SDVOSB Playbook

Get certified.
Win set-asides.

The federal government now aims to spend 5% of all contract dollars — over $31 billion a year — with Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, up from 3%. As a 100% VA-rated veteran you qualify for the program; certification is the gate. Here is the whole path, verified current as of August 2026.

1. 1

   Gather your veteran documentation

   1 dayFree

   You need your DD-214 and your VA disability rating letter. As a 100% VA-rated veteran you already qualify on the service-disabled side — the paperwork just has to be in hand. Download both from VA.gov if you don't have clean copies.

   VA.gov — request records ↗

2. 2

   Structure the business for 51% veteran ownership + control

   1–2 weeksState filing fees

   The company that bids (e.g. an AKERS & Co subsidiary) must be at least 51% directly owned and unconditionally controlled by you — the service-disabled veteran. That means you hold the highest officer position, control day-to-day and long-term decisions, and the operating agreement contains no provisions that let non-veterans block you. Get the EIN, and make sure the legal name on state filings matches the IRS EIN letter exactly — mismatches are the #1 SAM.gov rejection.

3. 3

   Register on SAM.gov

   10–15 business daysFree — never pay a third party

   Create a Login.gov account, request your Unique Entity ID (UEI), then complete the full entity registration (tax info, banking for payment, NAICS codes, representations & certifications). Registration must be renewed every 12 months — calendar it. This is also where you pick your NAICS codes; choose every code you can credibly perform, not just one.

   SAM.gov — get started ↗Login.gov ↗

4. 4

   Apply for SBA VetCert (SDVOSB certification)

   ~12 days averageFree

   Since December 22, 2024, self-certification is dead — only SBA-VetCert-certified firms can win SDVOSB set-asides. Apply on the SBA VetCert portal with your DD-214, VA rating letter, formation documents, ownership agreements, and tax returns. SBA cleared its backlog and averages about 12 days to decide. Certification lasts 3 years. Do this the moment SAM.gov registration is active.

   SBA VetCert portal ↗SBA veteran contracting programs ↗

5. 5

   Get free expert help in Georgia

   OngoingFree

   APEX Accelerators (formerly PTAC) provide free one-on-one government contracting counseling — registration reviews, capability statements, bid strategy. The Georgia APEX Accelerator has Augusta-area counselors. Also worth knowing: your AEDA contact is exactly the kind of local partner who works alongside these programs.

   Georgia APEX Accelerator ↗SBA Veterans Business Outreach Centers ↗

6. 6

   Build the bid kit

   1 weekFree

   Before bidding you want a one-page capability statement (who you are, NAICS codes, UEI/CAGE, certifications, past performance, differentiators), and a record of past performance — commercial work counts. Your construction, media, and software track record across the AKERS & Co portfolio all belongs here.

7. 7

   Hunt and win — the part this tool does

   Every day—

   Sync daily, filter to your NAICS codes and SDVOSB set-asides, let the AI score the feed against your profiles, and start with smaller, simpler solicitations to build federal past performance. Subcontracting under a prime and teaming agreements are the classic on-ramp while VetCert processes. The VA ("Vets First") gives SDVOSBs the highest priority of any buyer — watch VA notices closely.

   Browse SDVOSB set-asides →Your AI-ranked feed →

This is practical guidance, not legal advice. Verify requirements on the linked official sites — rules changed as recently as December 2024, and this page was last verified August 13, 2026.