The Small Business Administration (SBA) Final Rule on Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) Certification has been published in the Federal Register, and, as planned, provides for transferring responsibility for certification of VOSBs and SDVOSBs from the Veterans Administration (VA) to the SBA, effective January 1st, 2023.
The move does away with the ability of VOSBs and SDVOSBs to self-certify (with some few exceptions for subcontracts and other goal-related purposes), and requires them to be certified by the SBA. In addition, the Final Rule provides that firms considered "small" by the SBA's size standards in any of their listed NAICS codes may be eligible to be certified as VOSBs and SDVOSBs; previously a firm must have been "small" by their primary NAICS code in order to be eligible.
Current VOSBs and SDVOSBs are eligible to finish their three-year terms of certification before being required to recertify through the SBA, according to the Final Rule. After SBA recertification, certification will also be considered current for a period of three years. There will also be a one-time one-year extension of certification offered to certain VOSBs and SDVOSBs during the changeover process, should their certifications expire during the 2023 calendar year, however, the extension is not automatic and is at the SBA's discretion.
"Our team is committed to supporting a smooth and seamless transition for our veteran customers," said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman in a statement.
Read the final rule in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/29/2022-25508/veteran-owned-small-business-and-service-disabled-veteran-owned-small-business-certification.
Read an earlier press release on the topic from the SBA at https://www.sba.gov/article/2022/nov/03/administrator-guzman-announces-path-forward-veteran-small-business-certification-program.
Copyright © 2024, DBE GoodFaith, Inc. All rights reserved.
