What is WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business)?
A federal contracting program that provides set-aside opportunities for small businesses owned and controlled by women.
The Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contracting Program restricts competition for certain federal contracts to businesses that are at least 51% owned and controlled by one or more women who are U.S. citizens. The program targets industries where women-owned businesses are underrepresented in federal contracting.
WOSB set-aside contracts are available in NAICS codes designated by the SBA where WOSBs are underrepresented. Sole-source awards can be made up to $4.5M for services and $7M for manufacturing. The federal government has a goal of awarding at least 5% of all federal contracting dollars to WOSBs.
Certification requires the firm to meet SBA small business size standards. Women owners must manage day-to-day operations and make long-term business decisions. Certification is managed by the SBA or approved third-party certifiers.
Related Terms
A subset of the WOSB program for women-owned businesses where the woman owner is also economically disadvantaged.
Set-AsideA federal procurement restriction that limits competition for a contract to a specific category of small business.
8(a) Business Development ProgramAn SBA program for socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses that provides access to sole-source and set-aside contracts.
SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business)A contracting program that provides set-aside opportunities and sole-source awards to small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.