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OpenBid Learn · Readiness course

Stable · checked October 2026

Veteran-Owned Business Certification (VetCert)

This course gets you ready to apply for the SBA veteran certification yourself, on the government's own site. It covers both kinds: veteran-owned (VOSB) and service-disabled veteran-owned (SDVOSB).

What holding it opens up

  • SDVOSB: you may bid on federal contracts set aside for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, at any agency.
  • SDVOSB: agencies may award some contracts to you directly, without a competition. The rule limits how large those contracts can be.
  • VOSB: the contracts open to you are VA contracts only. The VA puts SDVOSBs first and VOSBs second.
  • SBA also names access to federal surplus property as a benefit.

Where you apply

SBA Certifications (opens in a new tab), the government's own site. You apply there yourself.

Government fee

No fee found

We found no government fee to apply. An SBA fact sheet says most of its services are free to the small business owner.

Decision time

No fixed time in the rule

The rule sets no fixed time. News reports of an SBA announcement in November 2025 gave an average of about 12 days. We found no current official figure, so yours may differ.

How long it lasts

3 years

Three years. Your certification letter states your own dates.

Who decides

SBA, using VA records

The Small Business Administration (SBA). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) records decide who counts as a veteran or a service-disabled veteran.

Watch out

This is preparation, not certification.

  • You apply yourself, in your own account. We never sign in, apply or send anything for you.
  • The government decides. Finishing this course is not a certification. OpenBid cannot guarantee results.
  • Answer with your own true facts. An application is your legal statement to the government.
  • We never ask for a taxpayer ID, a Social Security number, a bank number or a password. Cover them in screenshots.

Rules as of October 2026. Rules change. The government's own instructions are what count.

No refunds once a course is opened.

A course counts as opened as soon as you open any lesson in it after paying. If you paid and have not opened it yet, contact us and we will refund it. See the terms.

Lesson 1 · Free

What VetCert is and what it does for you

About 6 minutes

  • VetCert is the SBA program that certifies a small business as owned and run by a veteran. Its full name is the Veteran Small Business Certification.
  • There are two kinds. VOSB means veteran-owned small business. SDVOSB means service-disabled veteran-owned small business, where the veteran has a disability from their service.
  • It is for a small business that is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more veterans who live in the United States.
  • A "set-aside" is a contract only certain kinds of business may bid on. SDVOSB certification lets you bid on set-asides for service-disabled veterans across the government.
  • VOSB certification, without a service disability, opens VA contracts only. Lesson 2 explains this, so you know what you are getting before you spend the time.
  • You can no longer just say you are an SDVOSB. Since 2024 the rule requires SBA certification before that status counts for federal contracts.
  • We found no government fee to apply. An SBA fact sheet says most of its services are free to the owner. You apply yourself on SBA's own site.
  • SBA decides, not OpenBid. The rule sets no fixed time for a decision. Certification lasts three years. It lets you compete. It is not a contract.

Watch out

  • Anyone who charges you to "get you certified" is selling help, not the certification. Only SBA certifies, and you can apply yourself.
  • Owning 51 percent is not enough on its own. SBA also looks at who really runs the business.

What is in the rest of the course

6 more lessons

  • Lesson 2: VOSB or SDVOSB: what each one opens
  • Lesson 3: How your veteran status is checked
  • Lesson 4: Ownership, control and your governing documents
  • Lesson 5: Who really runs the business day to day
  • Lesson 6: Deadlines and paperwork discipline
  • Lesson 7: After the decision: keeping it, or trying again
  • Am I ready? 10 questions the rules turn on, and what each answer means for you.
  • What to gather. 16 documents and facts to have in hand, ticked off as you go.
  • The application. 8 steps in order, and where people get stuck.
  • Sabrina, our AI assistant, to answer your questions and look at your screenshots.
  • Your readiness packet to print or save as a PDF.

The government's own pages

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