SBA’s new veteran business certification program will give small business owners 1-year extension

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s new Veteran Small Business Certification Program will include a one-year extension to businesses verified by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Vets First Verification Program.

The SBA’s certification program will open and begin accepting new applications in January 2023. The Veteran Small Business Certification Program will handle certification for veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses; certified businesses qualify for federal contracts.

“We have been working closely with the SBA for a long time supporting the transfer of this certification program to the SBA and are glad to see it come to fruition,” said Jay Bowen, chairman of The American Legion’s Veterans Employment and Education Commission.

“We know that the veteran community will be well-served by this move and that the SBA will make the transition from the VA as smooth as possible. The announcement of the one-year extension for both veteran and service-disabled veteran small business owners further demonstrates the SBA’s dedication to helping the veteran small business community succeed and thrive.”

Businesses verified by the VA Center for Verification and Evaluation as of Jan. 1, 2023, will automatically be certified by SBA for the remainder of the business’s eligibility period, and will receive a one-year extension to their eligibility in order to give veteran business owners an extra year to get recertified.

New applicants certified by SBA will receive the standard three-year certification.

Self-certified service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses will receive a one-year grace period — until Jan. 1, 2024 — under the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

Click here for more information on the Veteran Small Business Certification Program.