6.5 million. EDWOSB status opens access to a broader range of NAICS codes for set-aside contracts. WOSB set-asides are limited to industries where women are underrepresented, while EDWOSB set-asides apply to industries where women are substantially underrepresented.
As of October 2024, self-certification is no longer sufficient for WOSB set-aside eligibility. All WOSBs and EDWOSBs must be certified through the SBA (via Certify.gov) or by an SBA-approved third-party certifier to compete for WOSB and EDWOSB set-aside contracts. You can still represent yourself as women-owned in SAM.gov for informational purposes, but set-aside eligibility requires formal certification. Firms that were previously self-certified need to obtain SBA or third-party certification to maintain their set-aside eligibility.
WOSB set-asides are only available for NAICS codes where SBA has determined that women are underrepresented. EDWOSB set-asides apply to NAICS codes where women are substantially underrepresented. The SBA publishes the full list of eligible NAICS codes in the Federal Register, and the list is updated periodically. Not all NAICS codes are eligible for WOSB or EDWOSB set-asides. Before applying, verify that your primary NAICS code is on the eligible list. You can check the current list at SBA.gov or through the Certify.gov portal.
SBA certification through Certify.gov typically takes 15 to 30 business days for complete applications. Third-party certifiers may have different processing times, generally ranging from 2 to 6 weeks depending on the certifier and the complexity of your business structure. Preparing your documentation in advance and ensuring your SAM.gov registration is current will help streamline the process. Incomplete applications or those requiring additional documentation will take longer.
Search for WOSB and EDWOSB set-aside opportunities across all federal agencies. Filter by your NAICS codes, agency, and contract value.